9 reasons why Duffy: The Talking Cat should be the most talked about film of the year.

1) It stars the voice of Eric Roberts, who sounds like he has literally phoned his role in.

2) If the quotes listed on IMDb are anything to go by, the dialogue will be amazing.

3) The director of this family friendly comedy started off directing porn films starring Ron Jeremy.

4) Although David DeCoteau is the director's real name, he has also been credited as David McCabe, Julian Breen, Joseph Tennant, Richard Chasen, Jack Reed, Martin Tate and in a curious case of gender confusion, Ellen Cabot, Victoria Sloan and Mary Crawford.

5) DeCoteau has an impressive eight films due for release this year.

6) Three of those films have !?! in the title.

7) I'm not sure that the positive quote on the cover is from a reputable source.

8) The cat on the cover looks like this...

Whereas the cat in the actual film looks like this...

9) The special effects for the talking cat are rubbish.

Duffy: The Talking Cat is released on DVD on 15th July. 

Here's the full trailer for your enjoyment.

DON JON - Trailer for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut

His star may be in rapid ascendence following his role in The Dark Knight Rises, but as we all know, JGL has been working away on his film career for quite a while now in the likes of Mysterious Skin, Brick and last year's time travel head-scratcher Looper. What most people don't know about is his career behind the camera, honing his skills as a filmmaker via his crowd/talent-sourcing website hitRECord for the past few years.

We now have the first widely released feature to spring from Gordon-Levitt's imagination and hitRECord's fertile loins in the form of the Sundance hit Don Jon (formerly titled Don Jon's Addiction for reasons that become apparent when you watch the trailer). Starring Gordon-Levitt in the title role as a Jersey boy falling in love and learning to balance his vices, whether the underlying subject matter is to your taste or not, there's no denying that this directorial debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks fun.

With a supporting cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza, from the trailer it's a hard story to peg down, in parts reminding of Fight Club, Taxi Driver and American History X whilst also seeming like none of those films.

Don Jon has a release date of October 18th on the other side of the pond, so expect to see Don Jon arrive in the UK before the end of the year.

THE WORLD'S END - Poster and first trailer for the final chapter in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy

After Edgar Wright revealed the first UK quad poster for The World's End via his Twitter account a couple of days ago, today sees the release of the first trailer for the final part of what has become known as the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (or the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy).

Following 2004's Shaun of the Dead and 2007's Hot Fuzz, it has been a while since all three  worked on a project together, what with Hollywood calling and pulling Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in different directions. But they are now reunited for what may be their grand finale, as a nostalgic pub crawl turns into a race to save the world.

Although some things change, others stay the same, with the brand of comedy the threesome established in Spaced clear to see in this trailer. There's the familiar themes of friendship and male bonding mixed with Wright's kinetic direction; a big reveal that society is not what it first appears (the faces of the the possessed townsfolk look great) and a man failing miserably at jumping over a fence.

The World's End is released in the UK on July 19th followed by the US on August 23rd. It seems like an age away, but luckily the sight of Nick Frost using bar stools as boxing gloves will keep me going until then.

The new trailer for THOR: THE DARK WORLD presented to you in graph form because I felt like it.

If you insist, here's the actual trailer for reference.

Thor: The Dark World will be arriving in cinemas this October in the UK and November in the US, and yes, I did "borrow" the basic idea for this from Total Film. Whatya gonna do, sue me*?

(*Please don't sue me.)

Obscurity Files - Up The Creek

Picking up where Animal House left off, here's my thoughts on the Tim Matheson led campus comedy, Up The Creek.

FILTH - New trailer and poster for the latest Irvine Welsh adaptation

Starring James McAvoy and based on the novel of the same name by Trainspotting writer Irvine Welsh, Filth sees McAvoy as a member of the Lothian Constabulary investigating a murder whilst engaging in all manner of debauchery and hedonism.

It's of no surprise that this originated from the pen of Irvine Welsh, as he depicts Scottish misery and drug addiction better than anyone. Of course there will be the obligatory harsh comedown and important life lessons to be doled out but, more than anything, Filth looks like a lot of fun. I've always found McAvoy to be a great screen presence, but he's still without that one defining role that people immediately associate him with. Using his own accent and sporting an unmistakably Scottish beard, McAvoy appears to be enjoying being back on home turf.

Sure to go down as one of the most exciting trailers of the year (not to mention the poster which is original and immediately iconic), its breakneck pace and montage of sex fuelled mayhem does a grand job of selling the title.

