Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland Trailer

The teaser trailer for Tim Burton’s anticipated version of Alice in Wonderland has finally been released, and it more than lives up to my hopes for the film.  It looks like he’s taking the classic story and making it his own, adding in new elements and expanding on the things we love about the story.

Of course Johnny Depp looks like he does a fantastic job as the Mad Hatter, but I never doubted that.  I also really like the looks of Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska.

This is one of the few movies that I really can’t wait to see, although we have to wait until March for it to hit theaters.  It’s also going to be released in 3D, which I love!

The Box Movie Trailer

The movie trailer for Richard Kelly’s new film, The Box, looks to be pretty much what I expected when I wrote about the movie poster a few months ago (read that article by clicking HERE).

I still think it seems reminiscent of David Lynch films, but still carries the apocalyptic quality that Richard Kelly is known for.  At first I wasn’t sure how they could make an entire film about pushing a button, but it looks like it ends up going deeper than that.

I’m not sure if this film will live up to Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko quality, but it does look like it could be interesting.  Richard Kelly wrote his other films himself, so basing this new one from another story might change his style a bit, although he still wrote the screenplay.

The Box opens October 30th.

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland Photos

Tim Burton’s new version of Alice in Wonderland won’t hit theaters until March of 2010, but the first photos of the main characters have surfaced.

Anne Hathaway plays The White Queen, and looks a little bit more like a zombie bride.  Johnny Depp, as the Mad Hatter, looks completely outrageous, which is to be expected.  And Helena Bonham Carter plays The Red Queen, and apparently has some sort of growth disorder.  Australian actress Mia Wasikowska will play Alice.

Of course, all those things I just said about the photos are meant as compliments, because I love this sort of thing.  The stranger the better when it comes to Tim Burton.  He knows his talent and sticks with it. If he was to make a good wholesome film, I think I might actually be disappointed.

Although I hate remakes, I have high hopes for this one.  Especially since there has never really been a great live-action version of Alice.  The 1966 Disney cartoon was the only version deserving of attention, although the film has been made many times.

I’m anxious to see what choices Burton makes with the film, and how he will tell the story.  I hope he puts his own spin on things instead of just following the typical pattern.  Mostly I hope that this isn’t another remake like his retelling of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  That was just the same story told in an awful, nightmare-inducing fashion.

When Alice in Wonderland is released, it will also be available to view in 3-D, following the trend of many of the big films coming out this year.  Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas was one of the first films to make the transition to digital 3-D when the technology became popular a few years ago.

Click Read More to see the other characters’ photos.
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Scorsese’s Shutter Island Trailer

Previously I wrote about the poster for Shutter Island and how much I was looking forward to the film (see that HERE).  The new trailer has been released and it promises what I was hoping for and more.

Scorsese is one of my absolute favorite directors, and I love how he always puts out something totally new and unexpected.  He never chooses one genre, but puts them all together into his own vision.

I won’t talk too much about the trailer because I want you to be able to develop your own impressions about it.  I’ll just say this is one of the movies I’ll be looking forward to the most this fall.  Let me know what you think!

Shutter Island will be in theaters starting October 2nd.

FINALLY Some Happy Slumdog News

After so many terrible things have been happening to the children of Slumdog Millionaire, the trust set up by filmmakers has finally stepped in to help.  Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and Rubina Ali both lost their homes last month and their families have been struggling ever since.

On Monday, the trust purchased a 250 square foot, one-bedroom apartment for Ismail’s family, and they are currently searching for a home for Ali.

The apartment is near the slums in Mumbai where Ismail’s family had lived for years.  The government had offered them housing before, but they declined because it was too far away from their “home” and school.  The apartment cost about $50,000 USD and will be given to the family under Azharuddin’s name.  He will inherit it when he turns 18 and finishes school.

I’m so glad to see that the film’s trust has finally stepped in to help, but I can’t help but wonder why this is all they are doing for them.  A one-bedroom, 250 square-foot apartment for an entire family?  Sure, it’s probably bigger than the tiny home they shared in the slums, but this kid helped the film win multiple Oscars and make tons of money.  All they can give them is a $50,000 home with one room to share?

UP: The Best Movie of the Summer

Disney and Pixar had started to disappoint me lately with their films.  None had the strength of those from when they first started.  Nothing could come close to Toy Story, Finding Nemo or Monsters Inc. But now they have done it again with UP.  It goes hand in hand with the best of the Disney Pixar partnerings.

