The Flickcast

Trailer Tuesdays: Films That Need No Trailer

Posted on May 31, 2011

When does a film not need a trailer to get you excited to see it? While most people need to see what the film is about before deciding whether it is worth their time, I can sometimes be satisfied knowing that there is strong talent that going into making the film. If a film has a talented director with a reliable track record, or has managed to pull together a unique cast, that should be reason enough to want to go and see that movie.

Each of the trailers this week has an element that alone should get you intrigued enough to watch it. We have a couple independent films with strong casts, a sequel to the great animation, and a fun 3D experience.

50/50

Click to see the trailer

Right off the bat this film feels like a great feel-good indie with strong characters and honest performances. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Hesher, 500 Days of Summer, Inception) alone is one of the most talented young actors working today. And Seth Rogan (who is also producing), while fresh and talented in everything he does, could use this type of role to break out of this Apatow comedy type-casting.

Additionally we have the under-appreciated Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), who is simply enjoyable in everything she does, as well as Bryce Dallas Howard (Hearafter) in some strange Twilight reunion. Not to mention the incomparable Anjelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums) rounding out the supporting cast.

I get a strange feeling that this could be a strange mixture of 500 Days of Summer and Up in the Air.

Film Review: ‘Tree of Life’

Posted on May 31, 2011

Breathtaking. Profound. Beautiful.

I can see why this film got mixed reactions at the Cannes Film Festival this year, yet still managed to win the Palm d’Or, the most prestigious award of the festival. To some, this film might seem a bit melodramatic and abstract for their taste. But to others, like myself, I found Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life to have a rare and honest beauty to it that can only be described as fine art.

What you have to realize going in is that this feels more like a visual poem than a film. A cinematic ballet that brings together stunning imagery with powerful storytelling. Writer and director Terrence Malick is only one of the few remaining auteurs left in filmmaking, meaning that all his films consistently reflect his personal creative vision.

Sure, some could argue that a little more dialogue added to the film could have made it more relatable to a wider audience, but that is not the film Malick wanted to make. His film is elegant and sophisticated, told both with expertise and creativity.

Sony Says Playstation Network to Be Fully Restored In Most Areas By the Weekend

Posted on May 31, 2011

The amazing Sony hacking saga continues. As you probably know, the company has had a few problems with hackers. Although now, it looks like the company may be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.

Sony on Tuesday said services associated with its PlayStation Network will be fully restored by the end of this week in all regions outside Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The company also said it would fully restore the Music Unlimited services tied to its Qriocity streaming music service for the PlayStation 3, PSP and PCs.

“We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love,” said Kazuo Hirai, Sony’s Executive Deputy President, in a statement. “We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time.”

That all sounds great but its been quite a bit of time away from PSN for a lot of users. So much so that several people we know have jumped ship and gone over to Microsoft and its XBox 360/XBox Live offerings. Sucks to be Sony these days it seems.

Click through for the full press release from Sony. Has it been restored for you yet?

Steve Jobs to Unveil iOS 5, iCloud, OS X Lion at WWDC Keynote Next Week

Posted on May 31, 2011

In a move that was somewhat unexpected Apple confirmed today that CEO Steve Jobs will appear in person at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference next week to unveil Apple’s newest shiny goodness. According to the company, Jobs and other Apple executives will finally unveil iOS 5, the highly anticipated software update iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Among the enhancements expected to be come with iOS 5 are widgets (thank goodness) and a completely revamped notification system. During the event, Apple will also give details on its new iCloud, which is expected to be a suite of cloud-based services including a music streaming service backed by major record labels.

Apple also said it will provide new details surrounding Lion, the eighth major release of the Mac OS X operating system. However, the company made no mention of the highly anticipated iPhone 5 (or other hardware) or if Jobs will talk about it at the event. Perhaps they thought the WWDC Stevenote was already packed enough?

Click through for the full press release from Apple. The WWDC Keynote takes place at 10 AM Pacific on June 6th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco..

