Total Recall trailer

Not sure if this can beat three breasted women, Sharon Stone kicking Arnold Schwarzenegger's ass on Mars or the infamous vacuum scene, but I am pro Colin Farrell and maybe Kate Beckinsale kicking his ass and getting into it with Jessica Biel will make this at least an adequate companion piece. It does look promising, I'd say.

Iron Sky trailer

Nazis from the moon. Enough said.

Perhaps a loose fit for this blog, but the sheer awesomeness of the trailer left me with no choice. 

xoxo

d-bag

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

I was a little reticent to get on board with the whole literary and historical reorientation sub genre of horror fiction. I think I drew the line when authors just seemed to base their ideas on mere alliteration (Sense and Sensibilities and Sea Monsters) or convenience of title (Android Karenina). Though I have heard that the steam punk elements of the latter are somewhat interesting. 

Anyway, as ambivalent towards the genre and my own American heritage as I am, I watched the progress of the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the first of these "mashup novels" as they're called, with a wary eye. When Tim Burton came on to produce and Timur Bekmambetov came on to direct, I started to pay a little more attention.

Nothing needs to be said about Mr. Burton. Timur Bekmambetov directed the Russian film Night Watch and its sequel, Day Watch. As well as the frenetic comic book adaptation Wanted. Say what you will about Angelina and what have you, but the action in Wanted was very well executed. 

And with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter's teaser just released, I am actually kind of excited. 

XOXO

d-bag

The Silent House

So, we've got another Hollywood remake of a Spanish horror film on our hands. But since Quarantine is one of my all time favourite American big studio outings, I am actually kind of excited. Not to mention the whole realtime aspect. As flawed as the writing of Fox's 24 sometimes was, I watched it and have to say the real time element sometimes lent a tension I have never felt replicated anywhere else.

And Elizabeth Olson is the next Noomi Rapace, so they say.



Anyways, this trailer is super good. I'm not sure whether I want to watch the original before hand or afterwards. I guess it will depend on how much time.

Side note to all my loyal readers, horror movies and what not don't give me nightmares or anxiety or what not. You know what does, though? Law school exams. I have woken up in terror several times in the last few weeks even though they are done now.

Two hour open book exams. That's real terror.

Second side note. The trailers for Silent House wouldn't full screen for me. So now, maybe some of you can start stalking me from the information in that screen grab.

xoxo

d-bag

Raze trailer...

I'm not really sure what this movie is about, but this is definitely the most intense trailer I have seen in a while. I've also been in love with Zoe Bell ever since she was Lucy Lawless' stunt double on Xena. 

This trailer appears to be the only information about the film online at all, though I'm seeing it being described as a cross between Fight Club and Hostel.

Looks interesting!

xoxo

d-bag

Rise of the Planet of the Apes...

Here's the trailer for the up and coming Planet of the Apes movie, the first in the series and a prequel to all the other films.



I've been seeing items about this movie for months now and really had no idea what to make of it. What tone it would take, whether it would be serious or comical or what.

Upon seeing this trailer, it's obvious that it is indeed a serious semi-genre sci-fi outing perhaps meant as a cautionary tale to us human beings, which could be good. But could also be a disaster.

It will be interesting to see just what happens when it is released.

Anyways, to borrow a line from one of the worst of last year's horror films, "I don't like human beings."

So, it could actually be quite enjoyable for me to see some really smart monkeys bashing people on the head with things and generally causing havoc. It's also kind of an interesting play on all of the horrendousness that goes on in the medical field with animal testing.

It stars James Franco and he and I are going to get gay married, so I'm sure he will want my opinion on it.

xoxo

D-bag

Melancholia...

Here's the trailer for Lars von Trier's latest movie, a so called beautiful film about the end of the world.

From what I can tell, the path of this newly emerging planet seems to be deranging the people on Earth. Perhaps causing them to descend into a certain melancholia as they fear it will not just pass us by, but collide with us.

Obviously, this film will be largely psychological. The Shakespearian imagery here too of Kirsten Dunst floating down the river speaks to the tragic madness of Hamlet's Ophelia. For those of us who have seen von Trier's previous outing, Antichrist, it's clear that he does have some fascination with women that is perhaps similar to my own warrior women fetish, if not a bit more refined.

Anyways, this is the frame I am talking about:

Apparently, this is von Trier's first film that doesn't have a happy ending. So take that however you will, especially if you think about Antichrist. But hey, he's artsy and high brow, so I'm sure he knows what he is talking about.

This film also features Alexander Skarsgard. That is more or less enough for me. I love Eric... err... Alexander so much.

