In order to lend Plus Trailers some much needed credibility, every Friday I am going to be writing a little about the week’s film news. I will only be reporting on things that interest me – fans of Twilight will have to go elsewhere. In fact, if you want comprehensive or unbiased news coverage you’re probably looking in the wrong place. But if you can stand my poor grammar, prejudicial "journalism" and nerdish rants about whatever it is that Hollywood is screwing up this week then by all means read on. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Like a lot of sci-fi geeks, I think my most anticipated movie of this year is James Cameron’s Avatar. So far there has been no poster, trailer or any other advertising material, and so for the time being I have to latch on to tiny things like the photo above. This “powersuit” was on display at the E3 game convention in Los Angeles, and they look (in my opinion) freaking badass, like a combination between the loaders in Aliens and the APU’s in Matrix Revolutions. According to /Film, “[The power suits] are worn by human troopers on the surface of alien planet Pandora. One sequence is going to show a group of Powersuited troopers, led by Matt Gerald’s Corporal Lyle Waynefleet, laying waste to a Na’vi village, torching it with flamethrowers and even causing civilian casualties.” Sweeeeeeeeeeet!Below is the concept art I posted last week that shows the powersuit in action
Speaking of Aliens (both the movie and the…species), Tony and Ridley Scott have officially confirmed that they are developing a prequel to the four-film franchise. I can’t remember if I have already spoken about this news (which has existed as a rumour for some times now). If I have, I probably expressed an intense dislike for it. Ridley Scott directed the first film (Alien, 1979), and James Cameron directed the second (Aliens, 1986), both of which were excellent. The third and fourth films were no where near as good, and the Alien vs. Predator spin-off movies were god-awful. So while Scott’s involvement is promising, history suggests that we might be better off putting this franchise to bed.
Last week, I wrote about DreamWorks Animations line up for the next three years. Specifically, I drew attention to Oobermind, a story of the super villain who falls into despair after defeating his arch-rival. This week, the first piece of advertising for the film hit the web, and can be seen above. Oobermind will feature the vocal talents of Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller and Tina Fey, and is set to be released in November 2010.Another upcoming film I want to mention is Paul. Directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) and written by Simon Pegg and David Frost (the guys from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), the film tells the story of two British nerds (Pegg and Frost) who go on a road trip to area 51, where they meet an alien named Paul. The reason I wanted to mention this film is because the comedic cast is absolutely astounding. Aside from Pegg and Frost, it also features Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, Pineapple Express), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) and Kristin Wiig (Saturday Night Live). Plus, just this week, it was announced that Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Ghostbusters) will also join the cast. This is shaping up to be this years (or next years) Tropic Thunder, and I can’t wait.
The upcoming Kevin Smith directed film A Couple of Dicks has begun production, and the first photos from the film have hit the web. The movie stars Tracey Morgan and Bruce Willis (pictured) as two cops who attempt to track down a stolen vintage baseball card. You can view the other two photos here.Some new footage from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra has been released, and it has made me once again reconsider my stance on the film. When I saw the 30 second Super-bowl spot, I said it looked like a really fun action flick. The full length trailer was less impressive; this footage is atrocious. Seriously. I now think this will be the worst movie of ’09 (tied with Dragonball of course) You can watch footage here, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Finally, I am sad to report that David Carradine was found dead today in his hotel room in Thailand of an apparent suicide. The 72 year old actor was best known for playing Caine, the hero of the 70’s television series Kung Fu as well as Bill in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films. I have never seen Kung Fu, but loved his performance in Kill Bill (for which he recieved a Golden Globe nomination), as well as his turn as Frankenstein in the cult action film Deathrace 2000. For more information on his life and death, click here. RIP.DVDs
It’s been a big week for DVD releases here in Australia. First off, we have the first two seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (in one set). I have only seen a couple of episodes of this controversial comedy - which regularly tackles taboo themes including abortion, racism and underage drinking – and have been looking forward to this release for some time now. The show has already run four season in the US, but this is the first taste us Aussies (at least the ones of us without Foxtel) have been given.
Also in TV on DVD we have the eighth season of Law and Order: SVU and the third season of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. And in movies we’ve got Bride Wars, Bedtime Stories, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Gran Torino and Role Models.
Sources: /Film, CHUD, First Showing, Coming Soon, Hey U Guys, EzyDVD
