Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, there was a featured trailer on Player Affinity called The Raven starring John Cusack as a murderer-hunting Edgar Allen Poe. Then, director Jason Reitman of Juno and Up in the Air re-teams with scribe Diablo Cody for Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson. Though already covered on our site, I’ll toss in my two cents about the first trailer for Marvel’s massive undertaking The Avengers and finally we shall see if Michelle Williams’ Oscar buzz for portraying Marilyn Monroe is warranted in the biopic about the starlet in My Week with Marilyn. Some like it hot and some like movie clips – it’s Trailer Tracker.
New clips this week:
The Raven
Young Adult
The Avengers
My Week with Marilyn
The Raven
After blowing people away with the seemingly universally beloved adaptation of the comic book V for Vendetta, director James McTeigue tarnished his rep a tad with his messy follow up, Ninja Assassin. Now after venturing to both the future and present with his tales, he delves into a period setting for The Raven, a fictitious account of the final days of famed poet Edgar Allen Poe (the great John Cusack in full old-timey getup) as he aids police in searching for a brutal killer basing his crimes on the works of the scribe. The lovely Alice Eve will portray Virginia Clemm Poe and Luke Evans the Chief Inspector tasked with bringing the string of grizzly crimes to a halt.
I personally think the
trailer looks fantastic; a truly interesting story packed with a strong cast,
gritty period setting and what seems to be plenty of intrigue and action. While
existing primarily as a whodunit, The
Raven also looks to be packed with Saw-level
gore – in fact a swinging, bladed pendulum used to expire an unlucky victim in
the clip was used in that torture-porn franchise. Hopefully, of course, this
film turns out to have more substance and intelligence than that
guilty-pleasure series. Cusack will be given room to shine here with some
weightier material than late efforts 2012
or Hot Tub Time Machine, something he
has not really had the opportunity to do since his string of dramas in 2007. Cusack
aside, I still look forward to March 9 thanks to the whole package and hopefully
afterwards will desire an infusion of period-thrills, nevermore. Well, at least
for a few months.
Young Adult
For a
stripper-turned-filmmaker to score an Oscar win on the first feature is
nothing short of a triumph in the industry, and no I’m not speaking about Jason
Reitman. Diablo Cody has since leant her pen to the not-so-award-worthy Jennifer’s Body and pioneered the
television series United States of Tara.
Re-teaming with Juno director Reitman
(also the brain behind Up in the Air
and Thank You for Smoking) they seem
to be able to do little wrong, especially when together. Young Adult will star Charlize Theron as a recently divorced writer
who returns to her hometown intent on winner over her now-married ex (Patrick
Wilson). The great Patton Oswalt also joins the cast and if all of these
individuals aren’t enough to get you excited then you need to grow up yourself.
The Avengers
Nearly a decade in the
making, over a billion dollars indirectly invested and a colorful collection
of characters brought to the big screen, Marvel finally debuted the trailer for
their baby: The Avengers. While light
on plot revelations, this reveal is chock full of brief action-filled shots,
reveals of the many superheroes (including The Hulk) and it is just pretty darn
cool overall to see these larger-than-life blockbuster beings finally interact.
With the great, but perpetually beat-down Joss Whedon taking on the roll of
director and screenwriter, this 2012 release is looking rather like the event
that is was intended to be.
My Week with Marilyn
Following a string of
praise for her interesting character choices and ultimately brilliant execution
of those roles, Michelle Williams has become “that girl” to watch come awards
season. This tale of the socialite will focus on her filming of The Prince and the Showgirl and the
young man (Eddie Redmayne) tasked to show her a good time in