Before Midnight - The first trailer for the return of Jesse and Celine

As all time favourite filmmakers go, Richard Linklater ranks very highly on my list. After first seeing Dazed and Confused as a teenager and then quickly digesting the rest of his filmography in a short space of time, it helped shape my cinematic tastes for the years that have followed and probably explains why the site you are currently reading is called Slacker Cinema. A major highlight of that filmography was 1995's Before Sunrise, the Vienna set romance that introduced the characters of Jesse and Celine, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

Linklater, Hawke and Delpy returned to those characters in 2004's Before Sunset and now, another 9 years later, are back once again with Before Midnight. Now married with kids, Jesse and Celine's relationship has reached a new completeness, the questions from the final scene in 2004's installment satisfyingly answered. Now, living within their own romantic legend, Before Midnight continues the ongoing love story.

Jesse and Celine seem to have found themselves a comfortable life (this time on a Greek island), and equally, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy seem even more comfortable in the roles that they are best known for. Also back on board as co-writers (along with Linklater, Delpy and Hawke received an Oscar nomination for Before Sunset) it's reassuring to know that they wouldn't have risked returning to these roles had they not had something relevant to say.

Receiving great word of mouth after its debut at Sundance in January, Before Midnight arrives in cinemas this summer.

Pineapple Express 2 Trailer

At long last, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco in the roles that defined their careers, it's the trailer for the sequel you've all been waiting for.



Poking fun at a previous film to promote a new one sounds like a strange move, but it is, of course, a joke, with today's date being the reason behind its release. Still, it's a pretty good joke that not only has me in the mood to re-watch the original Pineapple Express, it also has me further sold on the premise of the film it is really promoting, This Is The End.

Previously seeming a bit wanky (what with Rogen, Franco, Hill, McBride, etc, play themselves watching the end of the world from a celebrity party), this comedy is starting to look like the quintessential Seth Rogen film (high concept seen through a haze of smoke), and the ideal one for him to make his directorial debut with, alongside regular co-writer/producer Evan Goldberg.

Who knows whether this is purely a stand-alone joke made as a piece of viral marketing (quite expertly, I might say), or if this footage will actually feature in the film in some way. Personally, I could stand to see a bit more of Jonah Hill's Woody Harrelson impression.

This Is The End is released this summer. Sadly, Pineapple Express 2 will probably only ever exist in the hearts and minds of those too lethargic to make it.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

A solid week of new releases this week, but without much Hollywood input. Instead, it's a chance to let the smaller guys have their moment.

Whose face looks the most out of place on the poster for Movie 43?

Despite having a non-entity of a title, a trailer that makes it look like this generation's Burn, Hollywood, Burn and one of the most offensively garish posters I've ever seen, the upcoming Movie 43 has managed to secure itself an impressive cast of Hollywood A-Listers and respected comic actors. But which one of them looks the most out of place?

Could it be...

Richard Gere, who's looking right at us saying "look, I'm old, I'm miserable, and I'm in this film because I wanted something to do on the weekends".

Hugh Jackman, who is happy to remind everyone that although sometimes he looks like this, he's quite possibly the most theatrical man in Hollywood who likes to have a laugh and a joke too, and wear rather lovely knitted scarves.

Chloe Grace Moretz, who seems to be saying to herself "Naomi Watts' and Kate Winslet's names are on this poster somewhere, and I have to share a photo frame with McLovin? Wait a minute, didn't I mess you up big style in Kick Ass?"

Halle Berry, who at this point in her career is taking as many opportunities as she can to show off about how good looking she still is. She's 46 for chrissakes.

Emma Stone, who looks disappointed in her agent for getting her involved in this project. Her face seems to say "I'm better than this". Yes, Emma, you are. Also, your hair looks pretty.

And the winner is....

Johnny Knoxville, still plugging away at his acting career but not noticeably enough for the makers of this film to take a still photo of him whilst he was on set, instead putting this old candid photo of him through the photoshop mill so that he resembles Frankenstein's Monster's little brother.

SAVE THE DATE trailer

The tragic indie romantic comedy has long been the stomping ground of TV actresses wanting to show off their range whilst boosting their credibility, but when the film in question stars Community's Alison Brie and Lizzy Caplan, I'm inclined to pay more attention than I normally would. Yes, they're both quite easy on the eye, but both are also actresses on the cusp of wider recognition, and Save The Date seems like a promising enough drama to do that.