Not sure this is really going to be a genre film, perhaps more in the vein of Black Swan. But we shall see. 

Happy end of the world!

xoxo

D-bag

Quarantine 2...

So, as all of you know, Quarantine is one of my all time favourite horror films. Say what you will about it in comparison to REC, it's Spanish counterpart, but I maintain after multiple viewings that Quarantine is a well made, frightening and fun movie that measures up to it's foreign source material.

I am a huge fan of the handicam style of filmmaking, especially when used in horror. When used correctly, I think it's the ultimate way to bring the viewer along for the ride: think The Last Exorcism, Cloverfield and the aforementioned Quarantine.

Which is why I was so upset when I heard a direct to video sequel was in the works, set in an airport, that was not going to be shot in the first person perspective.

The REC films went off in a rather interesting direction, leaving many disappointed, and I fear that a similar fate awaits the Quarantine franchise. Regardless, here's the trailer:



If they manage to capture even a little bit of the pure carnage that was the last twenty minutes of the first film, I suppose I will not be entirely unhappy.

The trailer does not look altogether bad, and I must admit, I am actually a little excited. Sorry for the bootlegged trailer, but it's the only one available.

We shall have to wait and see I suppose. 

xoxo

D-bag

11-11-11...

11-11-11 is a genre film being released on November 11, 2011. How surprising. Here's the trailer: 

So, I'm going to go ahead and call it and say this movie is going to be awful. It looks like they've taken the somewhat interesting gimmick of releasing a film about a certain day on that day and made some kind of awful mess around it. Demon children? Creepy old men who whisper at you? Is there anything not tired about any of that? 

Releasing the Friday the 13th remake on the film's namesake didn't really help that not be garbage a few years ago and I can't help but think that this day in history may be forever tainted by the fail that will be this movie.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but the presence of Darren Lynn Bousman at the helm doesn't exactly instil confidence in me. Granted, he didn't direct the absolute worst films in the Saw series, but they aren't exactly horror masterpieces either. To his credit, he did do the amazing Repo! The Genetic Opera but I feel like that film is such an anomaly in and of itself that it has to considered by itself.

I'll still probably still go see it just because of that neat little title/release date gimmick. Or maybe I'm just a masochist. I don't really know.

xoxo

D-bag

Hanna...

So, I suppose this post relates only tacitly to this blog's horror mandate, but I thought I would make an exception. You all know how I have somewhat of a warrior woman fetish. From Nikita to Xena to Beatrix Kiddo, nothing really does it for me like a lady who knows how to kick some serious ass.

Naturally, this trailer has got me all hot and bothered. As has the presence of the amazing Cate Blanchette as well as youngster Saiorse Ronan, whose turn as the murdered Susie Salmon in The Lovely Bones was quite striking as well. Not to mention an original score produced by The Chemical Brothers. 

Anyhow, not quite horror. But here we are.

xoxo

D-bag

Another Red Riding Hood trailer...

So, apparently test screenings for this have been coming back pretty negative. But I don't care. I'm still going to see it. The Nine Inch Nails track featured here adds a certain je ne sais quoi as well.



xoxo

D-bag

Vanishing on 7th Street evokes childhood nightmares...

This shit has terrified me since I was a child. This is a still from an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark entitled The Tale of the Super Specs. In it, putting on said Super Specs allows the wearer to see into another world layered on top of our own, one filled with the shadowy beings featured in the above screen grab.

Thing is, becoming aware of these other worldly beings makes them aware of you too, to the point where they slowly advance on you with horrible purpose. 

Here's the episode. The show intro is worth a watch at the very least. 

Anyhow, what got me thinking about this childhood trauma was the trailer for the forthcoming Vanishing on 7th Street.




Looks like an interesting concept, depending on how well it's executed.

Vanishing comes out On Demand tomorrow for you all more plugged in people than me, and will hit black out theatres for a limited run sometime in February. Maybe we will get it here in town.

XOXO

D-bag

Evidence...

Y'all know how I feel about the handicam genre. If you don't, I like it. If done well, the first person perspective can just provide such a visceral experience that really can't be replicated by anything else.

Needless to say then, that I find this trailer for an upcoming indie flick called Evidence intriguing.




Granted, some may argue that this is not only a tire concept but a tired genre of filmmaking, or that we could just have another Blair Witch clone on our hands. But I would point to Quarantine, Cloverfield and The Last Exorcism, all solid handicam films I thoroughly enjoyed.

Anyhow, it looks to me like some kind of Yeti is after them. And Yetis are always fun. And possibly scary.

