ODD NEW FILM POSTER TRENDS FOR 2011

Obscurity Files #34 - Jack Frost

As it's still slightly dodgy weather conditions, I thought I'd bring this festive season to a close by looking at a film that celebrates the joyous times snow can bring us. Today lets look at the killer Snowman movie, Jack Frost.

More after the jump...

BIZARRE FILM POSTER TRENDS OF 2010

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas! As the great Clark W. Griswold once said...


"We're going to have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's going to find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nut-house."


I'll be back in a few days, but until then I hope you all have a nice Christmas.

Question. When Are They Making Taken 2? Answer. Unknown

We've just been blessed with another new poster for the upcoming Liam Neeson thriller, Unknown. Why they're still keeping up any pretense that this isn't basically just Taken 2, I don't know.

Seriously, if in Unknown, Liam Neeson ends up running around Europe when his daughter goes missing whilst following U2 on tour, leading to a cat and mouse game that uncovers many truths about the practice of human trafficking and the sex trade, I'm going to be pretty pissed off.

YOUR HIGHNESS trailer review

Here's the new cleaner version of the recent Your Highness trailer, minus a couple of buttocks but still with a major ass in it.

I just don't know what to think of this film. As you'd expect from the follow up to Pineapple Express, it's going for the stoner comedy crowd, but also clearly has some money behind the effects and costumes. Danny McBride is certainly an acquired taste, but I've liked him in most of his big screen roles. I've not been able to see much of Eastbound and Down (his TV series where he plays a washed up ex-Major Leaguer), but I've heard good things. I'm not so sure on the role he's playing here, as McBride's cutting one liners just won't work with this type of line delivery.


There's a variety of flawed English accents on show here, with McBride's being the most distracting of all. It rivals Dick Van Dyke in awfulness, and I just don't know if I'm going to be able to sit through two hours of that. With a name like Your Highness there's probably going to be plenty of stoner sight gags from pratfalls to special effects showcases, of which this trailer hints at a few; although I've no idea what the hell that weird, squid-person thing from the end of the trailer was.


James Franco is already a fairly big name from his appearances in the Spider-Man franchise and Pineapple Express, but is about to hit super fame following the release of 127 Hours (perhaps with some award nominations attached). He's also presenting the Oscars this year, so he must be keen to keep flexing those comedic muscles of his. Natalie Portman, his co-star here, is also odds on for an Oscar nod, so who knows what kind of crowd is going to end up watching this film. I wouldn't expect it to deserve more than a niche audience, as it's basically Harold and Kumar go Medieval.


If you saw the previous version of the trailer, you may notice that this time Natalie Portman's been given a fetching pair of airbrushed on pants to protect her modesty whilst bathing. Why they'd bother doing this prudish behaviour, I don't know. If you're making a film packed with the consumption of drugs, masturbation gags and that scary squid bloke, a bit of rump's not going to do any harm.


Zooey Deschanel and Justin Theroux also make brief appearances in this trailer, but it looks like they're out of the picture for most of the story, leaving Franco, McBride and Portman to quest along nicely. I'll be honest, I'm just not sold on this idea, and it's with much trepidation that I'm going to have to say that I'm not particularly looking forward to this Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman starring comedy.


I never thought in a million years I'd say that.


Due June 2011
Anticipation Level

Hoppy Christmas from the Marketing Executives

Everyone's heard about the upcoming kid's movie Hop, right? It stars Russell Brand as the Easter Bunny, although they've gone down the CGI critter route rather than using the much preferred 'Ex Heroin Addict in a Giant Bunny Suit' method. It may only be voice acting, but is this the moment Russell Brand arrives screaming into the mainstream? It's brought to us from the guys who made Alvin and the Chipmunks and its sequel (or Squeakquel if you're a pedant), so that should tell you what to expect.

In a slightly confusing and desperately crass marketing step, they've just released this new poster to tie in with the Christmas holidays. To verify, they're using the season of goodwill we call Christmas to advertise a film about the Easter Bunny. Classy.

Can't believe they didn't put Hoppy Holidays though.

CATFISH review

Now in cinemas is this intriguing documentary/love story about the relationships we form through the internet and social networking, and of the potential risks involved. Find out more, next...

Obscurity Files #33 - The Lawnmower Man

With Tron: Legacy finally hitting our screens this weekend, I thought we could take a look at another film that's at least partially set inside a computer mainframe. Today, it's 1992's Pierce Brosnan/Jeff Fahey starring cyber wet dream that is The Lawnmower Man.

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT trailer review

The trailer for this new 80's set film starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris has just been released. Watch it here.

As anyone who was a fan of That 70's Show will attest, the arrival of Topher Grace as a movie star has been a long time coming. He was quite possibly the best thing about that show, and deserves to have a more prominent career on the big screen. He was okay as Venom in the slightly crap Spiderman 3 (I blame the role rather the actor), and was quite watchable earlier this year in Predators. They we're both quite stern faced roles, but it looks like this film might give him a real chance to flex his comedic muscles.


Yeah, it does look like it could be a continuation of That 70's Show, jumped ahead by a decade. We're now in the tail end of the 80's nostalgia films, and it'll not be long before it's all about the 90's. For now though, this appears to be succeeding where Hot Tub Time Machine failed. That film (although with some high points) didn't seem to realise it had and capitalise on the two trump cards it was holding in the casting of John Cusack and Crispin Glover. It was the kind of film that should have had more nods to forgotten classics of the 80's.


Take Me Home Tonight looks to have the right level of nostalgia for the 80's. The clothes look awesome, the hair looks just as good/bad, and the story appears to be a slight retread of one of my favourite lost 80's films, License To Drive. If you're going to set a film over one night, the 80's seems to be the perfect era to do it in. There's Blind Date, Adventures In Babysitting, etc. This film is in good company.


The presence of Dan Fogler gives me mixed feelings. I liked him in Fanboys but hated him in Good Luck Chuck, one of the most disgustingly puerile films I've ever had the misfortune to see. However, he tends to play quite brash characters, and I can see that fitting in with a take on Bret Easton Ellis excess. There's not a lot of Anna Faris in this trailer, but she appears to be just a supporting character. Take Me Home Tonight is quite a terrible title for a film really, although it's the kind of easy title option they would have took in the 80's (I'm looking in your direction Can't Buy Me Love), so maybe it'll grow on me.


It's not going to be the best film of the year by a long shot, but it looks like a fairly good fun comedy with a nostalgia kick. I'll be checking it out.


Due March 2011
Anticipation Level