Tucker & Dale Vs Evil is a film I went into with low expectations and, for the most part, I was not disappointed. Showing at midnight on the first day of SXSW, it was a perfect way to start off the late night screenings. However, the film works best and can be most enjoyed if you don’t take it too seriously or expect too much from it.

While the two leads, Tucker (played by Firefly and Dollhouse’s Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine, recently of Reaper and the upcoming Sons of Tucson), are immensely likable and have good chemistry and banter, the film falls short and doesn’t live up to their potential. This is unfortunate on many levels because given more effort and time, it probably would have turned out a lot better and been a more fitting vehicle for these two actors.

The premise of Tucker & Dale is very simple and in most cases when it comes to filmmaking, simple is a good thing. Sadly, a simple premise alone does not a complete movie make and as the movie progresses, the slender thread of that premise starts to unravel. This is where this film chiefly falls in that while it does have a simple premise, it doesn’t expand much beyond it and instead offers a string of somewhat uninspired and progressively repetitive “accidents” that go along, leading the film to its inevitable conclusion.

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Okay, I’ll admit it. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of Syfy’s spin-off of Battlestar Galactica, otherwise known as Caprica. The pilot was good but once the show got going, it kinda took a down turn. I know it’s probably blasphemy to say this and it’s probably mostly due to my love of BSG that Caprica seemed to pale in comparison. But now, thank the Gods, this show has found its way and had vastly improved to be one of the best shows on TV.

To get you ready for tonight’s all new episode entitled “The Imperfections of Memory,” our friends at Syfy have given us a promo for the episode and we are, of course, sharing it with you right now. Also, because we care, we’ve also included a recap of last week’s episode “Know Thy Enemy” to help set the stage for tonight.

Also, before I forget, I need to mention that Syfy is hosting a Caprica mini-marathon today, starting at 2PM EST, beginning with the Pilot and airing all subsequent episode suntil the new one premieres tonight. Is that cool, or what? Now you can see the progression of the show from the beginning and gain a greater appreciation of how much the show has improved.

Check out both videos after the jump. The brand new episode of Caprica airs tonight at 9/8C on Syfy.

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As we’ve been doing all week so far in anticipation of the start of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX we’ve got another preview for you of a film making its world premiere at the fest. The film in question, Cherry, stars Kyle Gallner, Brittany Robertson and Laura Allen and tells the coming of age story of a sheltered college freshman learning about life.

Aaron (Gallner), is said college freshmen and as he embarks on his journey it soon turns out life is more complicated than dorm parties, co-eds and the college’s elite engineering program when Aaron meets Linda (Laura Allen). When Linda invites him home for dinner, Aaron thinks he’s getting lucky.

Instead he meets Beth (Robertson), Linda’s punk, sarcastic and intense 14-year-old daughter who immediately develops a huge crush on him. Once that happpens, Aaron is then caught between these two powerful women and he soon learns that life and love are much harder to calculate than he ever expected.

Cherry will have its world premiere at SXSW. Check out the trailer after the break.

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Continuing our recent previews of upcoming SXSW films brings us to our latest, Leaves of Grass. The film, written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson and starring Edward Norton, Kerri Russell, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss and Edward Norton, is being released by First Look Studios and we’ve got a trailer and info about the film for you today.

The film concerns Ivy League professor Bill Kincaid who receives news of the murder of his estranged identical twin brother, Brady (both played by Norton), in a pot deal gone bad. He leaves the world of academia to travel back to his home state of Oklahoma. But once he arrives he finds things are not what they seem and reports of his brother’s death are greatly exaggerated.

Soon Bill is caught up in the dangerous and unpredictable world of drug commerce in the Southwest. In the process, he reconnects with his eccentric mother (Sarandon), meets a wise and educated woman who’s chosen the simple life (Russell), and unwittingly helps his brother settle a score with a drug lord (Dreyfuss) who uses Tulsa, Oklahoma’s small Jewish community for cover.

With a cast such as this and under the direction of Nelson, who’s previous films The Grey Zone and Kansas proved his directing talents, Leaves of Grass manages to be at times dangerous, compelling and poignant. It follows a somewhat simple narrative but still provides some potential answers to a complex question: What does it mean to live a happy and constructive life?

Leaves of Grass will be released in New York and LA on April 2nd. Check out the trailer after the jump.

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Even though Mark and Jay Duplas’ Cyrus was already a hit with audiences at Sundance this year, Fox Searchlight is taking the film to SXSW as well to help build awareness and excitement for the film. Seeing as we’re big fans of the entire creative team involved with Cyrus, we’re happy to bring you info about it right here.

Basically, the film follows the life of John (John C. Reilly) a depressed, recently divorced guy who is pretty much a complete loser, desperate for attention. At a party, he manages to hook up with the hot Molly (Marisa Tomei) who, it turns out, has an adult son: Cyrus (Jonah Hill).

Cyrus and his mom have a somewhat interesting and open relationship and he will go to pretty much any lengths to protect her from anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love and only one man can be left standing when it’s over.

Everyone involved with this film seems to be at the top of their game, even Hill who seems to finally be coming into his own opposite two fantastic pros like Reilly and Tomei. Plus, it just looks really funny — which, sadly, you can’t always say about some “comedies” these days.

