There's not a great deal of new buzz this week, but certainly the debut of the full TOY STORY 3 trailer has fans excited about 2010. In one small 2009 awards season news, there will be one less Oscar contender in the mix. Indie distributor Apparition has pushed Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE to 2010 so it can focus its support on the wonderful BRIGHT STAR and the upcoming THE YOUNG VICTORIA.
Getting Buzzed
7) Dear John
Trailer
Only two things have me slightly interested in this weeper from sap master Nicolas Sparks — Amanda Seyfried and Lasse Hallstrom. Seyfried plays a young girl who falls for a soldier played by Channing Tatum as he's about to be shipped back to war. So for seven years their relationship exists through letters. Oh this sounds like movie-of-the-week material to me, but Seyfried is emerging as one of the best 20-something actresses around and I have always respected director Hallstrom, who made two of my all time favorites — MY LIFE AS A DOG and WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE? I'm hoping this is as engaging as THE NOTEBOOK, but that's hoping for a lot, because Tatum is no Ryan Gosling.
6) Uncertainty
Trailer
I'm a little uncertain about this one… ha, ha, ha. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this gimmicky thriller about a couple who flip a coin to make a decision, and we see the results of both the heads and tails results. I really like Gordon-Levitt and the film was directed by the folks behind the wonderful thriller THE DEEP END, so I'm at least curious.
5) Disengagement (On IFC Festival Direct)
Trailer
Juliette Binoche stars as a mother who must travel to Israel to see the daughter she barely knows after the death of the girl's father. Looks like a harrowing political drama. I'll watch anything that Binoche is in.
4) Broken Embraces (Nov. 20, 2009)
Trailer
Here is a new trailer for Pedro Almodovar's latest sudsy thriller starring the radiant Penelope Cruz. This trailer gives the film a neo-noir feel.
3) The Missing Person (Nov. 20, 2009)
Trailer
This modern noir stars Oscar nominees Michael Shannon and Amy Ryan. The quirky flick has Shannon following a man from Chicago to Los Angeles who turns out to be a missing person believed to have died during the 9/11 attacks. Looks pretty cool and I love Shannon.
2) Paranormal Activity (Expanding This Weekend)
Trailer
In a previous edition of Getting Buzzed, I linked to the first trailer for this indie horror flick and now Paramount Pictures has a new trailer for its wide release. This one is turning into a mini-BLAIR WITCH. Shot for $11,000 the flick has earned $12.5 million in midnight showings and a limited release last week. The reviews are good too. This is one of those success stories that just makes me smile.
1) Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010)
Trailer
So the first full trailer for the third TOY STORY flicks reveals a bit of the plot. Andy is heading off to college and Woody, Buzz and the other toys get donated to a daycare center. The toddlers are a scary sight. Sounds very BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER-like to me. Still this is easily one of the most anticipated films of 2010.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
