RogerBW's Blog

Some trailers I've seen recently, and my thoughts on them. (Links are to youtube. Opinions are thoroughly personal.)

Borat - Subsequent Moviefilm: leaves me entirely cold. Will probably appeal to people who like this sort of thing. I know that there's actual filtering going on and they aren't just prodding people into being horrible and then showing you the horribleness without the prodding, but it still smells of Candid Camera to me; I think the idea that I could easily be the person getting embarrassed is stronger than the idea that horrible people should be shown to be horrible.

Kindred: feels as if the racial stuff isn't well-integrated with the standard horror. Well. It might work I suppose.

Bad Hair: doesn't speak to me, but I can at least understand that it might speak to someone else.

Spell: people really need to have generic voodoo explained to them in 2020? Huh.

The Witches: with this and the last two, has Hollywood suddenly noticed that black people might actually have money and pay to watch films? Huh.

Collective: just in case you didn't recognise it was Grim from the colour palette… yeah, probably worth doing, but I'm really not in the mood for grim.

Free Guy: looks as if it's finally getting a release. Still doesn't look as if there's much beneath the surface flash.

Into the Labyrinth: …maybe. A bit heavy on the woman-in-peril saved by big heroic man but it might hold together.

Archenemy: probably not for me, but there's some potential here.

Chick Fight: new cast, same old story.

Mortal: "if he gets upset, he might do lots of damage. Let's stomp on his girlfriend!" Maybe, though.

The 355: the pitch was clearly "Jason Bourne, but with chicks." OK, so I'm glad to see that female-led action is becoming more of a thing, but as a film it doesn't grab me.

Fatman: oh dear. And with Mel Gibson.

News of the World: my heart remains resolutely un-warmed.

Half Brothers: assholes need love too, and all for Fambly. No, no they really don't.

Horizon Line: seems like a bit of a forced situation, but it's interesting to see a full film based in such a small space. Might take a look at this; my favourite of the month.

The Climb: bicyclists are intrinsically funny. And assholes need love too, and all for Fambly, again.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie: "inspired by a True Story" but everybody in favour is Good, everybody against is Bad unless they can be Converted, all wrapped up in ninety minutes with no complications. Sigh.

The Kid Detective: this ought to appeal, but there's something about it which just doesn't.

I'm Your Woman: a bit Grass Widow's Tale only from the other side. Might work but I'm not hopeful.

Nine Days: looks as if it's trying to do some remarkably heavy lifting; but it's a solid cast…

The Burnt Orange Heresy: amateur criminals are amateur. Nice to see Mick's getting work, I suppose, but I see nobody likeable here.

Hillbilly Elegy: everyone is horrible, yay.

Monster Hunter: might be reasonably effective mindless action, with a little bit of a Doomfarers of Coramonde feel to it (no bad thing in my book).

Sylvie's Love: feelgood nostalgiafest.

Jungleland: macho bullshit is macho, also bullshit.

The Empty Man: generic horror is generic, also horrid.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: the story feels forced in to frame the music, but there are definite possibilities here.

Wander Darkly: if the start were a bit less Pretty White People Problems it might be more engaging.

Embattled: so… it's Sports Film then?

Mank: nobody can understand the pain of the Creative Man. He just had to sleep with all those floozies because art.

Raya and the Last Dragon (Teaser): these things all look the same, are shot the same way, have the same kinetics. Which is great if what you want is another one just like the last one to keep the kids quiet. Still, points for the cute woodlouse sidekick.

Words On Bathroom Walls: the romance is kind of obvious; but in the unlikely event this actually has something original to say, then I suppose it might work. Leads don't look quite as generically "the hardest choice I have ever had to make is what hairstyle to wear today" as most young actors these days.

Wander: why can't we have one of these paranoid revenge fantasies where the guy really is paranoid and deluded? I mean, that's the way it works out. A story about healing from believing that you're the action hero who can make everything right by killing… eh, it wouldn't sell.

The Last Vermeer: potentially interesting; it'll rely on the characters, but it could still work even though that's not exactly a Hollywood strength. I'm guessing that's meant to be van Meegeren.

The Prom (Teaser): of course it's the act of good people to browbeat people who are trying to do their jobs. I suppose this may appeal to someone, but I'd rather watch Anna and the Apocalypse again.

Dreamland: I dunno, I think I feel it trying to manipulate me and that's what puts me off.

Proxima: so female astronauts have to be mothers too, huh? I think I've heard that story before.

Loudermilk: so… he's a sober asshole?

The Midnight Sky: seems very pretty, but the astronauts in particular look desperately young and stupid. And there goes the generic human interest career versus life thing again. Not hopeful.

Freaky: I like this less than I did before, since this makes it look as if it's all about showing the middle-aged white man having to prove that he is Right and the young woman is Evil. I mean, sure, that was already clearly the plot, but I like a bit of subtlety in the portrayal.

Love, Weddings & Other Disasters: oh dear oh dear oh dear. I mean, great cast, but.

Stardust and Zappa: in both cases I was never a huge fan and I don't enjoy hagiography, but these may well work better for people who aren't me.

The White Tiger (Teaser): makes him look like a revolutionary rather than (as the book would have it) just a murderer. Very appealing face, though.

Songbird: COVIDsploitation was inevitable, of course, but this seems to have the wrong side as the villains.

The Stand In: tee hee, addicts are funny and women exist to be thrown into the shit.

Vanguard: mindless crap, but lots of bashy shooty explodey mindless crap so if I'm in the right mood this might actually be fun. Or maybe all the good action is right here. (This is an "exclusive US" trailer, apparently, for all it's simply been thrown on youtube like all the others.)