"I'm Going To Show You Something Beautiful..." Age of Ultron Trailer Wins The Internet!

Yowza.  The troubling thing about working nights, is that sometimes you come home after a long day, and some bit of movie news has just absolutely devastated the internet in your absence (something that's been happening more often than not around ITMOD lately, sorry folks).  Yesterday, that news was the Age of Ultron trailer.  James Spader's gargley robotic voice promises early on "something beautiful" and Joss Whedon certainly delivers the goods.  Most of the trailer is what we saw at this year's San Diego Comic Con (minus a jovial cocktail party sequence, but Marvel doesn't want to confuse the Empire Strikes Back All-Shit-About-To-Break-Loose doom & gloom of the Ultron plot).  Still, now we can watch it over and over and over again and drool and drool and drool.

HULKBUSTER!  Yes.  We know internet, it is the coolest.  Just another geek miracle Marvel has been blessing fanboys since 2008.  But as much as I love seeing these two titans go at it in Wakanda (rumor mill!), the trailer wins my soul with James Spader's vocal talents - AND! not just because we're crazed Boston Legal fans around these parts.  The Evolution of Ultron from Iron Legion drone to genocidal world conqueror will finally deliver upon the Marvel Cinematic Universe a screen villain worthy of our fear.  I love Loki as much as the next tumblr addict, but he's more putz than terror, and the other bad guy stand-ins have mostly been one dimensional bores.  Ultron here is going to tear The Avengers apart.  Just look at poor cowering Bruce Banner, or that beautiful wide shot of the team separated aboard the quinjet.  Avengers 2 is not going to leave our heroes all buddy-buddy.  Captain America 3 - Civil War is coming after all.  When I left the theater in 2012, The Avengers gave me a giddy buzz of joy.  I imagine when I exit from Age of Ultron that buzz will still be there, but it's going to be birthed from a tremendous emotional bummer.  Not so much of a prediction here, but Avengers 2 is gonna make ya hurt, and there will be very little fist pumping glee from the audience...except for those masochists out there.  Here's hoping (always dangerous in the fan community, stop predicting/anticipating your desires and just enjoy the movies Brad!) that Avengers 3 will see the team come back together in a crowd pleasing Guardians of the Galaxy mashup against Thanos & his Infinity Gauntlet.  Marvel will mic-drop and bow out of the movie making business for good.  Ha.

--Brad

"I Am The White Ghost!" - Nicolas Cage Has Lost It In Outcast & He's Dragging Darth Vader With Him!

Remember when Nicolas Cage won an Oscar?  Or that time he regularly headlined Summer Blockbusters?  Or made super crappy movies that were a ton of fun?  That seems like a long, long, long time ago.  Once I could go to bat for the crappiest of Cage flicks, but that time has past.  He's fallen into that realm of Direct to Redbox misery.  Seeking Justice led to Trespass which led to Stolen which led to The Frozen Ground, Rage, and now Outcast.  Somewhere along the way I lost the fever.  He's still making the occasional big screen appearance (Joe, Left Behind), but the man's reign seems to have come to an end.  Is there a project out there that could bring him back from the brink?  I hope so.  But this Templar Knight vs Samurai Sorcerers does not seem to be the answer.



--Brad

"Just A Machine" - Antonio Banderas is I Robot Skynet A Space Odyssey!

Spanish effects guru Gabe Ibanez is treading some very familiar ground for his second feature.  Automata has bits of a thousand other science-fiction stories pulsing through its DNA, but I still find myself responding positively to this yet-another Robots With Soul storyline.  I'm (we're) a sucker for these plots, and that's why they keep making them.  Having recently watched The Expendables 3, I can assure you that Antonio Banderas was the only one of those fogies that understood the charm & joy of the concept.  He's an actor who hasn't always gotten his fair pick of roles.  Comedy comes easy to him, but his best work is when he lets the anger out.  I love seeing him pissed.  And a pissed Banderas in a sci-fi Blade Runner Beyond Thunderdome?  Yep.  Fingers crossed.



--Brad

Trailer: The Death of Superman Lives - What Happened?!?!?!