Documenting the troublesome times of late 20s dating and relationships, when Caplan's Sarah decides to split up with her long term boyfriend and re-evaluate her life, it has a domino effect on the seemingly happy relationship of her younger sister, Beth (Brie). With both young women approaching potential heartbreak with drastically different methods and Sarah finding rebound love with Mark Webber's Jonathan, Save The Date looks to sidestep its hipster leanings by being emotionally vunerable whilst offering some tragi-comic moments. I'm only really familiar with Brie's comedic side, so I'm keen to see how she adapts to a heartfelt indie romance.

The title might make you think we're in for another post-Bridesmaids "girls can be raucous too!" wedding movie, but from the evidence of this trailer, Save The Date appears to be more than that. The poster appears to be aiming for a much more middle of the road audience than the rather more frank trailer is, but with two of young Hollywood's unheralded talents flexing their dramatic muscles, hopefully it will attract the right audience.

Save The Date is released in the States on December 14th. Best make a note of it somehow so that you don't forget.

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD trailer

Back for a fifth installment in the franchise, Bruce Willis's world weary cop John McClane is heading to Russia on undisclosed business, although the possibility that he's going to pick out a mail order bride who will put up with him hasn't been officially discounted yet (Bride Hard? BBC Three would love that).

To avoid the possible confusion of having two main characters in a film with one of the most popular first names in the world, John McClane Jr is now going by the name of Jack, because apparently there isn't already enough characters in action cinema with that name. Jack's living in Moscow trying to run away from the inevitability of inheriting his father's hairline (or maybe he's doing some kind of government agent type stuff. I don't really know), until he runs into his dad in a foreign city with a population of 11.5 million and they start going around bickering at each other and shooting at commie scumbags. Hey, I'm just telling you what I saw.

As well as this new trailer we also have the above teaser poster (exclusively revealed at EW.com but now making its way around the internet on its way to becoming the latest meme), which takes McClane's most famous catchphrase and repositions it as some sort of jokey wink for the fans of the franchise, whilst also coming across as potentially a little bit xenophobic. At least it's a step up from the fourth installment's method of covering up a swear word with the sound of gunfire, which immediately pointed out what's wrong with the ratings system in America.

A Good Day To Die Hard is released on February 14th 2013.

EVIL DEAD Redband Trailer

Sweet zombie Jesus this looks terrifying. Instead of walking the well worn path of being a poor interpretation of the original, this new remake of the 1981 horror classic seems to have kept what was so scary about the original (as well as pinching elements from the sequel) and added a bunch of new intriguing ideas. What's that you say? A female lead?

Rather than deal with fan uproar over who could play a new version of Ash, they've side stepped the issue by not including the character at all. Directed by newcomer Fede Alvarez, this remake (that for all intents and purposes could be a Bruce Campbell-less sequel) sees Suburgatory star Jane Levy and friends descend on the familiar cabin in the woods for a fun filled weekend of sex, drugs and ancient spirit awakening. In what must be one of the best cut trailers in years, we get a sneak preview of the horrific action in store including some terrifyingly gory body horror and the return of the infamous "tree rape".

Arguably more important than me being okay with this film coming into existence, so are original director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell, both on board here as producers. In a grammatically confusing move that I'm sure no-one else has noticed, this new film is titled Evil Dead as opposed to the original being The Evil Dead, meaning that whilst this film might feature The Evil Dead, the original film will always be THE Evil Dead. Nice move Raimi, I can see what you did there.

Evil Dead will be among us in April 2013.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

Hardly a classic week for new releases, once again we have to rely on the back catalogue to offer up some interesting films and an absolute must buy.

Butter

Nowadays it's nigh on impossible for any actress to play a strong, career minded woman without it looking like a parody of Sarah Palin, but this smart new trailer for Butter plays on that preconception, starting off with the Stars and Stripes awaving before wading into the strange world of competitive butter carving. Like all good satires, there's something slightly nauseating about the whole thing.

The influence on Jennifer Garner's character is clear, and although Olivia Wilde may look like she's regressed back to her days in The O.C., I'm all for any character who boasts she gets pregnant "like, once a month". The trailer also has a blink and you'll miss it appearance from Alicia Silverstone, her one line of dialogue proving that time can be cruel; her stardom melting away like so much warm butter...

Anyway, with just the right amount of Drop Dead Gorgeous-style satirical comment on those weird suburban American things we don't get, and a great cast that also features Modern Family's Ty Burrell and Hugh Jackman in an extended cameo, if I was hunting for a poster quote I'd say it looks "butterly brilliant" and then feel quite cheap about the whole thing.

Butter hits US screens in October and should hopefully arrive in the UK soon after.

