'The Hangover' Lasts Even Longer in New Trailer

11:01 AM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (9)

Earlier this week we played catch up with a trailer that looks like the sleeper comedy hit of the summer. Now we have a full length theatrical trailer for The Hangover that amps up the laughs even more. In case you missed our synopsis before here it is again: A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him. This will be the morning after that none of these guys will forget.

In this trailer we get a shot of the groom-to-be, Justin Bartha (who you may remember as the comic relief sidekick Riley Poole in the National Treasure films) and the lead-up to what will be one chaotic bachelor party. The groomsmen, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, trace their steps and get more than they bargained for as they find themselves in possession of a baby, a tiger, a police car, but not the groom. Zach Galifianakis is going to blow up after this movie, and I hope everyone gets a chance to discover his comedic genius. The film comes out on June 5, but until then, enjoy the trailer below.

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Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Bruno' Trailer Says Vassup!

8:57 PM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (2)

Today, an international Red Band trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen's summer comedy Brüno. The picture above was coupled with the release of the trailer and you'll understand its significance after you check it out.

The trailer plays off of his now famous antics for 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. While the trailer is funny, I was expecting a bit more. There's no doubt that this will be hilarious, but I was hoping that the first trailer would make a bit more of a splash. But there's some great moments, and if anything, this is simply like a teaser. I remember not being too thrilled when Borat was being advertised, but at the time I was also unfamiliar with Cohen and his characters. If anything I'm still happy because it seems like Brüno is a character who will not be so easily imitated by all of your stupid friends who ruin the movie for everyone else.

Anyway, check out the trailer below, but be wary, because it's Red Band and it's most assuredly NSFW at all. What do you think?

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Early Review: Fast and Furious

12:11 PM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (2)

There's really only one way to describe this film. You know when your friend has a really cool story, and it's actually hilarious, and since you're really good friends you're around him all the other times he tells it? Well now that story sucks doesn't it? Welcome to Fast and Furious. I had a chance to catch an early screening of this (at least it was free) and it was less than stellar, even for this type of movie.

The tagline for this film is "New Model. Original Parts." First of all I don't know why anyone would want a new car with old parts, but good try with the cleverness (it's about all the wit you'll see in regards to this film). Second of all, the problem with all the "original parts" coming back (this fourth installment which a friend of mine has dubbed 4 Fast 4 Serious brings back original cast members Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster) and that's where the money went, because it's certainly not in the action sequences. But let's begin at the beginning...

So The Fast and the Furious was a fun little, adrenaline rushed, popcorn flick. No doubt. Aside from the mediocre writing and consistently terrible acting, there's some great races, chases and action, and I even enjoyed the slightly innovative techniques of using footage shot from outside of the car, then in one full move sweeping into the driver's seat of the car, swirling around, and then back out the other side of the car. It's a combination of real footage, CG and green screen work, but it was fast-paced and made for a good edit. All that goes out the window with this one.

Here's the story (and there's a spoiler here, but it has to be said because the spoiler is the inciting incident for the rest of the film): Dominic Torretto (Diesel) and Letty (Rodriguez) are teamed up with some people south of the border and are stealing gas for street races as they work to get closer to some hotshot drug dealer. Long story short, Letty is killed, and Dom is off to find out just who's responsible. Meanwhile, in pursuit of the same drug dealer we find Brian O'Conner (Walker) working for the FBI trailing this same drug dealer, and as we come to find out, Letty had been working undercover for him while in Mexico with Dom. Now in order to actually get face to face with this drug dealer, Dom and Brian, driven by revenge and duty respectively have to enter a street race to try and get a job running drugs back in Mexico. Everything stems from their previous relationship to each other, and the loyalty and strange friendship they have with each other.

The problem with this flick is it's just not as fun as the first one (which is the pinnacle of these films). The races are bland and unexciting. They couldn't even give Brandon T. Jackson (Alpa Chino from Tropic Thunder) any good one-liners during a street race. One of the "action sequences" takes place in a series of tunnels through a small mountain range on the border. It's just simple swerving and no suspense or tense moments at all. And then they revert back to these tunnels for the "climax." It's neither fast (especially in the pacing of the film) or furious.

And while dialogue was never a strong suit in these movies, it's like they're not even trying. It's the most contrived, amateur writing I've heard in a long time. And it doesn't help that Paul Walker is back (who is basically a poor version of Hayden Christensen) or that Vin Diesel still looks and talks like an ape.

There are two midly interesting tidbits about this film. Vin Diesel is working along with some Asian guy in Mexico, and apparently this guy is from Tokyo Drift, BUT when he makes reference to it, it's like he hasn't been there yet (something like "I hear there's some crazy shit going on in Tokyo"). So it looks like this film happens between the second and third movies. But my favorite tidbit is something that I created myself. There's a green Gran Torino, similar to the one in the film Gran Torino, but it's just tricked out. I'd like to think that Thao (the kid who bonds with Clint Eastwood) got caught up in the gang life and tricked out this car, and somehow or another he got killed or lost it in a race. What I'm saying is, the most fun I had in this flick was wishing other things would happen in it. Save your life and save your money, and just put this in your Netflix Queue if you really have to watch it.

