Our featured clip this week on Player Affinity is the one with the oddest buzz; The Beaver, starring Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson. Gibson’s recent bad press has certainly put this film on the radar but if people will actually venture to the theatres to see the tale of a depressed man with a beaver puppet on his hand is another thing entirely. Well what are you waiting for? Watch the clip and decide for yourself. It’s Trailer Tracker.
New Trailers This Week:
The Beaver
Bereavement
Arthur Christmas
African Cats
The Beaver
Oodles of juvenile jokes aside for The Beaver, I personally still haven’t made up my mind as to if this is some sort of bizarre looking masterpiece or a
colossal misfire in the making. Who knows, maybe it's both. Jodie Foster directs (and stars), making this her first filmmaking effort since 1995’s, little seen Home for the Holidays, about a severely depressed executive named Walter Black (Mel Gibson) who adopts a beaver puppet to help him cope and regain his sanity. Going on concept alone, I expected a dark comedy, though the trailer seems to promise more of a dramatic offering. I do however find it hard to believe Foster would direct this film that close to the nose considering its incredibly offbeat premise.
Gibson has not had the easiest few years, garnering the scorn of many for his anti-Semitic rants, drunk driving and domestic abuse, though it appears I am one of the few who has no interest whatsoever in the personal lives of celebrities, so if the film delivers, that’s all this critic will care about. Gibson has proven himself in dramatic roles and comedic (just look at What Women Want for a great example) so whatever mood this film finds, he should have it covered. Anton Yelchin (Terminator: Salvation, Star Trek) also stars as Walter’s son and Jennifer Lawrence and Zachary Booth round out this eclectic cast. Set for an early 2011 release date, the earliest buzz has been surprisingly positive though we will still have to see if there any fuzzy rodents at this years Academy Awards.
Bereavement
The torture genre it seems is alive and well with the trailer for Bereavement, a prequel to director Stevan Mena’s own 2004 film Malevolence about a child forced to witness terrible crimes committed by a deranged madman. The original film was reportedly an international hit, grossing $13 million on a budget of $200,000 and now the production gets glossier and the cast gets higher profile, landing James Cameron favourite Michael Biehn in a leading role. I’ll admit to having never heard of Malevolence though apparently it had enough to offer to warrant this follow-up. So if you like your movies gritty and jarring, look for it in limited release next year.
Arthur Christmas
Just in time for the holidays, an odd little teaser has hit the web about Arthur, who is not *wink wink* the son of Santa, a frantic elf tells us. We also see quite the unique take on Santa’s sleigh which looks more like a flying saucer than a reindeer driven sled. Produced by Aardman Animation, Arthur Christmas will hit theatres for next year’s festivities and boasts a great British voice cast including Bill Nighy, James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent and Imelda Staunton. Aardman’s efforts are always a treat, so mark your calendars for November 11, because Arthur is coming to town.
African Cats
Disney has always been the king of nature documentaries and following their success with Earth and Oceans over two years worth of Earth Day releases, they have slated another for 2011’s. If you went through school without seeing one of the many nature doc’s Disney has made over the decades, then you lived a deprived childhood, as these lavish looks at nature are rivalled by few. So if you love African cats (as the title promises) I doubt you will be disappointed.
