Trailer courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost where a discovery full of scientific possibility becomes a mission of survival when a creature is unearthed by a crew of international scientists. In the thriller The Thing, paranoia spreads among a group of researchers as they encounter something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being. Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across a ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees the thing from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew's pilot, Carter (Joel Edgerton), to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish. The Thing serves as a prelude to John Carpenter's classic 1982 film of the same name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced by Strike Entertainment's Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (Dawn of the Dead).
"The Thing" hits theaters on October 14th.
Trailer courtesy of The Bubble Factory.
An ex-Navy seal (Mehcad Brooks), his girlfriend (Serinda Swan) and their friends head out on a road trip to New Orleans. The group decides to stop at a roadside convenience store owned by Chopper (Sid Haig), who tells them the tale of Lockjaw, a fabled god-like creature who is half-man, half-alligator. The legend has it that an inbred local man by the name of Grimley (Daniel Bernhardt) lost his family to a monstrous white alligator, which then drove him to madness and some believe he was transformed into that very creature that now haunts the depths of the swamps. Their curiosity peaked, the group decides to play along with the local tourist trap and journey deep into the backwoods to find the old dilapidated cabin which is supposed to be the birthplace of the creature. As they set-up camp for the night, their faith is put to the test when Lockjaw turns out to be more than just a myth and they realize the locals are hiding a horrifying secret that jeopardizes them all. Directed by Fred M. Andrews and starring Mehcad Brooks, Serinda Swan, Amanda Fuller, Dillon Casey, Lauren Schneider, Aaron Hill, Daniel Bernhardt, and Sid Haig, CREATURE introduces a new monster legend into the horror film lexicon.
"Creature" hits theaters in limited release on September 9th.
Trailer courtesy of Indomina Entertainment.
A period epic from genre master Tsui Hark (Seven Swords), DETECTIVE DEE is an action-packed, visually breathtaking Sherlock Holmes-style mystery starring some of China's top acting talent: Andy Lau, Bingbing Li, Carina Lau, and Tony Leung Ka-fai. Nominated for Best Special Effects at the 2011 Asian Film Awards and stunningly choreographed by master Sammo Hung, this intricately plotted whodunit is set in an exquisitely realized steampunk version of ancient China. On the eve of her coronation as Empress (Carina Lau, 2046), China's most powerful woman is haunted by a chilling murder mystery: seven men under her command have burst into flames, leaving behind only black ash and skeletal bones. Recognizing this threat to her power, she turns to the infamous Dee Renjie (Andy Lau, Infernal Affairs, House Of Flying Daggers): a man whose unparalleled wisdom is matched only by his martial arts skills. As he battles a series of bizarre dangers, he unveils a chilling truth that places his life, and the future of an entire dynasty, in peril.
"Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame" hits theaters in limited release on September 2nd.
Welcome to Trailer Friday. This week, we've decided to do something different. Instead of having the usual format, we bunched up all three trailers and packed them into a mini show through our playlist on youtube. Here's the movies on this edition.
Trailer courtesy of IFC Midnight
Jaime, Marta and their daughter Isabel, a well-off family, move to a luxurious new house. The parents are going through rough patch but have decided to give their relationship one last chance.
On the first evening in their new home, a group of three hooded men burst into the house. Their objective: To get as much money as possible from them in one night.
"Kidnapped" is available through your local on demand provider.
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Midnight.
After a young American backpacker goes missing in Europe, a group of journalists link his disappearance to a remote village in Poland. They travel there hoping to get the story, but as they unravel the secrets behind this mysterious village, they are suddenly pursued by hostile locals. Unable to escape, they soon become the next victims of ritualistic human sacrifice. Forced into the gruesome reality of true survival horror, the journalists will discover that this village hides a much darker secret than they could ever imagine.
Be sure to check out The Shrine when it debuts on demand from IFC Midnight, via Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner, and Bright House starting July 15!
Trailer courtesy of IFC Midnight.
They did it! They made a documentary on a bunch of vampires!
A family of vampires, bored with immortality, lives in Belgium, eats illegal immigrants, children, handicapped folk, and takes every advantage they can suck out of the country's social system.
Samson, a seventies throwback, lives his 55th year like he's forever 20. Grace, an eternal teenager bent on being human again, keeps committing suicide. George, the patriarch, manages as best he can, heading the eccentric family and its on-going squabbles with the neighboring vampires.