"Why are you bringing up such painful memories?"  I've been watching the progress of this documentary for what seems like eons.  Director Jon Schnepp (AMC Movie Talk, Metalocalypse) has spent years scrounging up interviews surrounding Tim Burton's failed Superman film, and it finally seems like he's acquired all the necessary people.  Burton is there, of course, and it looks like we get some archival Nicolas Cage bits, but no word yet if he's got anything new from the Mega Actor.  This second trailer is really just another commercial to get some spare change to finish up the project, but I like what I see.  One of my favorite films this year is Jodorowsky's Dune as sometimes the process of making a travesty is more interesting then the final project.  We now live in a world where we've had not just Richard Donner's revered adaptation, but Bryan Singer's lovefest Superman Returns and Zack Snyder's punch-em-up Man of Steel - plus the upcoming Batman v Superman & the Justice League event!!  Tim Burton's Superman Lives may have been an ungodly mess, but I really wish it could have come to fruition.  These characters are so iconic they can survive a wonky segment here & there (Joel Schumacher's Batman is proof of that).

--Brad

"Ain't No Thing Like Me Except Me!" Guardians of the Galaxy Assemble in Latest Trailer

After my wedding and all that lovey dovey stuff, the greatest moment of my life was hearing the voice of Rocket Raccoon.  I've watched this new trailer a half dozen times already.  I gotta monitor my expectations now, but I'm all verklempt over here.  Seeing Rocket strapped with some heavy artillery, totally jazzed at the firepower...seeing Rocket handcuffed, "Ain't No Thing Like Me Except Me" - gosh.  I'm not quite sure its up there with the "I'm Always Angry" moment of The Avengers, but dang it, those two tiny moments get right to the heart of the character.  And the quizzicle "I Am Groot" from Vin Diesel?  The film had me already, but now I'm ready to cross state lines and give Polygamy a try with this trailer.  The Wife seems cool with it.  Plus, we get our first look at Lee Pace's Ronan The Accuser and Glenn Close as Nova Prime.  This is happening folks.  Miracles exist.

-- Brad

"Deep As Hell!" - Nicolas Cage Shows Off Some RAGE!

On the latest episode of AMC Movie Talk, a listener wrote in asking the crew if Nicolas Cage could ever make a comeback from his recent string of B Movie Trash.  The Crew answered unanimously "YES!" and I agree.  He's certainly making a play at respectability with David Gordon Green's Joe, but word from those few that bothered to see it says is"meh" at best.  It's playing up the street from me, but I can't seem to muster up the energy to bother with Mud Part 2.  If you've been following this blog for just a little bit, then you know we here at ITMOD are Cage fanatics.  I love the real-deal stuff like Adaptation & Leaving Las Vegas as much as I love the mega performances of Drive Angry & The Bad Lieutenant. Cage's real problem seems to be rooted in his more recent batch of bland Direct-To-DVD roles.  Films like Seeking Justice, Trespass, Stolen, and Frozen Ground have practically killed my Cage addiction.  Still, I'm waiting for the next Cagesplosion.  On the surface, Rage looks like another bland blahfest, but the walking meme is a perfect fit for a Death Wish wannabe.  Crank up the violence, get creative with the killings, and Rage has the potential for a fun little revenger.  Plus, Old Man Glover is awesome.  More of him in everything please.



--Brad

"They Want What We Want!" - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes goes to WAR!

If I wasn't already pumped for the latest Planet of the Apes, I am positively rabid for it now.  This is certainly the film I wanted to see the first time around.  I actually dig the original Serkis venture, but I never really wanted to see the origin of the Heston Nightmare - just another anti-scientist Frankenstein plot.  No, it's gotta be Ape vs Man.  Caesar vs Gary Oldman with a little dash of good human Jason Clarke.  WAR!  APOCALYPSE!  APES ON HORSES!  This is the stuff.



--Brad

"Don't Freak Out..." Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

I really like the Ninja Turtles.  I don't love them.  I'm not a super freak.  But I grew up on the old cartoon, and I still think the original 90s adventure is a whole lotta fun.  Yes, I never read the Eastman & Laird comic books...until much, much, much later.  They're cool.  I'm just not a super fan.  So Michael Bay's very Bayish trailer below doesn't really upset me.  It looks like a lotta hopping CGI and it certainly seems to be carefree with the origin.  I'm most curious to hear what this trailer does for the TMNT purists out there...like my buddy Bryan.  What's he got to say about Fichtner, or Mikey's squishy facce?  Comment below!



