We dig trailers and hope to bring you a regular selection that are either highly anticipated, interesting for discussion, or simply look awesome to us. The intent here at Cinapse isn’t to bring the newest, quickest, most hot-off-the-presses stuff, but simply to highlight what has come out recently (whether large or small) and to discuss what we’re digging and not digging. On top of that, unlike much of the (often soul-crushing) marketing machine that grinds on and on in Hollywood, the trailer is one of the only promotional tools that can be art in and of itself. Let us know what you think about these trailers in the comments section below!
Let’s get right down to business with this new batch of trailers. And keep in mind that the only order they are in is “how stoked I am to talk about this trailer.”
I DECLARE WAR
My uncontested favorite at Fantastic Fest this past year, I couldn’t have been more happy for I Declare War to have won the Audience Award. Then in a stroke of mad genius, Drafthouse Films actually bought the North American distribution rights. Think… Calvin & Hobbes meet Apocalypse Now, and you are getting warm. But really, no one has ever seen a movie quite like this. And at the same time, the concept is so simple you’ll kick yourself for not thinking of it yourself.
It might be jarring for North American audiences to see children running around with automatic weapons in their hands, but we all need to be jolted every once in a while, right? And I Declare War succeeds on multiple levels, as a coming of age exploration, as a fun and hilarious action movie, and as a soul-searching war film. I can’t wait to own a Blu-ray of I Declare War, but more importantly, I can’t wait for North American audiences to get a chance to see this little gem.
I Declare War hits theaters in limited release, VOD, iTunes, and Digital Download all on August 30th!
ESCAPE PLAN
Some people have a soft spot for the Brad Pitts and Tom Cruises of the world. Me? I’m an ’80s action junkie. Sly Stallone is, for my money, the greatest action legend ever. And Arnold isn’t far behind. So putting these guys up on the big screen together, starring in an action film, is my movie heaven. Sure, most of their best days might be behind them. And I’m not holding out hope that Escape Plan will be a game-changer for anybody. But my heart does fill with joy at the prospect of these two guys bustin’ out of the slammer together!
If you can’t get excited about Sly and Arnold being held captive in Magneto’s prison by a sadistic Jesus with an army of black-masked guards at his disposal… well, then you are not like me. And let me re-assert that, although I don’t think Escape Plan will bring about world peace… I genuinely think this trailer, taken alone, is balls-out awesome. It looks better than either Sly or Arnold’s last two vehicles, Bullet To The Head and The Last Stand, respectively. Although I really liked one of those. You decide which.
Escape Plan hits theaters Oct. 18th.
WASTELAND
Until I went poking around online today for some cool-looking trailers I might have missed, I had never heard of this film at all. A British heist film starring the pothead guy from Attack The Block? Okay, you have my attention. A super-slick-looking trailer? Yes… do go on. Oh, it’s being distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories in the US? Where can I buy my ticket?
Sure, we’ve seen a lot of British crime films. And yes, people have been trying to re-capture the lightning in a bottle that was The Usual Suspects ever since that film debuted. But you can’t fault a guy for hoping that this movie will be as crisp and crackling as this trailer can you?
Wasteland hits theaters July 26th.
THE GRANDMASTER
Filmmaker Wong Kar Wai has been working on The Grandmaster for years. Unfortunately, in that span of time, there have already been at least two very awesome films about legendary Chinese martial artist Ip Man that starred Donnie Yen. But never mind those awesome films, because Wong Kar Wai’s version of the Ip Man story starring Tony Leung looks absolutely breathtaking.
I had a run of a few years where these huge Chinese wire-fu epics were getting a little stale for me. But this looks to be the film that just might get me back into prime Kung Fu mode. What do you all think?
The Grandmaster hits US theaters August 23rd.
CUTIE AND THE BOXER
When this trailer link showed up in my inbox, I only watched it out of a sense of obligation. Maybe this trailer link I’ve never heard of (although it was a Sundance film) could totally excite me and/or the Cinapse readers with a left field up and comer! And yeah, that is exactly what happened. This documentary focuses on Japanese-American artists Ushio Shinohara and Noriko Shinohara. I prefer my art on the big screen and often have no clue about painting, poetry, music, or all those other wonderful art forms that I should probably appreciate more than I do. But put this aging, endearing, and fascinating pair of artists onto the big screen for me, and yes, I think I’ll have an opportunity to fall in love with them and their art. This trailer makes me feel a little emotional, and I feel instantly connected and drawn to the subjects of this doc and the imagery the filmmakers have captured.
Are you guys feeling the same way, here, or is it just me?
Cutie And The Boxer hits theaters Aug. 16th.
And I’m Out.