Backlash, Thy Name is M. Night Shyamalan

...Or at least, that's my impression after observing the audience reactions to the trailer for Devil, the new M. Night Shyamalan-produced thriller directed by [REC] re-makers John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle. The trailer played before both Inception and Scott Pilgrim and in both cases audiences were kind of rolling with it until Night’s name popped up on the screen and that’s when the laughter started. From there, audience members in one screening started shouting out potential twists for the movie or generally tuning out and chatting with their friends.

Now, both audiences were college-age crowds in a college town. Still, this is kind of a big deal for the master filmmaker’s cachet at this point and if this isn’t the actual death knell for his reputation it’s at least on life support. And it’s unfortunate, because Devil doesn’t look half-bad in a kind of Red Eye/Joy Ride sort of way. It feels like one of those lean little thrillers that has a couple of good surprises you’ll talk about with your friends after the fact that should be a solid, medium-tier performer when it drops in September.

But with Shyamalan’s name attached that doesn’t appear to be in the cards anymore. His reputation has become toxic, and the idea of sitting through one of his films has (for me at least) little to no appeal. I just don’t want to deal with his formulaic upending of formula, if you know what I mean. The prospect of yet another self-serious movie where the plot is stifled out of the characters like some kind of horror-movie version of Crash makes me want to run screaming out of the theater.

And again, this is kind of a crap reaction to have to the movie since for all intents and purposes Shyamalan is simply the producer on the damned thing. Hopefully for the brothers Dowdle, the trailer will be recut before the movie’s release (and in advance of any television spots) to minimize or maybe even omit the Shyamalan connection.

So There's a Thor: The Video Game Trailer

It's no surprise that Marvel wants to get a game out to coincide with the release of next year's Kenneth Branagh-directed Thor movie. What is surprising is that the comics publisher opted to go back to Sega for this one given the less-than-stellar critical response to the Iron Man tie-ins. Unless there was just a high level of faith in the developer to get their act together, I have to imagine that there was some kind of deal inked to produce games tying into all of the Avenger titles for the next few years.

Spoilers: this teaser trailer has no gameplay footage. But unless they've got some masterwork up their sleeves I foresee a God of War-style hack and slash, probably with some upgrade mechanics tying in and around the main plot of the movie. Maybe a prequel or something using villains from the comics.

Pagina Perdida?

I'm not really sure what to make of this trailer for Pagina Perdida which found itself in my inbox this morning. Here's the copy from production company Sanglat Films:

Surrounded by an intriguing scenario and inhabited by strange characters, "Lost Page” ("Página Perdida") is an abstract film, the result of a powerfull visual dimension created by Lucas Moreira added to the experimental electro-acoustic music of Marcelo Armani.

Produced by Sanglant Films and Department of Culture of São Leopoldo.

Some Thoughts About the New "Star Trek" Trailer From Someone Who's Only Marginally a Trek Fan*

1. Space... full of debris.

2. Several months and multiple trailers in and I'm still not feeling Chris Pine as Kirk. It's not like the role requires gravitas or anything - just someone whose features and name I could remember ten minutes later.

3. I'm really digging the oversaturated white of the set. It's a really cool aesthetic but I'm curious as to how it will contrast will all of the other "space grit" we see in the trailer.

4. Eric Bana: he feels much too good for the material here. From the looks of things he's going to be a tatted-up Khan.

5. Seriously... Eric Bana. The man was awesome in Chopper.



6. The trailer seems to be going for a character (lots of V.O. about Kirk living up to his dad's rep)** and action-based (lots of ships zooming in, out, and around debris) thing without bothering to touch on the story. Having watched it, I have no idea what the movie will be about.

7. The lack of Simon Pegg is disappointing. For real, I'd watch a Simon Pegg-as-Scotty space comedy over this.

8. You know what this reminds me of? Starship Troopers without the irony.


* Okay, I've seen all of the movies and watched the shows. But it's not like I know any of the episode titles... and I could only stick with Enterprise for like, ten minutes.

**Seriously, this is the characterization they're going for? Trite daddy issues to sell it to the under-15 set?