Our featured trailer this week is the supernatural horror film Insidious from director James Wan, the man who started the cultural phenomenon that was the “Saw” franchise. We also have the star-packed police drama The Son of No One headlined by Al Pacino, the period piece reimagining of Red Riding Hood with the doe-eyed Amanda Seyfried draped in crimson, the mysterious Perfect Sense with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green and finally the indie, coming of age tale Skateland. You know you want to, it’s Trailer Tracker.
New trailers this week:
Insidious
The Son of No One
Red Riding Hood
Perfect Sense
Skateland
Insidious
Though boasting a runtime of only 50 seconds, this short clip for James Wan’s Insidious is one great trailer: fast paced, ominous and creepy teaser does what its moniker implies it should -- tease. Certainly not much is revealed, with the clip concluding by flashing the phrase “This Is Insidious,” but it seems to be a blend of a haunted house story with possession tropes. The plot describes only that a young family discovers that their comatose son attracts evil entities while his mind is trapped in a dark realm called “The Further” (which was the original title of this feature).
A solid cast populates this $1-million production including Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Barbra Hershey (indicating that these talented stars remain underpaid), with the director being the aforementioned Wan who started off the deliriously successful “Saw” series. Wan also crafted the underrated and infinitely creepy Dead Silence (not for those creeped out by dolls) followed by the atrocious Death Sentence starring Kevin Bacon in 2007. This is his first directorial effort since, and it debuted at TIFF in September, though it would seem to little buzz. Expect a longer trailer sometime soon as it ramps up to its April 1 release date which will reveal more. Personally, I like being curious.
With The Son of No One, Al Pacino and Ray Liotta are once again back in the cop genre, joined by Channing Tatem, Juliette Binoche, Katie Holmes and ummm Tracy Morgan (?) many of whom are sporting the gross moustaches required for a police procedural. This tale of police corruption is helmed by Tatum’s Fighting director Dito Montiel and is set to close the Sundance Film Festival in four days which should give us an idea if Pacino can break his streak of bland/over-the-top performances in theatrical releases. Montiel actually wrote the book (of the same name) on which the film is based but seeing as it was unpublished, that doesn’t exactly bode well for this cinematic equivalent.
Red Riding Hood
Why, Amanda Seyfried, what big eyes you have… This twist on the legend from Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke finds a love triangle developing between Seyfried and two men as their small medieval village is terrorized by a werewolf thirsting for human blood. A hunter (Gary Oldman) is hired to dispatch of their furry pest, though he warns them the beast could be anyone. With Nine Inch Nails blasting during this trailer, Red Riding Hood seems to promise a hip, stylized update of the fable. This is but one of a number of modernized deviations from fairy tales which include Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Snow White and the Huntsman; an odd saturation to have in coming years but I suppose not a surprising one considering
Perfect Sense
Do me a favour, watch this clip and then read the IMDB plot description below. Are you done? Ok, so you’re thinking Blue Valentine right? Now: “A chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions” says the story synopsis. Certainly not what I was expecting, to say the least, but consider me intrigued. Ewan McGregor and Eva Green star as the aforementioned lovers and both are talented individuals that I think could pull off a hybrid tale of love and loss and end of the world themes.
Skateland
Directing a coming of-age-teen dramedy but can’t come up with a title? Just add “land” to the end of a word and you’re off to the races. Skateland, set in the 1980s, follows a young man whose life changes when the roller rink he manages closes down. Ashley Greene stars in the lead female role as Michelle and Shiloh Fernandez (who coincidently will be one of the love interests in Red Riding Hood), the male. Another Sundance entry, which seems understandable based on the look of the film alone, you won’t have to wait long for the word on its quality.
