On May 2, 2011, special forces from the United States stormed Osama bin Laden’s compound at Abbottabad, Pakistan. That I had to look up the precise dates and location and confirm that they were our own special forces (and not, say, some coalition) testifies to my ignorance. However, I don’t think I’m alone in not knowing the full details of Operation Neptune Spear (yeah, looked that one up, too), and Kathryn Bigelow’s (The Hurt Locker) Zero Dark Thirty offers a glimpse into the operation and an overview of what’s been called “The Greatest Manhunt in History.”

We know the details of 9/11 – what happened, where it happened, and who was responsible – the how and why are still debated, but they’re fairly established – and Bigelow begins with this common ground, opening the film with some of the calls made on that day. There’s no image – no footage of the planes crashing or anchormen reporting or families weeping or rescue workers toiling or world leaders speaking or terrorists threatening. Just the calls.

Brad Pitt generally plays the good guy, the hero, the alpha male. So when he gets a chance to spread his acting chops and play something different you can expect an enthusiastic, quality performance. Killing Them Softly looks to provide Pitt with just that kind of juicy role.

For those of you who are unaware of what Killing Them Softly is, take a look at this synopsis to give you some context before the clips:

Three dumb guys who think they’re smart rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. Brad Pitt plays the enforcer hired to track them down and restore order. KILLING THEM SOFTLY also features Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta… KILLING THEM SOFTLY is written for the screen and directed by Andrew Dominik, and is based on the George V. Higgins novel, “Cogan’s Trade”.

The movie has pedigree, and a formidable cast so it has always been on our radar. Now we have these clips to add to that stew of anticipation, go ahead and add yet another film onto the heap of worthwhile films coming soon from worthwhile creatives.

Check out the two new clips after the jump.

This week’s pick is the post Cold War thriller Crimson Tide which stars Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman as U.S. Submariners who clash over their orders to launch nuclear weapons in this Tony Scott action classic. Crimson Tide begins during a period of political unrest in post Soviet Russia when military forces crush a rebellion in neighboring Chechnya.

Violence begins to spread throughout other republics and ultra nationalists headed by a man named Radchenko criticizes American, British, and French involvement which cuts off aid to Russia as a protest of its hostilities towards its neighboring country. Radchenko’s forces seize a Russian ICBM missile complex and threaten to launch nuclear weapons if either the U.S. or its allies move in to stop him.

After several years of peace, the Cold War begins to heat up once again.

Roman Polanski may get some heat for personal things going on, but that isn’t stopping the man from cranking out some quality films in the immediate future. The first of which is Carnage based on the play God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza. Here’s the premise.

A showdown between two kids: about eleven, in a local playground.  Swollen lips, broken teeth…  Now the parents of the  “victim” have invited the parents of the “bully” to their apartment to sort if out.  Cordial banter gradually develops a razor-sharp edge as all four parents reveal their laughable contradictions and grotesque prejudices.  None of them will escape the ensuing carnage.

A plot like this, with such thick character development, could only get justice from a director like Polanski. The play has starred such great actors as Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini, but the film will bring names like Jodie Foster, Kate Winsley, John C. Reilly, and Christoph Waltz together to discuss this battle.

Check out the trailer for Carnage after th jump and see it in theaters later this year.

I’ve got to give it to Spike Jonze. He took on the Herculean task of adapting one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, and mostly got it right. I remember the book vividly, and seeing the creatures in the movie brought to life is a spectacle to behold. It is absolutely breathtaking. They are exactly as you remember them, but real.

When Jonze decided to forgo the usual CGI, film followers exhaled a sigh of relief. Instead, a combination of puppetry, live action and CGI (for the facial expressions) was employed. Jonze said that he felt a physical presence was necessary for the actor (Max Richards) to interact with. I agree. However, at times I felt the creatures tread a little too close to H.R. Pufnstuf territory, and I would be jarred out of the movie.

The film begins with the hero Max displaying the typical antics of a boy his age. He’s hyper as hell as he dashes about the house, partakes in a snowball fight in his yard, and terrorizes the family dog. He tries to get the attention of his harried mom (Catherine Keener) and is upset when his sister leaves with her friends.

We’re very excited here at The Flickcast for Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are. While the film is still a month away, we’ve brought you featurettes, trailers, and more coverage for the film than you could shake a stick at. Now, four new character banners and a new poster just debuted on Myspace’s blog for the film!

The new banners showcase three “Wild Things” Judith, Carol, KW, and Max, the main character as played by Max Records. In addition to Records as “Max”,  the film features James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Lauren Ambrose, Mark Ruffalo, and Forrest Whitaker. Where The Wild Things Are hits theaters and IMAX October 16th.

You can view the four character banners and poster after the jump.

Now that the Summer blockbuster season has settled down and most of the tent pole films for the year have been put to bed, it’s time for the sleeper hits of 2009 to shine. The Fall is a pretty big time for films like District 9, Gamer, and of course Where the Wild Things Are to take over the box office in a substantial way.

The first trailer for Where the Wild Things Are hit a few months back, and didn’t show us very much. Still, we knew that director Spike Jonze, who was the mastermind behind this stroke of genius, would do the children’s book classic. We now get a new trailer filled with plenty of footage of the titular “wild things” and surprisingly lots of James Gandolfini.

Also starring Forest Whitaker, Catherine Ohara, Lauren Ambrose, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, and Max Records, Warner’s Where the WIld Things Are hits screens October 16th nationwide.

Check it out the brand new trailer after the jump.