Posted: 04/04/07

Trailing the movie scene
Rating the newest trailers

Jon Taylor l managing editor
jtaylor@smcvt.edu

The TV Set – (4/6 – limited) – David Duchovny is a spectacular actor who doesn’t get credit where credit is due. I expect that this oversight is due to his film choices, which have gone from the excellent ( Return to Me ) to the painfully bad ( Zoolander , Evolution ). Alas, there is a cure for this dilemma and it begins with Duchovny’s starring role in The TV Set , a comedy about the excruciating process of developing a television show.

In this trailer, Duchovny shows that he has the range and depth to pull off a John Cusack-like character with a lot more restraint. The supporting players in The TV Set are also very strong, particularly Judy Greer , whose efforts are almost always disregarded by critics and audiences alike.

Although the trailer may give a little too much away, The TV Set will probably be a sleeper indie hit.

GPA: 3.6

Grindhouse – (4/6) – Grindhouse is a double-feature of dreadfully and purposely awful B-grade horror flicks directed by Hollywood darlings Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino . That’s really all anyone should need to hear, but I’ll expound nonetheless.

Rodriguez’s Planet Terror is a ridiculously campy zombie flick starring Rose McGowan as a stripper with a machine gun for a leg. Tarantino’s Death Proof stars Kurt Russell as a veteran stunt-car driver who tortures people with his car.

Sounds insane, right? Just roll with it. I’ll be there on Friday – with bells, whistles, and a really sadistic sense of humor.

GPA: 4.0

In the Land of Women – (4/20) – It’s very difficult to figure out where to place this movie, which stars former The O.C. star Adam Brody and rom-com vet Meg Ryan. Directed by Jon Kasdan , auteur of the awful Slackers and painful Dreamcatcher , In the Land of Women tells the story of Carter Webb ( Brody ), a writer who goes slightly AWOL after his break-up with an actress. As all famous young writers do when they lose their minds, Webb decides to go back home to his roots. He meets up with neighbors and falls in love and more clichés.

Although this is well-worn territory in terms of plot context, this trailer makes In the Land of Women very appealing. It gives Brody a chance to show Hollywood if he actually has real acting chops and gives Ryan a more dramatic role than she is used to. Seeing these two outside of their respective comfort zones will be worth the price of admission alone.

And what can I say? I love coming-of-age, particularly when it involves Meg Ryan.

GPA: 3.7

The Bourne Ultimatum – (7/3) – The first two Bourne movies ( The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy ) are stellar examples of filmmaking – particularly in the areas of direction and acting. The third (and final) film in the series, The Bourne Ultimatum , looks to continue this trend while closing up all of the outstanding plot lines left by the other films.

Matt Damon reprises his role as Jason Bourne, a former government agent who suffers from amnesia. Slowly, he begins to realize the threat that he poses to the government, as agents and officials desperately try to kill him.

I expect that The Bourne Ultimatum will be an absolute stunner, as seen by the spectacular stunts showcased in this trailer. Although the first half of this clip is buoyed by clips from the prequels, what we see of the last Bourne installment should be enough to get anyone into a movie theater.

GPA: 3.8

Last week's Trailing the movie scene

Snow Cake (4/25 limited) — Alan Rickman is a seriously underrated actor who is overlooked in many of his films, including Love Actually, where he effectively portrayed a husband struggling between loyalty and cheating. Snow Cake could potentially provide Rickman’s defining role as Alex Hughes, a man who befriends the autistic mother of a car crash victim whose death was caused by Hughes himself. Sigourney Weaver co-stars as the mother, but the buzz here is all about Rickman, who could pick up an Oscar nomination for his work. I wouldn’t miss this one.
GPA: 3.7

Next (4/27) — I have this theory that Nicolas Cage either makes really good movies (Raising Arizona) or really bad movies (The Family Man). His work rarely ever falls in the middle, but Next might just do it. Based on a Philip K. Dick (whose work also inspired the phenomenal Minority Report) novel story (I don't know what it means either), this futuristic thriller stars Cage as a man who can see every possible version of the future, meaning that he can change the present as it is happening. Soon enough, some government officials want his help in preventing catastrophes around the world and blah blah blah. Just expect a slightly entertaining action thriller with the obvious twists and plotlines. And, of course, Nick Cage’s receding hairline, which always provides some humor.

GPA: 2.9

The Condemned (4/27) — A movie starring WWE wrestler ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin? 10 death row inmates go to an island and only one leaves. Very exciting stuff. I think I might gouge out my eyes.
GPA: 0.7

Across the Universe (9/23) — Now, this one looks interesting. Across the Universe is a sweeping movie musical that takes place during the 1960s and explores the anti-war sentiments, drug use and music of the time. There’s something tied in about star-crossed lovers, but the real twist here is the use of Beatles’ songs to tell the story. Although the music works in the trailer, it could get quite annoying in the full-length flick. Director Julie Taymor has helmed some pretty terrible films (Titus?), but Across the Universe could be her masterpiece of sorts — if Taymor doesn’t get in too far over her head.

Note: Expect Across the Universe’s release date to change because of disputes between Taymor and Revolution Studio executive and producer Joe Roth.

GPA: 3.0

The Valet (12/21) — This French comedy stars Daniel Auteuil as a prominent businessman who is photographed with his lover — an international supermodel named Elena. When confronted by his wife, Auteuil convinces Elena and a lowly valet to pretend to be a couple, in a last-ditch effort to save his marriage. This plotline isn’t exactly original, but the trailer shows promise, particularly in the hands of the very capable Auteuil, who recently floored audiences in the stunning and altogether frightening Cache.

GPA: 3.5