Welcome all to Trailer Tracker, where we at Player Affinity go bobbing for trailers in the proverbial bucket that is the Internet. Coming at you this week is the supernatural thriller Devil from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan; we find out that It’s Kind of a Funny Story with Zach Galifianakis, conduct an experiment with Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker, check out the second trailer for Robert Rodriguez’s Machete and finally get welcomed to the Riley’s.
Due Date
Hot off the presses, we had to pull a Caesarian section to get you this new comedy from The Hangover director Todd Phillips. Due Date stars Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr. in a film best described as Planes, Trains and Automobiles meets -- shocker -- The Hangover. Downey Jr. is a father-to-be at risk of missing the birth of his child. Meanwhile, he's stuck with an aspiring actor. The movie will have little to do with pregnancy, so that's a relief. Certainly this film will ride on the quality of the witty banter between these two expert improvisational actors. You'll have to wait, however, because it's not due until November 5. This is only like the second trimester.
Devil
M. Night Shyamalan’s credibility may have gone the way of the toilet in the past few years, but this time it is only his story that makes it to the screen in Devil. Devil will be directed by the Brothers Dowdle, Drew and John, who previously worked on the [Rec] remake Quarantine. This tight, creeping looking effort finds five people trapped in an elevator, one of whom may or may not be the lord of darkness himself. Devil hits theatres on September 17, after which you may consider taking the stairs.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Zach Galifianakis sheds at least some of his zaniness for the coming-of-age dramedy also starring Emma Roberts and relative newcomer Keir Gilchrist in the leading role. Based on the best-selling novel, “Story” follows young Craig who is checked into an adult psychiatric ward where he finds love, himself, etc. The cast looks strong in this one and if they can strike the right balance between drama and comedy without resorting to melodrama, this could be a nice little surprise this fall.
The Experiment
Loosely based on the notorious Stanford Prison Experiment where during a psychological test about the effects of prison, participants’ assigned roles became far too real. The Experiment stars Adrien Brody as one of the “inmates” and Forest Whitaker as a “guard”. It looks as if this drama will be headed straight to DVD, a shame since the real-life events of that test are far too compelling to pass up on the big screen.
Machete Trailer 2
Normally on Trailer Tracker, we wont look at second, third or fourth trailers, etc., but this new clip for Robert Rodriguez's fake-ad-turned-feature is so divergent from the first it demands some attention. The first look at this pulp actionier was campy in the vein of the movie by which it was inspired, whereas trailer numero deux is far darker and serious, also giving us a first look at Steven Segal. Whatever the tone of Machete, this feature finds Rodriguez in the genre that gave him his start.
Welcome to the Riley’s
Things get a bit more sombre with the drama Welcome to the Riley’s, about a damaged man (James Gandolfini) who takes a runaway stripper (Kristen Stewart) under his wing. Oscar nominee Melissa Leo also stars as Gandolfini’s wife and its November release seems to poise this film for Academy consideration. Oscar bait or not, the cast is exceptional and as is the case with many films in this vein, if the filmmakers can resist falseness and audience manipulation this will not be the last time you hear about the Riley’s.