Be sure and check out the trailer after the jump. Fox Searchlight releases Cyrus on July 9th.

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After long months of waiting and after viewing any and all material we could find on Tron Legacy, Disney has released a full blown trailer for the film. Fortunately, the wait seems to be worth it as the trailer looks pretty darn awesome.

In it we get a better idea of the film’s story and meet most of the major players, especially Garret Hedlund as Sam Flynn, Bruce Boxleitner as Alan Bradley and Olivia Wilde as Quorra. We even get a quick glimpse of Academy Award Winner Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn. Plus, there’s quite a bit of the awesome look of the film which, even with these few images and sequences, looks great.

In fact, the film looks so visually complex and interesting, I’m actually going to admit it’s one I may want to see in 3D. Although, I’m pretty sure it will looks almost as stunning in plain, old 2D.

Maybe I’ll just have to see it both ways. Heck, while I’m at it, why not IMAX too? Why not indeed.

Check out the trailer after the break and prepare to be blown away. Tron Legacy hits theaters on December 17th.

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We talk quite a bit about narrative feature films here at The Flickcast. You know, the ones that exist in a fictional world full of characters and situations contrived to tell a story. There are also these other films known as documentaries where actual, real people relate the experiences of their lives and also tell a story.

And yes, some of them are quite good, even if they’re not directed by Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock (although, they do make some good films). Case in point, the SXSW documentary premiere film American Grindhouse.

Narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Robert Forster, the feature-length documentary “boasts exclusive interviews with filmmakers Herschell Gordon Lewis, Joe Dante, Larry Cohen, Jack Hill, Fred Williamson, John Landis and many more. Not only that, quite a few of these actors, directors and writers are speaking out in their first-ever on-camera interviews.”

In addition, the film features “clips and scenes from more than 200 of the most jaw-dropping movies ever screened, American Grindhouse is poised to be the most comprehensive motion picture ever made on the subject of Exploitation Cinema. Shameless ballyhoo or certifiable fact? Watch the film and see for yourself.”

I’m going to go on record right now and say “certifiable fact.” See for yourself and check out the trailer after the jump.

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As we previously reported, NBC has given new season order for 30 Rock, The Office and Community while, according to a recent interview with NBC network president Angela Bromstad, a fifth season of the beleaguered Heroes is still undetermined. In addition, the CW has ordered a 10th season for Smallville.

Now, Fox has officially renewed the J.J. Abrams sci-fi procedural Fringe for a third season. The show had perfoemed reasonably well but was not a ratings powerhouse. Still, it’s hard to believe it wouldn’t get renewed, especially given its J.J. Abrams connection and the fact that Lost is ending this season.

Two big reasons for Fox to keep it around for another year. Plus, any show with the great John Noble, the hot Anna Torv and the cool Leonard Nimoy should be on the air as long as it wants to be.

The fate of Jack Bauer and the CTU team of 24 is still up in the air due to falling ratings and the show’s considerable expense to produce. Fox president Kevin Reilly recently told The Live Feed:

“It’s a very tough call. It’s a huge part of our legacy, and there’s not a lot of shows that could do a 9 share against the Olympics. Tremendous sales asset for us still; a show we’re so very proud of creatively. So it’s not an easy call.”

Well, if our own Shannon Hood has anything to say about it, that call should be an easy one.

As promised, the latest trailer for the much anticipated Iron Man 2 made its debut after the Academy Awards during Jimmy Kimmell Live, and boy is it cool. In this new one we’re given more action, more fighting, more story, more comedy and more Robert Downey, Jr. All of those elements, and more, come together for a very exiting trailer indeed.

Another great thing we get to see finally is the much rumored “suitcase armor” which Tony Stark carries with him for those little emergencies — like when he’s attacked by a whip-wielding Mickey Rourke as Whiplash. It’s also great to see more of Don Cheadle as he comes into his own as War Machine, the always cool Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.

Check out the latest trailer, courtesy of the folks at MySpace, after the jump. Iron Man 2 blows audiences away starting on May 7th. That day can not come soon enough.

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For those of you who were anxiously awaiting news that your favorite Thursday night comedies were getting another season, the wait is over. Today, NBC announced it was giving another season to 30 Rock, The Office and one of our favorite new shows, the extremely funny Community.

This news comes on the heals of NBC’s recent announcement that Parks and Recreation was renewed for another season. Seeing as how we are huge fans of these shows, this news is great and we’re looking forward to more fun and laughs.

For more info, check out the official NBC press release following:

NBC Gives Pickups To Thursday-Night Comedies ‘30 Rock,’ ‘The Office’ And ‘Community’ For 2010-11

Renewals Follow Previously Announced Green-light for “Parks and Recreation” on Thursdays

NBC has renewed three more of its Thursday-night comedies – “30 Rock” (9:30-10 p.m. ET), “The Office” (9-9:30 p.m. ET) and the freshman series “Community” (8-8:30 p.m. ET) for the 2010-11 season. The returning programs join the previously announced “Parks and Recreation” (Thursdays, 8:30-9 p.m. ET) that also will return for next season.

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