It turns out vampires must keep to a strict code. They are, for example, prohibited from sleeping with their leader's wife. That's where Samson went too far... Now he and his whole family are exiled to Quebec, where even vampires have to work for a living!
A fresh, biting comedy from Vincent Lannoo!
"Vampires" is available now nationwide on demand from IFC Midnight, via Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner, and Bright House.
Attention Independent Filmmakers. If you want your film's trailer featured on Film Arcade's youtube page and on an upcoming edition of Trailer Friday, send me an email with a synopsis of the film and trailer to anthonythurber@filmarcade.net.
Trailer Friday: "Another Earth", "The Troll Hunter", Beats Rhymes And Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest
Welcome to "Trailer Friday". Here are trailers, for three films that are either currently in theaters or coming soon to a theater near you.
Trailer courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman accepted into MIT's astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child with his loving wife. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined. Estranged from the world and the selves they once knew, the two outsiders begin an unlikely love affair and reawaken to life. But when one is presented with the chance of a lifetime opportunity to travel to the other Earth and embrace an alternative reality, which new life will they choose?
"Another Earth" hits theaters on July 26th.
Trailer courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
Shot in a vérité style, TROLLHUNTER is the story of a group of Norwegian film students that set out to capture real-life trolls on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, TROLLHUNTER delivers truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore.
"Troll Hunter" is currently playing in theaters and On VOD.
Trailer Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Having forged a 20-year run as one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the Queens NY collective known as A TRIBE CALLED QUEST have kept a generation hungry for more of their groundbreaking music since their much publicized breakup in 1998. Acclaimed actor Michael Rapaport documents the inner workings and behind the scenes drama that follows the band to this day, and explores what's next for what many claim are the pioneers of alternative rap in his feature directorial debut, BEATS RHYMES AND LIFE: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
"Beats Rhymes And Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest " Opens July 8 in NY AND LA.
Attention Independent Filmmakers. If you want your film's trailer featured on the Film Arcade's youtube page and on an upcoming edition of Trailer Friday, send me an email with a synopsis of the film and the trailer to anthonythurber@filmarcade.net.
In this edition of Trailer Friday, we focus on three films that played at past Cannes Film Festival and is apart of special promotion that is going on with the video on demand provider Sundance Now. You can watch each of these films on Sundance Now for 99 cents with code that is provided here.
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.
November 26, 1956; led by Fidel Castro (Demian Bichir), a band of 80 rebels sails to Cuba. Among these young rebels is Argentine physician, Marxist, soldier, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro). Nation-less, strapped for resources and fueled only by determination, the group engages in swift, bloody battle to free the Cuban people from the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che and his soldiers wrestle the nation's resources and affection from Batista's grasp.
Though considered a hero by some, Che becomes a hugely controversial figure. At the height of his fame and power, he disappears. Entering South America incognito, Che recruits another band of guerilla fighters in the harsh Bolivian jungles. They embark upon a mission to spark revolution throughout Latin America.
Watch CHE on SundanceNOW for 99¢ with the code CHE.
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.
The film is a work of astonishing precision co-written by acclaimed Irish playwright Enda Walsh and starring Michael Fassbender (300) in an unflinchingly passionate turn as Bobby Sands, leader of the fateful 1981 hunger strike in Northern Ireland's notorious Maze Prison.
The stunningly assured debut feature from Turner Prize-winning visual artist Steve McQueen was the winner of the 2008 Cannes Camera d'Or and over twenty top international prizes.
Watch HUNGER on SundanceNOW for 99¢ with the code: HUNGER
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.
French master Olivier Assays' SUMMER HOURS confronts three 40-ish siblings with the sudden death of their mother, heiress to her uncle's exceptional 19th century art collection. Adrienne (Juliette Binoche), a successful New York designer, Frederic (Charles Berling), a professor in Paris, and Jeremie (Jeremie Renier), a businessman in China, confront the end of childhood, their shared memories, and unique visions of the future.
Watch SUMMER HOURS on SundanceNOW for 99¢ with the code: SUMMER
Don't forgot Sundance Now has a very good selection of contemporary and classic independent films from all over the world with just the click of your mouse. To view their selection of films, you can visit http://www.sundancenow.com/ for more information.