The Idea of a Hawkman Movie Gets Mocked in a New Superhero Fan Film

Posted on May 31, 2011

While there have been tons over the past decade, this is certainly the biggest year for superhero films in theaters. Between X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, Captain America and Thor, we’ve got more than enough magic, aliens, and science to keep putting butts in seats all year round.

While we’re finally getting films for The God of Thunder and the Green Lantern Corps, which is something nobody ever thought would happen, where does that leave the rest of the B-list characters in the Marvel and DC universe, such as Hawkman?

That’s where a brand new comedy short from Frog Island about how the rest of the superhero community feels about the winged hero wielding Nth metal to allow him to fly and fight intergalactic crime.

Some great moments and potshots and some less than popular comic film heroes, and we even get Yogi Bear star TJ Miller to star as our favorite emerald hero. Check out the short after the film and be sure to catch Hawkman in theaters probably never (or until Nolan decides to back the movie).

Check Out the Alleged Leaked Trailer for Fincher’s ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’

Posted on May 31, 2011

The idea of viral marketing is an illusive and mysterious beast to master. Disney has been vying for the attention of the masses with their viral campaign to promote the upcoming Muppet movie, and we have a sneaking suspicion MGM and Columbia are trying to do the same with an alleged “leaked” red band trailer for David Fincher’s remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The film is the beginning of a series of films based on Stieg Larsson‘s Millenium Series which were adapted into successful Swedish films. Fincher is now taking a swing at the source material with his own adaptation. Here’s the breakdown of the film’s synopsis.

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.

When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

Fincher’s film stars Rooney Mara, who is expected to skyrocket into stardom with this franchise. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Box Office: ‘Hangover Part 2′ Takes The Weekend by Storm

Posted on May 31, 2011

Box office analysts expected this weekend to be a pretty huge draw, bringing in families with Kung Fu Panda 2 and everyone else with The Hangover Part 2. Nobody, however, expected the R-rated sequel to The Hangover to pull in over $100 Million since Thursday.

That’s precisely what happened, as Todd Phillips’ film grossed roughly $137 Million since Thursday in the domestic box office and pulled in just under $200 Million worldwide.

Also hitting theaters this weekend, Kung Fu Panda 2 opened to good box office grosses, just not as impressive. The Dreamworks sequel pulled in an estimated $68 Million locally and upwards of $125 Million worldwide.

In third place for the weekend, Pirates 4 dropped off over 50% since last weekend, bringing in an estimated $40 Million for the weekend. This may sound low, but it helps top the film off at $634 Million worldwide over the 10 days. Not too shabby.

Also opening this weekend is Terence Malick’s Tree of Life, which only hit 4 theaters across the country, and still managed to pull in roughly $373,000, which averages out to nearly $100,000 per theater.

Next weekend we’ve got another heavy hitter as Fox’s X-Men: First Class hits over 3,000 theaters. Expect to see big things from that film.

War Movie Mondays: ‘Platoon’

Posted on May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day to all those currently serving in the U.S. armed forces, and to you vets of America’s foreign wars. This week’s pick is Oliver Stone’s 1986 Academy Award winner for Best Picture Platoon, which depicts the horrors and struggles of infantrymen figthing not only the enemy, but themselves during one of the most difficult periods of the Vietnam conflict.

The film stars Charlie Sheen (Chris Taylor), Tom Berenger (SSgt. Bob Barnes), Willem Dafoe (Sgt. Elias), Forest Whitaker (Big Harold), Francesco Quinn (Rhah), John C. McGinley (Sgt. O’Neill), Kevin Dillon (Bunny), Reggie Johnson (Junior), Keith David (King), Johnny Depp (Lerner), Mark Moses (Lt. Wolfe), Chris Pedersen (Crawford), Corey Glover (Francis), and veteran Marine and the film’s technical advisor Dale Dye (Captain Harris).

The film is an autobiographical account of Stone’s own experiences during 1967-68 as told by a fresh-faced new recruit Chris Taylor (Sheen) who dropped out of college and volunteers for combat duty in Vietnam. The film opens with Taylor’s arrival in country as he and others deplane from an Air Force transport. Taylor and fellow recruit Gardner (Bob Orwig) see body bags which are being loaded onto their plane.

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