--Brad

"All Those Years Wasted..." Latest X-Men Trailer Hits, Do We Care?

I recently watched Bryan Singer's original X-Men.  It certainly seems like the start of this new wave of Super Heroics we're battling these days, but other than that I found it to be incredibly sophomoric.  Of course, I was never much of a fan as I felt it just never captured the spirit of the characters.  Fanboy problems, ya know?  Hugh Jackman is dashing as all that, but is that what we really want out of Wolverine?  Apparently it is since we've gotten seven outings from the actor with no end in sight.  First Class is certainly my favorite in the series thanks to Fassbender & McAvoy, and the time travel story placing them alongside Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen is enticing.  But the only hope this film has of working is in relegating the majority of the cast to the sidelines.  Too many faces, not enough plot.  A concern we've expressed enough on ITMOD.  The new trailer out of the UK looks fun enough.  Fassbender & McAvoy still look like the best element.



--Brad

Rocket Raccoon & Groot Steal The Galaxy (and the Internet)! Marvel Goes Prose Again

Marvel is making a big push to force the world (ie the internet) into full blown Guardians of the Galaxy mania.  I sure hope it works.  We've proven the worth of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor to the public, but it's going to be a little tricky convincing them that Rocket is one badass genetic experiment and not just a cute little furball.  Not to mention the walking trees, the reality bending gauntlets, and various other cosmic oddities.  Last week the trailer hit, and the fanboys out there seemed properly teased.



Ooga Chakka Ooga Ooga Ooga Chakka!  Ice Pirates is alive and well and living in director James Gunn's heart.  Sure, that's pretty much 90% of what we saw at Comic Con last year with a few extra glimpses of Benicio Del Toro's Collector & Kieron Gillen's Nebula.  Still no Lee Pace Ronan, Rocket Raccoon Cooper voice, Vin Diesel Grooting, or real any real sense of the plot.  Just enough to get giddy.  And I am giddy.  Looks like I'm not alone.  Went to the comic shop two days after the trailer blasted the net, and they were all out of Guardians comics (with the exception of the recent Brian Michael Bendis trades, but let's be honest - they are lame).  What I'm really interested in are the two Annihilation maxi-series that Dan Abnett concocted a few years ago.  Cosmic Marvel never really interested me much as a kid, but thanks to Jonathan Hickman's recent work on Infinity, I'm quickly turning into a Thanos junkie.

Well you might have to shell out a Ben Franklin or two for the Annihilation Hardbacks (for now), but in July you'll get a chance to read that author's brand new Guardians of the Galaxy prose novel, Rocket Raccoon & Groot Steal The Galaxy.  In an interview with Newsarama, Abnett describes the book as "John Woo's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."  I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I think he's attempting a tone of kickassery plus goofy space adventure - you know, Rocket Raccoon folks, big guns to match those big doe eyes.  I'm down.  Marvel has been cranking out the Mega Event novel adaptations like Civil War and Breakout for a while, but it's nice to see them attempting something original with their licenses.  And hopefully this Guardians of the Galaxy media onslaught will result in a hit film.  I want the movie to be good, but I want even more for it to be successful.  If Guardians makes a buck we won't have to settle for Thor 3, Cap 4, Iron Man 5, Avengers 14, over and over and over again.  Let's see some of our favorite Wannabes - bring on Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Silver Surfer, Namor, The Peanut Butter Barbarian.  Let's get weird.  Let's show the world that Geek truly is the new Jock.  Let's vote for Rocket Raccoon in 2014.  If Marvel doesn't expand beyond spandex then the bubble will surly burst, and this golden age will crumble back into a sea of sports talk.  No one wants that, right?

--Brad

"God Help Us All!" - Godzilla & Friends Send Us Back To The Stone Age!

Speaking of remakes...

I am seriously loving these Godzilla trailers being concocted by the good folks over at Legendary Pictures.  Focusing on the real world devastation, as well as Gareth Edwards's Christopher Nolan styled approach to Kaiju Horror rather than the beast itself.  We get glimpses of Godzilla (plus other big bad monsters), but just enough to tease without spoiling the effect.  I'm done with the marketing from this point forward.  I want to go into this Monster Epic with as little knowledge of the creatures as possible. Time to start closing eyes in theaters.  I'm committed (in more ways than one).  OH!  And I am sooooo happy that they've kept the H-Bomb horror.  Dare to dream folks, this Godzilla might be the real deal.