Be sure to visit the official Facebook page for updates about upcoming featured titles: http://www.facebook.com/SundanceNOW?sk=app_110890312312793
Attention Independent Filmmakers: If you want your film's trailer featured on the film arcade youtube page and on an upcoming edition of Trailer Friday, send me an email and your trailer to anthonythurber@filmarcade.net.
In this edition of Trailer Friday, we have three films from IFC Films that are currently available On Demand and/or coming soon to a theater near you.
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.
One step can change a life forever in THE LEDGE, a sexy and suspenseful thriller, starring Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard. After embarking on a passionate affair with his evangelical neighbor's wife (Tyler), Gavin ('Sons of Anarchy's' Hunnam) soon finds himself in a battle of wills that will have life or death consequences. As a non-believing atheist, Gavin is lured by her lover's husband ('Insidious' Wilson) to the ledge of a high rise and told he has one hour to make a choice between his life or the one he loves. Without faith in an afterlife, will he be able to make a decision? It's up to police officer Hollis (Howard) to save both their lives but the clock is ticking in this edge-of-your-seat film that will leave you gasping until the final frame.
THE LEDGE is NOW AVAILABLE on SundanceNOW. The film will be available nationwide on demand from IFC Films, via Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner, and Bright House starting May 25th, and in select theaters starting July 8th.
"The Ledge": Official Trailer
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.
THE TRIP brings director Michael Winterbottom and the hilarious Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon (24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, A COCK AND BULL STORY) back together in a side-splitting road comedy. The film follows the pair on a hysterical odyssey that has won over audiences at the Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals, and has critics rolling in the aisles.
When Steve Coogan is asked by The Observer to tour the country's finest restaurants, he envisions it as the perfect getaway with his beautiful girlfriend. But, when she backs out on him, he has no one to accompany him but his best friend and source of eternal aggravation, Rob Brydon. As the brilliant comic duo, freestyling with flair, drive each other mad with constant competition and showdowns of competing impressions (including dueling Michael Caines, Sean Connerys and Al Pacinos), the ultimate odd couple realize in the end a rich amount about not only good food, but the nature of fame, relationships and their own lives.
"The Trip" hits theaters and On Demand on June 10th.
"The Trip": Official Trailer
Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.
Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) settle down in a cottage they have to fix up since its owner will soon put the house up for sale. They will spend the night there and start repairs the following morning. Everything seems to go smoothly until Laura hears a sound that comes from outside and gets louder and louder on the upper floor of the house. Wilson goes up to see what is going on while she remains downstairs on her own, waiting for her father to come down.
THE SILENT HOUSE (LA CASA MUDA) is now available on demand via Comcast, Cox, Cablevision, Time Warner, and Bright House.
"The Silent House": Official Trailer
Attention Independent Filmmakers. If you want your film's trailer featured on the film arcade youtube page and on an upcoming edition of Trailer Friday, send me an email and your trailer to anthonythurber@filmarcade.net.
Welcome to another edition of Trailer Friday.
"And Everything is Going Fine" is the latest film from director Steven Soderbergh.
From the first time he performed Swimming to Cambodia - the one-man account of his experience of making the 1984 film The Killing Fields - Spalding Gray made the art of the monologue his own. Drawing unstintingly on the most intimate aspects of his own life, his shows were vibrant, hilarious and moving. His death came tragically early, in 2004; this compilation of interview and performance footage nails his idiosyncratic and irreplaceable brilliance.
"And Everything is Going Fine"is already in theaters in limited release and is available On Demand, December 22.
Two-time Academy Award Winner Kevin Spacey gives the performance of a lifetime in CASINO JACK, a riotous new film starring Spacey as a man hell bent on acquiring all that the good life has to offer. He plays in the same game as the highest of rollers and resorts to awe-inspiring levels of conning, scheming and fraudulent antics to get what he wants.
Inspired by true events that are too over-the-top for even the wildest imaginations to conjure, CASINO JACK lays bare the wild excesses and escapades of Jack Abramoff. Aided by his business partner Michael Scanlon (Barry Pepper), Jack parlays his clout over some of the world's most powerful men with the goal of creating a personal empire of wealth and influence. When the two enlist a mob-connected buddy (Jon Lovitz) to help with one of their illegal schemes, they soon find themselves in over their heads, entrenched in a world of mafia assassins, murder and a scandal that spins so out of control that it makes worldwide headlines.