Not to mention the scene shown in the trailer from about 0:40 on is. Anything could be in those trees. ANYTHING. Creeps me out just thinking about it.

Whose to say when this film will find a distributor and see the light of day, but something to keep a lens trained on.

XOXO

D-bag

Red Riding Hood...

  

As many of you know, there's a part of me that will probably never evolve beyond the mentality of a fourteen year old girl. And right now, that teenage girl inside me is quivering with excitement. 

Here's the trailer for Red Riding Hood:

Granted this looks like it could actually be a slight retuning of Twilight. Some of the shots look like they were lifted right out of that movie. Same director, so why not stick with what gets tweens wet, right? It worked on me.

And ever since Mean Girls, that teenage girl inside me has loved Amanda Seyfried, and that love only grew deeper with her delightful turn in the hugely underrated Jennifer's Body. She has dramatic chops, and though I have nothing against Kristen Stewart, she ain't no Amanda, that's for sure.

The trailer is quite nicely put together, and the shots suggest a nice aesthetic to me, so my hopes are pretty high right now.

Not too mention the near timelessness of the subject matter. This story has been passed down for hundreds of years and a fresh take with a bunch of fresh faces just might prove to be good. Also, depending on who's telling the story, the grotesquery of the tale varies, with some versions even having our little Red unwittingly cannibalizing her own grandmother.

So, they could take this in any number of directions. I do hope the love story elements don't drag the thing down though, but we'll see.

What this trailer looks like to me is a little bit of Twilight with a dash of Sleepy Hollow thrown in. Intriguing to say the least.

I just hope I don't cream my little red tween panties before March!

XOXO

D-bag

Saw 3D...

As much as I don't want to write about this trailer I will. Partly because Saw is the most commercially successful horror franchise of all time, partly because two of the series (Parts II and IV) are actually good, and partly because I've seen all of them.



You all know how I feel about 3D. Saw trailers usually suck too, but this one is kind of fun. Super cheesy, but fun. The traps from what I can tell seem to really capitalize on the medium and should I see this in a 3D theatre, it will be the first true 3D (ie. one filmed with 3D cameras and not post converted) film I'll have ever seen.

Anyhow, most horror enthusiasts I know are somewhat ambivalent about the Saw series. For me, the original is so bogged down in awful acting that I can't even watch it. The second is by far the strongest outing and has the best twist(s). Saw III was pretty bad, Saw IV redeemed the franchise, but the rest have all really, really sucked.

You have to hand it to a franchise that has managed to continue on after killing off not only it's main villain but everyone even tacitly related to the original story. The only surviving link is Jigsaw's ex-wife Jill and she's pretty boring. I for one don't care what was in her box or whether she's involved in his "work" or not.

But the franchise is unarguably prolific and it will be remembered not only for its grotesqueness and its twist endings, but also for ushering in the whole torture porn wave of films of the last decade. This installment is being billed as the last film of the franchise, so I will see it. I've seen all of them in theatres even, so I should go. I doubt this will actually be the last film, but I guess I'll let them pry more money out of my pocket.

What I do like about this trailer is the fact that finally one of the traps is going on in public. I think this is a great idea that could (but probably won't) lend some emotional weight to the scene. Seems to me that trap is a kind of see sawing circular saw (say that five times fast) which looks interesting, though I could be wrong.

Also, we are promised some kind of resolution to Jigsaw's plan. But the story itself is so convoluted I doubt anything meaningful will go on. Jigsaw is so far removed now that I doubt they could bring any meaningful resolution to his storyline and make a decent denouement to all that's gone on.

WTF moment of the trailer... Dr. Gordon is alive? I guess they figure bringing him back from the original film is somewhat fitting for this one. Carey Elwes is a horrendous actor though, so I kind of wish his character had died after sawing off his leg in the first film.

It does seem Jill is being set up to be killed by some whacked out cart thing, which might resolve some loose ends. I don't have high hopes though.

Side note, I'm excited to see which Scream Queen 2 girl got the part! Another reason to watch I guess. Also, if you noticed in the trailer, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park fame is in the car crushing parts. Weird.

File this in the "I know I shouldn't but will anyway" drawer.

XOXO

D-Bag

My Soul to Take...

I wish I could be excited about this.



Generic. Tired. The only positive about this is that it's been given an R rating. I would have thought it would be PG-13. People are hopeful because it's being hailed as Wes Craven's return to horror, but I'm not convinced.

XOXO

D-Bag

Black Swan

Released today was the trailer for one of the more talked about films coming out this year, Black Swan. I think one of the reasons people are so abuzz about this is because nobody knows what to expect. It's being billed as a psychological thriller, but Darren Aronofsky films (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, Pi) don't usually hold back any punches, so who knows what to expect from this.




