Trailer: Mass Effect 3 “Take Earth Back”

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Arleigh

During one of the many commercial breaks for February 19th’s episode of The Walking Dead audiences were treated to the premiere of a trailer for one of 2012’s most-anticipated video games.

Mass Effect 3 is the final title in the series trilogy that first began five years ago with the Mass Effect title. The series has just gotten bigger since then with the second title selling even more and improving on the first game. This third title looks to tie-up all the storylines begun with the first two games and finish them off in the only way possible: EPIC.

This trailer is simply called “Take Earth Back” and we see just why it’s called just that. The Reapers (extragalactic robotic beings of extreme intelligence who scour the galaxy of all living life every 50,000 years or so and this time they’re returning with their sights set on taking on the homeworld of the person who has tried to stop them from returning: Earth. We see much in this trailer from major cities being destroyed by giant Reaper ships then to the arrival of Cmdr. Shepard and his allies to take on the possessed “Husks” of aliens the Reaper has turned against everyone.

The game has been hyped since the second game ended and this trailer just adds to that as we get nearer to the title’s March 6, 2012 release date. This trailer preaches to the loyal and should go a long way to helping convince those still on the fence to pick it up.

Trailer: The Raven

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Lisa Marie Bowman

When we went to see Haywire earlier tonight, one of the trailers that played before the movie started was for an upcoming horror/mystery film called The Raven. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about the trailer. The idea of Edgar Allan Poe as a detective is one that is either going to be campy fun or else it’s just going to be an annoying gimmick. To be honest, the trailer leads me to suspect the latter because it definitely has a wannabe Sherlock Holmes feel to it. That said, I do have some hope for this film if just because it looks like John Cusack is having a lot of fun with this role. Cusack is one of those “serious” actors who can be very watchable when he’s finally allowed to just cut loose and go totally over the top.

Trailer: Moonrise Kingdom (dir. by Wes Anderson)

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Lisa Marie Bowman

January is the time of year that you look at what’s being released into theaters and you think to yourself, “Oh my God, is it summer yet!?” This is the time of the Devil Inside and Joyful Noise. This is also the time when we find ourselves watching trailers and previews of upcoming films for just a little bit of hope that maybe things are going to get better.

And, on that note, here’s the trailer for Wes Anderson’s upcoming film, Moonrise Kingdom. I don’t know much about Moonrise Kingdom but, seeing as it’s directed Wes Anderson, it’ll either be very clever and unappreciated or else it will be so self-consciously quirky that I’ll end up having a seizure halfway through the film.

Trailer: Modern Warfare 3 “The Vet and The n00b”

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Arleigh

Well, the time that seems to arrive once every year around November has finally arrived. The latest iteration of the Call of Duty first-person shooter franchise from Activision will see a midnight release starting 12:01 am on November 8, 2011. Already there are lines numbering in the hundreds in major cities. Parties being held at stores such as Best Buy and Gamestop as hundreds of thousands, if not, millions of gamers flock to get the game in their hands. This game is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and it’s one of those rare video games which actually lowers work productivity the week of it’s release. It will be safe to assume that the morning of November 8, 2011 will see a high amount of sick calls and last minute PTO requests.

I won’t be one of them but I will still get this game in a week or two. Until then I’ll just continue to watch this funny and creative trailer for the game starring Jonah Hill, Sam Worthington and Dwight Howard.

Horror Trailer: Deadheads

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Below is the trailer for the new zombie comedy Deadheads, which played to sell-out crowds at the Austin Film Festival. I’m usually a little bit hesitant whenever I see horror and comedy being mixed together because for those two genres to mix, a perfect balance must be struck. Otherwise, you end up with a horror film that’s too funny or a comedy that’s too scary. Still, I’ve heard good things about Deadheads from my friends in Austin and the trailer would seem to suggest that, at the very least, the film has a good heart and I hope it picks up a national distributor in the near future.

(Special thanks to frequent Shattered Lens commenter Jake Moore for alerting me to this trailer!)