Directed by the late George Hickenlooper (FACTORY GIRL, THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS), CASINO JACK returns Spacey to the type of role that made him famous -- a cool-headed, articulate snake charmer whose wild ambitions knows no limits or boundaries. The film also stars Kelly Preston and Rachelle Lefevre and is produced by Gary Howsam, Bill Marks and George Vitetzakis from an original screenplay by Norman Snider. Executive Producers are Richard Rionda Del Castro, Lewin Webb, Donald Zuckerman, Dana Brunetti, Patricia Eberle, Warren Nimchuk, Angelo Paletta and Domenic Serafino. The Associate Producer is Rick Chad.
"Casino Jack" will be in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on December 17th, 2010.
Retro Trailers
We have not one, but two retro trailers. Since our last edition, we lost two great talents. Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner.
First, I want to revisit and old trailer from 1988, with that starred Leslie Nielsen, which is his best film in my opinion.
"The Naked Gun: Files From the Files of Police Squad": Official Trailer
This is the film that introduced me to the comedic genius of Neilsen and still holds up as one of the funniest films of the eighties.
Next, I want to revisit a trailer to what I consider one of the greatest sequels of all time that was directed by Irvin Kershner.
"The Empire Strikes Back": Official Trailer
"The Empire Strikes Back" stills holds up today, as the best film in the whole Star Wars saga.
Welcome to a new edition of Trailer Friday. I hope everyone enjoyed their thanksgiving. Now onto the trailers.
Inspired by the most notorious missing person's case in New York history, ALL GOOD THINGS is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Produced and directed by Andrew Jarecki (director of the Academy Award-nominated doc Capturing the Friedmans and producer of Catfish), the film was inspired by the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family. Mr. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Kathie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella as the powerful patriarch, and captures the emotion and complexion of this real-life unsolved mystery.
"All Good Things" is availible on demand and hits theaters in limited release on December 3rd.
Dicky Ecklund (CHRISTIAN BALE) is a former boxing hero that squandered his talents and threw away his shot at greatness. Micky Ward (MARK WAHLBERG), his half brother, is the struggling journeyman boxer who spent his life living in his big brother's shadow. The Fighter is inspired by the true story of two brothers who, against all the odds, come together to train for a historic title bout that will unite their fractured family, redeem their pasts and, at last, give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride. The story unfolds on the gritty, blue-collar streets of Lowell, Mass, where Dicky was once known as "The Pride of Lowell" having gone the distance with the world champion Sugar Ray Leonard. However, after losing that fight, like the town of Lowell, Dicky's fallen on hard times. His boxing days are behind him and his life has become shattered by drug abuse. Younger brother Micky, meanwhile, has become the family's fighter and fading hope for a champion. But despite all of his work, Micky's career is failing and he loses fight after punishing fight. Dicky and Micky's tougher-than-nails mother, Alice (MELISSA LEO), manages his career and Dicky serves as his highly unreliable trainer. When Micky's latest fight nearly kills him, it looks like it could all be over -- until his iron-willed new girlfriend, Charlene (AMY ADAMS), convinces him to do the unthinkable: split with his family, pursue his own interests and train without his increasingly volatile and criminal brother. Now Micky has the chance of a lifetime as he earns a shot at the World Championship. But when his brother and dysfunctional family reenter his life, they must all reconcile their pasts and become more than just a family in name. With Micky and Dicky reunited, this becomes more than just a fight -- it's an all-out comeback for these brothers, their family, and their city. When it's over, Micky will have become a champion, a hometown legend, and the new "Pride of Lowell". The Fighter is a moving and often humorous drama about fighting for the people you love.
"The Fighter" hits selected cities on December 10th and Nationwide December 17th.
The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
The film stars Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pierce, and Geoffrey Rush
"The King's Speech" hit theaters in limited release on November 26th.
It's back after being absent for a couple of week. That's right, I'm talking about Trailer Friday.
Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia The Sands of Time) will play Drewe, a sexy flirt who returns to her small country village and stirs up dark passions among the locals.Simmonds' novel, itself a collection of comic strips she first published in U.K. newspaper the Guardian, is a modern reimagining of Thomas Hardy's classic novel Far From the Madding Crowd.
"Tamara Drewe" is in theaters in limited release now.
One of the most anticipated cinematic events of the year, Gaspar Noe's ENTER THE VOID is a visionary thrill ride that's riveted audiences at the Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and SXSW film festivals. At Cannes, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called it "an exceptional work... the work of an artist who's trying to show us something we haven't seen before".