Directed by Pete Docter (who also directed Monsters Inc.), UP is the story of an elderly man whose wife has just died.  The city wants to tear down the house he had shared with her, so he decides to move the house via millions of balloons to Paradise Falls in South America, where she had always wanted to go.  A young boy needing his last Wilderness Explorer badge for assisting the elderly happens to be on Carl’s porch when he takes off and therefore goes along for the trip.  They land in South America where their adventures begin.

UP was a touching and clever film, with moments of laughter and heartwarming scenes.  Dug the talking dog and Alpha, the leader of the pack, kept me laughing throughout.  There are also so many touching moments that made the movie something beyond a cute cartoon.  It showed depth.  The depth of human emotion, the need to be with and help others, and also the love of animals.

The characters were lovable and full of personality.  Each one fits into their stereotype (grumpy old man, eager child, overly friendly dog) yet also shows off their special qualities that set them apart.  The film reminds you of the goodness within people and how caring for someone is the most rewarding thing you can do.

I really can’t say enough good things about UP, all I can really do is say GO SEE IT.  It really is a must-see film for any age.  It hasn’t been since Oscar season that I’ve seen a movie I would recommend, so this one really impressed and surprised me.  It has all the qualities you need in a good movie, which has been rare lately, especially in animated films.

I saw UP in 3D, but it is also playing on the regular screens.  I always recommend 3D, but it isn’t necessary for this film.  It will stand out without it.

Click Read More for the trailer.
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Not Number 5 Too!

Dimension Films has decided to destroy one of my favorite 80s movies by remaking Short Circuit.  In case you were never lucky enough to see the movie, here’s the synopsis:

Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots, undergoes a sudden transformation after being struck by lightning. He develops self-awareness, consciousness, and a fear of the reprogramming that awaits him back at the factory. With the help of a young woman, Number 5 tries to evade capture and convince his creator that he has truly become alive.

Short Circuit was also followed up with a sequel, but they’re not remaking that one…yet.  S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock created and wrote the original 1986 film and are also writing the remake.  Big surprise, they’re willing to totally sell out their cute original idea for more money.

This is one of the first movies I ever remember seeing in theaters as a kid.  I was only five years old, but I still loved it.  It’s also one of those movies that can still make me cry every time I watch it.  I have a soft spot for robots with personalities.

Producers have said that the new film will stay true to the original, with most of the changes being the updates in technology since the 80s.  So far there is no cast or start date as it is still in pre-production.

New Moon Trailer Released

The trailer for New Moon, the next installment in the Twilight Saga, has just been released.  (Cue screaming girls across the earth.)  The trailer actually looks surprisingly good, and I have a little more hope for this one than the first film.  It looks like it stays pretty true to the story, and maybe some of the actors have improved a bit since Twilight.  Okay, there’s no hope for Kristen Stewart, but the rest don’t look so bad.  It actually made me really excited to see the film, which hits theaters in November.

I also have a little bit of a “he’s too young to be attractive to me but I can’t help it” crush on Taylor Lautner.  He finally took away my fear of werewolves, after years of checking under my bed every night!  Of course I still check under my bed, but now I’m hoping they’re there.

After all the controversy about Taylor building up enough muscle to play the character of Jacob in the new film, he really pulled it off.  Click here to see the photos that were released of his new werewolf physique: Taylor Lautner

Sherlock Holmes Trailer Released

This is a surprisingly early release for a trailer.  The film doesn’t open until Christmas, but I guess they’re going to promote this movie to death before then.  By the time they finish releasing “behind the scenes” clips and “sneak peeks” we will probably see the whole movie before it hits theaters.

As for the trailer, it’s not exactly what I was expecting.  I’m not really a Sherlock Holmes connoisseur, so maybe someone else can tell me if this is really the way he’s supposed to act.  This seems more like a Sherlock Holmes meets James Bond type of thing.  He’s jumping out of windows and womanizing…I always imagined he was more of a logical guy.

I also don’t really understand what the point of the whole thing is.  The beginning of the trailer starts out like they’re telling a story, then suddenly some zombie woman’s eyes open while she’s floating in midair and then people start beating each other up.

I’d love to get other people’s opinions on this one, because frankly, I’m trying to solve the case and can’t seem to understand the clues.

New Moon Poster Revealed

The poster for the second installment of The Twilight Saga, New Moon, was released on the internet today.  This will likely set off the Twilight mania building for the new film, along with the announcement that the trailer will premiere at the MTV Movie Awards this month.  Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner will present the trailer themselves.  Sneak peek clips will also go up on MTV.com that evening.

The poster is a little overly photoshopped, but I really like it.  It captures what the movie is about and made them all look good.  Even Kristen looks like she’s been sniffing glue a little less than usual.  Of course she still has her anti-emotional robot face on, but that’s non-negotiable.