I usually avoid movies about dogs because of the inevitable ending.
No matter how wonderful the story, the relationship, the plot — the dog is going to die, either of trauma or old age, and my heart simply can’t take it.
But I saw this trailer at the theater last night. And although it made me cry like a baby, I may have to see this one.
Posted in Animals, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Love, Movies, Relationships
Tagged animals, Dogs, entertainment, Humor, life, love, movie theater, movie trailers, Movies, Relationships
I didn’t see Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska’s first Alice in Wonderland movie, and doubt that I will see the sequel, although its trailers are lighting up movie theaters all over the country.
But my doubt has doubt…for two reasons.
First, the late, great Alan Rickman voices the Blue Caterpillar in Alice Through the Looking Glass, and the chance to listen to his dulcet tones is reason enough to endure the rest of the film.
Secondly, the trailer has “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane as its soundtrack, and I could listen to that on a loop as well.
In fact, let’s do that now. Together.
Posted in Celebrities, Entertainment, Humor, Movies, Music
Tagged Alan Rickman, Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Blue Caterpillar, celebrities, entertainment, Feed your head, Humor, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, movie theaters, movie trailers, Movies, Music, Youtube
The trailer for Words & Pictures, starring Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen, makes it look like a light romantic comedy.
Makes you wonder if the marketing folks even watched the film.
The promo oversimplifies the story to its most basic elements: two teachers at a private high school clash on the relative importance of art and literature while falling in love.
Tragic.
Not the movie; it was lovely. What is tragic is everything the trailer leaves out.
I don’t expect it to reveal every detail — I’d prefer it didn’t — but the love story in W&P is very specific to the two teachers’ ages, health issues, and work and family situations. It’s complicated because their lives are more complicated, which makes it a more interesting and multi-layered story.
And it deserves a trailer that reflects that.
Oh well, I’m a happy camper — I got way more movie than I expected!
Posted in Advertising, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies
Tagged advertising, art, Clive Owen, commentary, entertainment, film, happy camper, health issues, Humor, it's complicated, Juliette Binoche, life, literature, love story, movie promos, movie trailers, Movies, moving pictures, private school, promotion, review, romantic comedy, teachers, Words & Pictures
They began in movie theatres months ago, and now they’ve hit TV —
Trailers for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.
I’ll admit — I didn’t think this movie needed to be remade. It’s a classic in my mind, as is the book.
And Leonardo DiCaprio playing Gatsby in place of Robert Redford?
Uh, no.
But now that I’ve seen the trailers — many, many times — the casting isn’t even the issue.
This Gatsby is unrecognizable. Luhrmann has — well — Luhrmann-ized it; the glitz and glitter is a visual assault. The soundtrack, too, is so brash and overwhelming, I have actually checked for blood in my ears in the theatre. Imagine the damage after two hours.
I’m sure Luhrmann has included that, too — in gold…with a dance number.
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies
Tagged Baz Luhrmann, celebrities, commentary, entertainment, glitter, glitz, Humor, Leonardo Di Caprio, life, movie casting, movie classic, movie remakes, movie soundtrack, movie theatre, movie trailers, Movies, review, Robert Redford, The Great Gatsby
Did you hear?
Crazy Stupid Love opens today.
Of course you’ve heard.
We’ve been under a movie trailer attack for months! Surrounded. Bombarded.
Taken prisoner even.
Don’t get me wrong — I’ve loved the Crazy Stupid Love trailer from the first time I saw it — was totally sold on the movie.
Ryan Gosling? Check. Steve Carell? Check. Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei? Check, check, check. Ryan Gosling nearly naked??
Too many checks to include here.
And I personally love movie trailers. Love seeing them on television, love sitting through them at the theatre, love them for the art that they are.
But then I saw the Crazy Stupid Love trailer again. And again. And over and over and over again. On TV. In the theatre. Online. They were everywhere.
There was no escape.
Crazy Stupid Love’s marketing campaign has been crazy, stupid overwhelming. Their attempts to generate audience excitement have been bloody exhausting.
You know what? Just to show them how I feel, I may wait until mid-afternoon today before I go see it.
Yeah…that’ll send a message.
Note: Saw Crazy Stupid Love at the 1:15pm showing (early mid-afternoon). This is such a wonderful film — worth every crazy, stupid overwhelming trailer…and then some! — Carla
Posted in Advertising, Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Magazines, Movies, Television, TV
Tagged advertising, celebrities, comedy, commentary, Crazy Stupid Love movie, entertainment, Humor, life, magazines, movie marketing campaign, movie theatre, movie trailers, Movies, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Television, TV
12:01am — The premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
I was there.
Yes, I could have waited until the crowds thinned…until the feverish mania around the conclusion of this epic movie franchise had died down a bit.
But what’s the fun in that?
Seeing the final film in an atmosphere of unbridled excitement and enthusiasm? That’s how I want to remember Harry Potter.
People dressed in inspired costumes. Spontaneous trivia contests breaking out in the aisles. Chants of “Snape, Snape, Severus Snape” attempting to overpower a fervent rendition of “Neville Longbottom.” And the particularly hilarious cries of hatred hurled at the trailers proceeding the movie.
But the film was so worth the wait. Director David Yates’ vision is true to the book and yet so much more.
I’ll see it again, of course, at some deserted weekday matinee. It will still be an incredible movie, but…
Nothing can touch midnight.