The long-awaited follow up to his controversial IRREVERSIBLE, ENTER THE VOID is an immersive and mind-bending experience. Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta star in a visceral journey set against the thumping, neon club scene of Tokyo, which hurls the viewer into an astonishing trip through life, death, and the universally wonderful and horrible moments between.
Winner of the best narrative feature at the SXSW Film Festival, TINY FURNITURE is a hilarious and endearing film that explores the depths of romantic humiliation and the heights of post-college confusion. Writer/director/star Lena Dunham is being called one of the most exciting new voices in American independent cinema and critics are hailing her film as "irresistibly funny", "unnervingly honest" and "near perfection". TINY FURNITURE also stars Dunham's real-life sister, Grace, and real-life mother, Laurie Simmons, the celebrated artist and photographer.
22-year-old Aura (Dunham) returns home to her artist mother's TriBeCa loft with the following: a useless film theory degree, 357 hits on her Youtube page, a boyfriend who's left her to find himself at Burning Man, a dying hamster, and her tail between her legs. Luckily, her trainwreck childhood best friend never left home, the restaurant down the block is hiring, and ill-advised romantic possibilities lurk around every corner. Surrounded on all sides by what she could become, Aura just wants someone to tell her who she is.
TINY FURNITURE is playing in NYC now & will open in LA and available On Demand November 26th with a nationwide rollout to follow.
Welcome to another edition of "Trailer Friday" This edition highlights some of the films from IFC Midnight Presents Fantastic Fest On Demand, which is available on demand. Contact your On Demand provider for availability.
Directed by: Abel Ferry
Primordial nature runs amuck in this expertly-played slice of neo-Ozploitation from Australian director Josh Reed. The film follows six friends on a field trip who set up camp in the remote wilderness of Australia. When one person takes a late-night skinny dip in a nearby waterhole, she becomes incredibly feverish and agitated, and soon regresses to a crazed predatory state in which her companions suddenly become the hunted. When another begins the same beastly transition, terror descends on the remainder as they realize it's now kill or be killed. A frenzied visceral nightmare in the vein of CABIN FEVER, PRIMAL is a hugely enjoyable rollercoaster ride through primitive panic.
Cast: Zoe Tuckwell-Smith, Krew Boylan, Lindsay Farris, Damien Freeleagus, Wil Traval
Directed by: Josh Reed
Hard-edged and uncompromising, RED WHITE & BLUE, from director Simon Rumley (THE LIVING AND THE DEAD), has already been compared to the works of such disparate filmmakers as Larry Clark and Sam Peckinpah. The film had its US premiere at SXSW, and was produced by Rumley and Bob Portal, and executive produced by Tim League, Judy Lipsey, Doug Abbott, and Adam Goldworm.
It is the first film from Celluloid Nightmares, a new partnership between Paris-based Celluloid Dreams and Los Angeles-based XYZ Films, with the shared goal of bringing commercial, elevated genre films to audiences around the world.
The film will have several theatrical screenings throughout the US and Canada this fall.
Cast: Noah Taylor, Amanda Fuller, Marc Senter
Directed by: Simon Rumley
And in case you didn't experience the original phenomenon, THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE is available now nationwide on video-on-demand on IFC Midnight, and is out on dvd and blu-ray October 5.
Welcome to Trailer Friday. In this edition, it's all Horror. With october upon us, this edition has three trailers for films that all come out in October. In addition to that, I'm adding a retro trailer to this column to give some nostalgic feel to it. I'll explain more when we get there. Enjoy.
Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from Kick-Ass) stars as Abby, a mysterious 12-year old girl, who moves next door to Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road). Owen is a social outcast who is viciously bullied at school and in his loneliness, forms a profound bond with his new neighbor. Owen can't help noticing that Abby is like no one he has ever met before. As a string of grisly murders occupy the town, Owen has to confront the reality that this seemingly innocent girl is really a savage vampire.
Let Me In, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and produced by legendary British horror brand Hammer Films, is based on the best-selling Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma (Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and the highly-acclaimed film of the same name.
"Let Me In" hits theaters on October 1st.
The first 3D movie from horror legend, Wes Craven. A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest.
This October, one of the biggest, most successful horror franchises in movie history arrives in theaters in vivid, chilling 3-D with the release of Lionsgate's SAW 3D.
As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror...
'Saw 3D" hits theaters on October 29th.