Liberal Arts Trailer

Following his debut as writer, director slash actor with Happythankyoumoreplease, Josh Radnor, the sometime Ted Mosby, is back with a new film but the same director's beard. When Jesse, a teacher in New York, gets invited back to Ohio to visit his old professor (Richard Jenkins), he meets and falls for a 19 year old student called Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen).

Although his character Ted in How I Met Your Mother has skated dangerously close to becoming the 'Dawson Leary' of his own story, I'd argue that away from the show Josh Radnor's film career is the one to envy. He may not have the Judd Apatow connection like Jason Segel or the eye-catching showmanship of Neil Patrick Harris (most recently seen in The Smurfs), but he's a man in charge of his career, both in front of and behind the camera.

In his directorial outings (Liberal Arts and Happythankyoumoreplease), he's made some smart casting decisions, surrounding himself with talented character actors who'll raise the quality of any movie by at least two notches. Richard Jenkins AND Allison Janney? Mr Mosby, you're spoiling us. But perhaps the most intriguing piece of casting is Elizabeth Olsen, able to free herself from the shackles of familial expectations with her performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene. Incredibly watchable and precisely the kind of girl a 35 year old teacher would fall for, her presence makes this one of the must watch indies of the autumn.

Liberal Arts is in cinemas September 14th (US) and October 5th (UK).

NOBODY WALKS trailer

Starring John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt and Olivia Thirlby, Nobody Walks is the upcoming indie tale of marital dilemmas among the artistically creative, beautiful people. When Thirlby's Martine arrives in town to work on her movie, married couple Peter and Julie start to take notice of the other romantic prospects around them, leading to much pensive looks and vocalising of complex emotions.

The trailer and poster make the most of its connection to the 'so hot right now' writer Lena Dunham (I'd be tempted to call her the Mumblecore Diablo Cody, but it sounds like a thinly veiled insult), and Ry Russo Young's film was a hit at Sundance this year winning the Special Jury Prize, so this should have a lot of interest when it gets released later this year.


Just as I was starting to worry for John Krasinski's film career as a supporting player in Kate Hudson rom-coms, this looks much more promising, requiring him to act dramatically and play with the Mr. Nice Guy image he's gained in The Office. After the promising performance he put in in Sam Mendes' Away We Go, Nobody Walks looks to be putting Krasinski back on track, sort of like Mark Duplass but with a stronger jawline.

Drew: The Man Behind The Poster - Trailer

In my humble opinion, anyone who considers themselves a true film fan should know the name Drew Struzan and if they don't, luckily there's a new documentary on the way that should fix that. Not literally the man behind the poster (they would have been incredibly hard to paint so he tends to stand in front of it), he is the man who created some of the most indelible film poster images of the last 35 years, be it Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Hellboy, Rambo, The Thing, Star Wars... the list goes on. 


Held in such high esteem by the directors who've been fortunate enough to have a Drew Struzan poster grace their film's promotional campaign, most of the big guns (Lucas, Del Toro, Spielberg, Darabont) appear in this documentary to talk about his artwork and what effect they think it's had on the audiences perception of their films.


There isn't a single filmmaker in the world who wouldn't want a Drew Struzan poster for their film, now the elder statesman of film poster designers and still the high benchmark for up-and-comers like Olly Moss, Sam Gilbey and Tom Hodge. This doc allows us a closer look at the man at work, now semi-retired and able to choose the projects he wants to do, and offers us the first meeting between Struzan and Harrison Ford, the man whose face he has probably drawn more than any other.


An intriguing looking doc for anyone with an interest in poster art, there's no clear indication yet as to when this is going to be released. Imagine what the poster might look like though...

TAKE THIS WALTZ - trailer

Sarah Polley's directorial follow up to Away From Her, her massively successful debut, stars Michelle Williams as a woman torn between the love of two men.

INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE - Trailer

Maybe it's because I'm a child of the 80's and grew up in some sort of Nintendo fuelled dream world, but I just can't get on with modern gaming, with its hyper-realistic uncanny valley graphics and pre-occupation of setting everything in a war zone. Give me a miniature plumber over a 6 foot Navy Seal any day.


To that end, Indie Game: The Movie looks to highlight those games that are the perfect tonic to the massive worldwide released gaming behemoths that dominate the industry. Looking at a sub-section of the game design industry where people devote their lives to creating worlds for these 8 bit characters, these designers reveal themselves to be more obsessive than the people they're making the games for. Think King of Kong, but looking out from inside the machine.


First screened at Sundance this January, Indie Game: The Movie will be released worldwide on June 12th online (and as a nice touch, will be made available on Steam) and will be screened at this year's Sheffield Documentary Festival.