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'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Leaks on the Interwebs

10:21 AM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (1)

Someone at 20th Century Fox is going to be fired. Late last night, Twitter and the IMDB forums were alive with chatter as a DVD quality workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverine found its way online.

In no way is this an April Fool's joke, but it's serious business. Several other sites have verified its legit, and I took a glance at it myself at a couple minutes at different points in the movie, and it's certainly a working edit of the film.

But what a lot of people are pointing out, and this is something I agree with to a certain extent, that this won't exactly be the film we'll see on May 1st. Apparently this cut does not include any of the new footage that director Gavin Hood and the cast shot when there were worrying re-shoots in Vancouver months ago. Also along this note, the print also has unfinished effects including completely unfinished CG models of characters, green screen work and more.

We're not going to link to where you can find this leak or anything like that. If you really, REALLY want to find it, then I'm sure you will. But let me just say, that if you're looking to enjoy the movie, just hold off and in exactly one month, you'll get to see it on the big screen. It's not like you don't know what's going to happen anyway. Wolverine will get his claws out menacingly, be sarcastic, cut some stuff, blow some things up, and then Ryan Reynolds will make another joke. Game over.

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'Back to the Future' Remake is in Spielberg's Hands

9:40 AM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (63)

A remake of the 80's hit Back to the Future is in perfect hands as it was announced that it will be directed by one of the original trilogy's producers, Steven Spielberg. And who better to fill the shoes of the young time traveler Marty McFly then his golden boy Shia LaBeouf.

Spielberg took the time to make this announcement himself to quell any fear some of us loyal Back to the Future fans may have, and he said he will be very true to the original, besides the stuff that he decides to change. It will be updated for modern day, and so the time machine will "most likely take the form of a Hybrid of some sort. If you're going to time travel today, you're going to have to be green about it," Spielberg said in his announcement.

But the big question is who will step into the eccentric, 1.21 jiggawatt fueled shows of Dr. Emmett L. Brown? Spielberg saves that for last as he says, none other than Johnny Depp will step into the shoes once filled by Christopher Lloyd. It took some real convicing according to Spielberg, but it was the money that got him. Real pirates gold from what I'm told. And finally, one more thing, who's taking on the role of big buff meathead Biff Tannen? None other than the muscle man himself Vin Diesel. I simply cannot wait to see this come together.

The announcement video is over at Spielberg's official site. What do you guys think?

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Fox Announces 'House' and '24' Crossover Finale

9:15 AM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (2)

Big news from Fox Network for two of its high profile shows. It was announced today that for the season finales of the action-drama 24 and the medical-drama House M.D. that these two worlds will collide for one big 2 hour finale event.

Not all details were revealed since there's still no word on how 24 plans to wrap up the terrorist plans currently on-going, but here's what is known as of now:

  • Dr. Gregory House will first be called upon to attempt to cure and ailing Jack Bauer (after he recently came into contact with a biological weapon) giving House the most difficult task he's had yet: creating a cure.

  • The outcome of the above is given even less time when House must diagnose a terrorist suspect when he suddenly becomes ill in typical House M.D. fashion where no one is sure what the diagnosis is.

  • House's team will not be with him (as House travels to FBI headquarters to meet Jack Bauer) but they will be in contact via phone.

  • The dynamic between Bauer and House will be hilarious and tense.

  • Finally, this will most assuredly be in real time, so House is really working against the clock without any commercials to pass more that five minutes time.
This is the best thing to happen to television since The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. Fans of one show who happen to not be fans of the other won't be confused as an hour long clip show will play before the finale to give people some insight into the characters they may not be so familiar with. If you'd like to see a teaser trailer for this epic television event, head right over here to the official Fox website, because unfortunately the trailer cannot be embedded. Does this get you excited?

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Poster Premiere: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2:45 PM / Posted by Bradford Oman / comments (0)

MSN Movies UK shot up this new poster for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince along with five other single character posters. Each of them are cool in their own right, and would be great lined up one right next to the other. This one is obviously Harry Potter standing in the London Underground with copies of the Daily Prophet blowing in the wind. You can see Lucius Malfoy on that one in the lower left hand corner and another one has a headline about a Death Eater attack targeting Muggles that we've seen evidence of in the previous trailers.

The other posters feature Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon)looking ready to kick some ass, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) looking sly and cute at the same time, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) decked out in Quidditch garb, Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) looking disappointed like my parents, and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) looking like a hardcore wizard James Bond.

This is one of my most anticipated films of the summer, and these posters maintain my hype. I wonder when they'll have the poster of Dumbledore kissing a dude, or Hermione at the point in her life when she starts living at Muggle truck stops giving out "favors" for "Fizzing Whizbees."

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