The trailer itself is really good if you ask me, it gets you wondering about what's going on without giving all that much away. I like that you don't even really know that this could a genre film until about halfway through, with her reflection in the mirror. The whole elaborateness of dance costuming and big stage productions is hinted on a bit here and I'm excited to see if they take that anywhere near the realm of Eyes Wide Shut, which in my opinion boasted one of the scariest scenes of recent memory. And that wasn't even a horror film.

Come to think of it, this trailer did indeed give me a Kubrick-y kind of vibe. 

I think the subject matter here could end up lending the film a really eerie quality, long sweeping shots of the dancers moving to deep, orchestral music. The whole thing starts to look a little alien if you know what I mean, people aren't used to seeing stuff like that and I think it could be employed to great effect here.

Movies where the audience is left wondering whether the main character is going crazy can turn out to be pretty good (like Jacob's Ladder) or kind of bad (say The Uninvited) but I really do hope that Aronofsky has lent this story a certain drama and weight that could really prove quite interesting.

Some of the imagery is pretty intense too (Natalie Portman's character in the trailer's last scene) so visually, it looks like we might be in for something really unique. On that topic, here's the poster released today as well.

I like Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Winona Ryder (though she is conspicuously absent from the trailer) and Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream is one of my favourite movies) so I'm excited for this.

I wonder about the significance of this line, which opens the trailer: "I had the craziest dream last night, about a girl who turns into a swan, but her prince falls for the wrong girl. She killed herself."

Could they be so brazen as to have put the entire plot out there? Natalie Portman's Nina is "turned" into a swan for the company production of Swan Lake. "Her prince" played by Vincent Cassell, is the director of the company. The "prince" falls for the wrong girl, Mila Kunis' Lily, and Nina ends up killing herself.

I could be reading too much into this, but that's what we do on this blog.

XOXO

D-Bag

Skyline

Skyline trailer (hosted by Apple Trailers)

Interesting trailer here for a movie I've been hearing a lot about lately. I know it's more sci-fi, but I think horror and sci-fi are two genres that really do bleed together, so you'll be seeing sci-fi stuff on here too.

The trailer... I really do hope all of you loyal readers watched it until the end, because there is a pay off waiting for you.

What do I think? Well, I really like the use of the news anchors. I've always really found that to be a great way to advance a storyline/idea that may be somewhat outlandish in a very serious way. I think we're so wired to take what these people say seriously, to shut up and listen, that a bit of that effect translates to film as well. It worked wonders in the Dawn of the Dead redo's opening credits, but I suppose Johnny Cash had a little something to do with that as well.

I don't know how I feel about Stephen Hawking but this last little bit of imagery is certainly jarring... 

But I'm a little nervous that this visual may be the be all and end all of the movie. Its a great, unsettling scene but I just hope the movie has more to it than that. This is just a teaser, so I suppose time will tell. 

XOXO

D-Bag

M. Night Shyamalan's 'Devil'

We know we're a little late on this trailer, but we've been meaning to start this blog up for a while now.


We are intrigued by this trailer but we are somewhat hesitant because of the gloss they seem to have applied to it, with the upside down city and all of the elaborate camera work. As a trailer, it is pretty solid, but we worry that it almost looks more expensive (and better) than the movie itself.

Also, we have mixed feelings on M. Night, but he's just producing here not directing, though the film is being billed as coming "from the mind of" said individual. So, maybe we can excuse Unbreakable and Lady in the Water and hope he gets to back to his Sixth Sense and arguably, Signs, roots.

The simplicity of the title is another plus in our books and it really does seem like the studio has put a lot of movie into this project so we will end up seeing it for better or worse. Watch out for our review around September 17th.

Either way, as I'm sure all of you loyal readers noticed, there is some imagery that tries to flash at you on an almost subliminal level in this trailer. An old trick, but it works here for us.

We've broken down what you see for you...

First,

So, everyone seems to be dead here. We can assume, as is the practice in movie trailers, that the blood has been edited to a black colour and will be restored to red in the final product. Interesting, to say the least.

Next,

Is this the titular 'Devil'? Whose to say, but it almost an Orphanage rip off to me.

Either way, the trailer seems to suggest that the 'Devil' cannot be the young woman, as she was bitten, or the black man in front of the above trailer cap image. That's just speculation on our part and M. Night does love his twists.

A project to look out for, for sure.

On another note, sadly, this is probably one of the only posts that D-Bag and K-Reel will be collaborating on, as soon there will be an ocean between us.


XOXO

D-Bag and K-Reel