--Brad

"I Have What You Need!" - Jim Jarmusch Doesn't Sparkle With Only Lovers Left Alive

Jim Jarmusch makes movies that always leave me gobsmacked.  Ghost Dog, Mystery Train, Down By Law, Broken Flowers. Those are four wildly different films that I utterly cherish.  Dead Man, Coffee & Cigarettes, Limits of Control.  Those are three films I find fascinating, but ultimately confounding.  The man seems to thrill on distancing his stories from his audience.  I'm never fully participating in the narrative, I'm at arm's reach, but I'm also desperate to pull myself in.  When I first heard that he was tackling the vampire genre with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, my only thought was, "That sounds right."  Who knows where I'll ultimately fall on this film, but I'm certainly intrigued by the UK teaser.  It's just the type of film Hiddleston needs to drag his Loki fangirls into, and I'm absolutely including myself amongst that legion.



--Brad

"We Need You To Hope Again." - The Star-Studded X-Men Days of Future Past Trailer

If I remember correctly, the trailer seen below for Bryan Singer's X-Men epic is the exact same one we saw at this year's San Diego Comic Con.  I certainly have the same feelings now that I did back then - Wow!  How great it is to see all those actors in one film.....and how on Earth is one film going to do all that talent justice.  The answer is probably that most of those folks are going to get the shaft.  Halle Berry's Storm will have one thunderous moment, Ellen Page & Anna Paquin will get their chance to look weepy, and Shawn Ashmore will stand behind the real stars of the film.  It certainly looks like Hugh Jackman's movie, but I'm hoping for some solid screentime from the headmasters both old & young - give me plenty of Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen, & Michael Fassbender.  Deliver some kickass sequences with those folks and I'll be happy.  Of course, Bryan Singer hasn't made a good movie since The Usual Suspects and my expectation for this film is dim.  All these actors are going to be tripping over themselves and the fanboys in the crowd will be left with a muddled mess.  Please prove me wrong.

If the film never delivers at least I got to be a part of the Hall H extravaganza.  The pictures seen below were taken by me from the second row of that beautiful 7,000 seated ballroom.  Nerd Meca for sure.

--Brad

The Godzilla Teaser Has Landed

    If you read this blog, you’ll know already that Brad and I enjoy some kaiju madness.  I don’t think I’d raise any hackles if I said that I’m something more of a fan of Godzilla and his friends than my co-Dork Brad, but suffice to say, we both enjoy the giant beast battle films like any overgrown child should.  And, it should also come as no surprise that I prefer the older films to the newer ones, and obviously to the horrible Roland Emmerich silliness.  You may be surprised that while I love the film, the original Godzilla (or Gojira) is not my favorite.  I’m more of a Terror of Mechagodzilla man.

    This past summer, we got a big budget adventure film featuring some kaiju carnage, Pacific Rim.  And while the movie was fun, and the world building interesting, the storyline (pretty much Top Gun) was bland, and the lead actor was a lifeless puppet (even compared to the CGI).  Still, that Tokyo attack flashback scene captured the magic and terror of the classic films in a way even they rarely approached.  And soon, the director of the little seen but shockingly good Monsters is bringing the great allegory back to the silver screen.  And this time, it looks like Godzilla is getting some respect.  When I heard that Gareth Edwards was going to direct, I felt a spark of hope grow in my chest.  When I saw the first poster, that spark became an ember.  Now that I’ve seen this trailer, I think there may even be a fire in there.  (Don’t worry about my heart; I don’t have one).  I’m not quite giddy right now, but I do have a smile on my face.  If this works out, if this Godzilla film is good and successful, might it mean a rebirth of the genre?  Might we see a Half Century War adaptation?  Could such awesome things happen?

                                                     Dang it.  Trailer has been pulled.  How about this in its place:

-Matt

New Robocop Makes His First Move

A few days ago the first trailer for the Robocop remake dropped, and today we get the first poster.  I don't want to go all Internet hatey over it (this ain't Batfleck), but I am certainly not optimistic for this February release.  I've got a few friends who tell me Jose Padilha is a madman for action with his Elite Squad movies, but the below trailer just screams Total Recall remake.  You know, brilliant Verhoeven splatterfest/satire cleaned up & polished for a bored contemporary audience.  No thank you.  You can toss in all the Michael Keaton, Sam Jackson, and Gary Oldman you want - The Killing's Joel Kinnamen simply seems confused.  I want to believe...