Posted in Commentary, Entertainment, Family, Friends, Humor, Life, Movies, Summer
Tagged books, commentary, David Yates, entertainment, family, friends, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part Two, Humor, life, midnight premiere, movie director, movie franchise, movie matinee, movie premiere, movie spoilers, movie trailers, Movies, Neville Longbottom, Severus Snape, summer, trivia contests
“Bueller. Bueller. Bueller.” — Ben Stein, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
As if I really needed to credit that quote….
Everyone seemingly knows Ferris Bueller and his idyllic day off with his friends in the city of Chicago.
But imagine you were really young — or had been living under a rock for the past 20 years — and saw this trailer for “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
What would you think the movie was about?
Isn’t that brilliant??
This new take on “Ferris Bueller” comes courtesy of Joseph Brett on Youtube. Brett used some of the more artsy photographic shots from the movie and substituted a more angst-ridden soundtrack for his movie trailer. The two combine to change the entire mood of Ferris’ day-away and give it an indie film air of menace.
In this context, you’re led to wonder: did Ferris end it all? Did Cameron really drown? Was Ferris too late to save him ??
Brett even managed to dig up that wonky shot of Sloane, so even she appears depressed.
Not to repeat myself, but…it’s kinda brilliant.
Brett has inspired me as well. I want to go back and pull trailers of my favorite comedies and edit them into edgy dramas — my favorite dramas into slapstick!
Whether you meant it as a challenge or not, Brett — I’m in!
Posted in Advertising, Business, Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Design, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Movies
Tagged advertising, Ben Stein, Business, celebrities, Chicago, comedy, commentary, drama, entertainment, Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off movie trailer, Humor, indie film, Internet, Joseph Brett, life, movie trailer re-cut, movie trailer re-edit, movie trailers, Movies, photography, slapstick, soundtrack, tone, Youtube
Finally — truth in advertising!
That’s the unusual approach Reelz Channel is using to promote The Kennedys miniseries premiering April 3rd.
No promise of great performances or exacting historical detail. Nothing about the content of the program at all, in fact.
Reelz strategy?
Simple exclamations of surprise that the darn thing is airing at all.
“The mini-series you thought you’d never see on television…”
“The most controversial mini-series of our time…”
Yep…that sounds about right. After the miniseries was deemed “unfit for the History Channel brand,” it looked like it might languish on a shelf somewhere sight unseen. But Reelz, whose desire for new subscribers outweighs any pesky ideals, snatched it up.
And now their ads reflect what the audience is no doubt thinking…which is kinda brilliant really.
It makes me wonder: what would some movie trailers sound like if they took the same tact — honestly over hyperbole?
Films like…
I don’t know. I just spent only a few moments on these tag lines, and I’m kinda liking them.
Can this the start of something honest??
Posted in Advertising, Business, Commentary, Entertainment, Family, History, Humor, Life, Movies, Television, TV
Tagged advertising, Business, commentary, entertainment, family, Hall Pass movie, History Channel, Humor, Jane Eyre movie, life, movie director, movie trailers, Movies, Red Riding Hood movie, Reelz Channel, subscribers, Television, The Kennedys miniseries, truth in advertising, TV, Twilight movie
I saw a movie trailer at the theatre last night that looked so good, I didn’t want to see the feature anymore.
I’m serious.
Have you heard about The Conspirator? Directed by Robert Redford, the film tells the story of Mary Surratt, the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln, and the reluctant lawyer who agrees to defend her.
Based on that description, you may think, “Huh. Historical drama. Could be interesting, could be mind-numbing.” But wait until you hear the lineup of actors Redford has assembled.
Robin Wright as Mary Surratt. James McAvoy as her lawyer. (It’s about time he returned to the screen. I know he was a voice in Gnomeo & Juliet, but that doesn’t count.) Tom Wilkinson. Kevin Kline. Evan Rachel Wood. Jonathon Groff. Stephen Root. Danny Huston. Justin Long. Alexis Bledel.
Heck, it usually takes a lame movie like Valentine’s Day to get that much talent in one room.
But this film looks great — epic even. I could hardly get through the trailer without cheering. I was disappointed when it ended and I had to watch Unknown, the movie I had gone to see. (Don’t get me wrong — it was actually pretty fun…lots of car chases and plot twists and turns.)
But McAvoy and Redford together? Hell, that’s a movie event!
Come on, April 15th — tax day never looked so good!
Posted in Advertising, Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, History, Humor, Life, Movies
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln assassination trial, Abraham Lincoln murder conspiracy, advertising, Alexis Bledel, April 15th, car chase, celebrities, commentary, Danny Huston, entertainment, Evan Rachel Wood, Gnomeo & Juliet movie, historical drama, Humor, James McAvoy, Jonathon Groff, Justin Long, Kevin Kline, life, Mary Surratt, movie director, movie epic, movie theatre, movie trailers, Movies, plot twist, Robert Redford, Stephen Root, tax day, The Conspirator movie, The Conspirator trailer, Tom Wilkinson, Unknown movie, Valentine's Day movie
The Sticky Egg 
Bloodline post-binge
I finished watching the 13th and final episode of season one of Bloodline, the new drama from Netflix, who just keeps churning out these excellent shows.
I thought this might be a one-and-done, but they recently announced the show will be back for season two.
That explains a couple of things about the finale…which I won’t mention here.
I want you to watch it, of course, if you aren’t already. And here’s why.
So, add it to your Netflix queue. You will thank me!
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Posted in Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Television
Tagged Australia, Ben Mendelsohn, binge watch, Bloodline, character actor, commentary, drama, entertainment, family, Florida Keys, Game of Throne, hotel, Humor, Internet, leading man, movie trailers, mystery, Netflix, Netflix queue, one and done, pacing, review, season finale, season one, season two, steals the scene, surprise, Television, vacation location, water torture