Trailer: Chronicle

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I have to admit that, even though I thought that Apollo 18 was an underrated movie, I’m still skeptical about the whole “found footage” genre of film. I could explain why but the fact of the matter is that just about everyone is skeptical about it and we’re all skeptical for pretty much the same reasons. Still, Chronicle looks like it might be interesting. Still, you have to wonder who all these people are who, in the face of incoming apocalypse, react by standing in place with a camera. Me, I’d probably drop the camera and run.

David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Trailer #2

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s the 2nd trailer for David Fincher’s ~~bastadization rip-off remake~~ version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

I’m just going to make just a few general comments:

1) This trailer is obviously a lot more plot-specific than the 1st trailer. It’s also a lot less interesting. The snow-filled landscapes still look impressive but the 1st trailer seemed to be fueled by an unstoppable force. The 2nd trailer seems to be fueled by test groups.

2) I’ve always been honest about how much I loved Noomi Rapace’s performance in the original film. Rooney Mara has some big shoes to fill. In the scenes selected for this trailer, she looks like a little girl playing dress up.

3) Not surprisingly Daniel Craig’s Mikael seems to be a much more active and straight forward hero than Michael Nyqvist’s interpretation. In fact, this trailer could just as easily be for the next James Bond film.

4) Of course, this would be great if not for the fact that the best thing about both the original novel and the original film was that Lisbeth was nobody’s sidekick.

5) Christopher Plummer. Again.

And finally,

6) The 1st trailer had a true grindhouse feel to it and that feeling is sadly missing from the 2nd. Here’s the 1st trailer. Watch and compare:

6 Trailers From Out of the Past

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Lisa Marie Bowman

From out of the shadows of our shared exploitive past comes 6 more of Lisa Marie’s Favorite Grindhouse and Exploitation Trailers.

1) Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)

This is a fun trailer. It comes with its own theme song. There’s no type of love Dirty Mary won’t make.

2) The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave (1971)

This is one of those public domain films that seems to show up in every other Mill Creek Box Set. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine and the trailer is all tacky goodness. Plus, Erika Blanc’s in it. (And the title has allowed me to have a lot of fun at my friend Evelyn’s expense.)

3) Four of the Apocalypse (1975)

Before he was hired to direct Zombi 2, Lucio Fulci directed this spaghetti western. Not surprisingly, it’s one of the darkest, most cynical westerns ever made.

4) Massacre Time (1966)

Nine years before Four of the Apocalypse, Fulci directed another western, this one with Franco Nero. Have I mentioned the things I would let Franco Nero do to me if I could get my hands on a time machine? Mmmmm….Franco Nero.

5) 99 Women (1969)

From director Jesus Franco comes “99 women … without men.”

6) Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Shieks (1976)

Don’t watch this trailer if you’re a toadsucker. Or easily offended.

Trailer: Underworld: Awakening

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Lisa Marie Bowman

She’s back…

I’ve got mixed feelings about this one. I have a total girlcrush on Kate Beckinsale and I support any movie where women get to kick as much ass as the boys. At the same time, it’s hard not to look at this and think: “Again?”

Still, one thing’s for sure. It’s got to be better than Dylan Dog: Dead of Night.

6 Trailers For America

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Flag (Erin Nicole Bowman, 2010)

Seeing as how its the July 4th weekend, this latest edition of Lisa Marie’s Favorite Grindhouse and Exploitation Trailers is dedicated to America.

1) American Ninja (1985)

Let’s start out with this celebration of the fact that Americans always do it better. Yes, the film was originally titled American Warrior. Apparently, ninjas are more appealing than just plain old warriors.

2) The Last Hunter (1984)

From director Antonio Margheriti comes one of the best Namsploitation films ever. How can you go wrong with David Warbeck?

3) Fighting Mad (1976)

What could possibly be more American than Peter Fonda getting mad and killing people? This was an early film from future “mainstream” director Jonathan Demme.

4) Thunder Alley (1967)

Well, there might be one thing more American than Peter Fonda killing people and that would have to be Nascar. I’m not sure if they called Nascar Nascar back in 1967 but the idea appears to be the same.