--Brad

"Mess With Their Heads!" - Jason Statham goes Tough Daddy on James Franco in Homefront

Huh, didn't see this one coming.  A couple of actors who will do pretty much anything for a sandwich, Jason Statham & James Franco go toe-to-toe in this rock 'em sock 'em home invasion thriller.  I didn't realize until just this moment that I've been waiting my whole life for these two titans to face/off.  I can't say Homefront looks particularly good, but I'm excited to see the shenanigans these guys get into.  Franco chews some serious shrubbery.



--Brad

"Take Care Little Guy!" - Witness An American Adventure in The Young & Prodigious Spivet

Another film without an American release date, the international trailer for Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest fantastical effort has hit and I'm pretty excited to see the director working with a Western landscape.  The story of a young boy fleeing his country home to accept a prestigious award from The Smithsonian; looks to offer an epic road trip with all the fantastical elements we come to expect from Jeaunet.  My only reservation is that the trailer appears to highlight the entire film, but hopefully there are still plenty of surprises to behold.  After all, Jeunet has made at least two of great films of the last decade - Amelie & A Very Long Engagement.

"It's Out There In The Ether..." - The Death of Superman Lives Teaser Trailer

Geeks love a good What If story.  What If Conan The Barbarian death wished the streets of Modern Day New York City?  What If Rick James became The Hulk instead of Bruce Banner?  What If Tim Burton had cast Nicolas Cage as Superman?  As most of you should know, that last one came very close to a reality in the late 1990s.  Kevin Smith was one of the many screenwriters on the project, and for the longest time his College Crowd Chit Chat was the only glimpse we had into the madness of Superman Lives.  Until now.  Thanks to the all mighty power of Kickstarter, director Jon Schnepp has finally assembled The Death of "Superman Lives."  The below teaser trailer promises an in-depth look at what that fabled film could have been, as well as philosophical debates with some of the Man of Steel's greatest living comic book contributors.  Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Zachary Levi - uh...not sure why Chuck's involved, but cool!  Despite some newsreel footage of Cage, Schnepp has yet to land an interview with the mega actor, but if he manages to do so, than The Death of "Superman Lives" will skyrocket to the top of my most anticipated films.

--Brad

Scarlet Johansson Falls To Earth in Under The Skin

Prepare yourself for some beautiful crazy.  Jonathan Glazer, the director of the brilliant Sexy Beast and the stumbling sophomore slump called Birth, returns with this surrealist assault of a teaser trailer.  Under The Skin follows little green man Scarlet Johansson as she wanders the Scottish countryside seducing men and capturing them for her planet's purpose.  The plot feels very Man Who Fell To Earth but the images seen below (NSFW BTW) evokes filmmakers like David Lynch and Neil Jordan.  The film doesn't have US Distribution yet, so don't expect a viewing till some time in 2014.  Sad.  Cuz I'm struggling to get excited for the Fall Releases, and 2013 certainly could have used a mondo gonzo sci-fi flick.

--Brad

Dork Art: Paul Shipper's Khan + Honest Trailer

Paul Shipper is quickly becoming one of my favorite Dork Artists.  The man has a picture perfect style reminiscent of Drew Struzan, and I can only dream that his illustrations becomes the new standard for movie posters.  Sigh.  At the very least, comic publisher IDW is taking notice, as they've brought him on to do cover work for their October Khan miniseries.  Never mind the fact that the White Khan makes no sense within the context of the reboot/sequel, or the fact that IDW has already done a Khan miniseries detailing the dictator's rise to power.

While we're at it let's also ignore the fact that IDW's Star Trek comics are at best mediocre.  And I'm sure you're not at all interested in another anti-Star Trek Into Darkness rant from me.  Let's just be happy with some pretty artwork, and I'll let the good folks over at Honest Trailers rip Abrams a new one.  Seriously, the below trailer sums up all of Into Darkness's problems better than a million angry blog rants.  Have a laugh and give a watch.

--Brad