New Prometheus Clip – Quiet Eye
Prometheus is coming soon and there have been enough clips out there to paste together to almost make a full movie. So, what’s one more for the scrap book?
In this one Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) makes her case to lead a mission that will answer our greatest questions and trigger our ultimate fears.
No Press Screenings For The Dictator? Why?!
The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest satirical comedy joins a long list of movies that didn’t get a press screening. But why do some films not get previews in the first place?
You’d think that any publicity would be good publicity right? Well certain film distributors don’t think so. The Saw franchise has long been a series which critics are used to not getting screenings for and for good reason – there’s nothing a critic could say about them which would persuade or dissuade someone from going to see them. By this stage in the game (Saw VI by last count), everyone going to see it, already knows what they’re getting and no amount of praise or damnation is going to change that.
But when a film is largely unknown, surely any kind of publicity is desirable? The lack of press screenings is something that frequently happens to horror movies (Apollo 18, Devil and Piranha 3DD are all horrors that weren’t blessed with previews) and with no advanced word of mouth, you’re relying on your marketing budget to do the talking.
Granted screening films is expensive – you’ve got cinema hire and catering to figure in, plus security if it’s a large release. In today’s belt-tightening times, fewer press screenings are only to be expected. But if you have any faith at all in your movie, surely you’d want others to write about it?
Usually the line we’re fed about not getting a press screening is that they’re trying to preserve the twist ending (a reason which doesn’t hold water because it pre-supposes that critics can’t keep a secret).
In fact, critics have a vested interest in keeping plot twists under wraps for the very good reason that their readers often don’t want their movies spoiled and will stop reading reviews by that author if that happens. Thus, The Cabin In The Woods which is one of the best films of the year became quite tricky to review because the less you know about it the better. Even those reviewers who decided to reveal the twists labelled their reviews with spoilers. Critics are movie fans too; we do understand the desire not to have a film’s reveal ruined.
Critics automatically get suspicious when a film is only given one preview the week of release (as was the case with Dark Shadows last week), as it usually indicates that a studio wants to bury a bad film and any advanced reviews will negatively impact on marketing.
That I suppose is fair enough but no screening at all means that a few dedicated critics will pay to see the movie and will automatically be in a bad mood – it’ll be in the morning, with no one they know, possibly with a hangover- rather than in the evening where the edge of a bad film can be taken off with good company and a few beers.
So, it’s alarming that The Dictator – which looked pretty funny in all the trailers – wasn’t given a press preview, especially considering the number of clips that were released prior to its premiere. Already, alarm bells start ringing and thoughts turn to “what are they trying to hide?” particularly with a well-known lead and a comedy film, a genre often vastly improved by a larger audience. So while the jury’s still out on The Dictator (in fact, we’ve got a dedicated scribe going to see it tonight, so we’ll have a review by the end of the week), my money’s going to be on “rather weak”
New Four Minute Clip From The Amazing Spider-Man
What the heck is it with four-minute previews at the moment? The Dictator had four minutes of footage yesterday and now here’s four minutes from The Amazing Spider-Man released during America’s Got Talent last night.
Be warned that the following footage contains some spoilers so if you’re awaiting all the Spidery goodness with bated breath, it’s probably best you sit this one out.
The aesthetic that Mark Webb’s gone for is much more apparent – Spidey working at night surrounded by modern skyscrapers, not in the brightly brownstone that we’re used to seeing in the Raimi films. The main highlight is the opening minute or so which showcases one of the film’s big set-pieces – Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) rescuing a kid from a burning car dangling off a bridge. From what we’ve seen, that actually looks rather impressive, Spider-Man’s removal of his mask makes him a more human character. The remaining three minutes or so is just the trailer that we’ve already seen, so no major surprises there.
With a bulging cast that includes Emma Stone, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Campbell Scott, Denis Leary and Irrfan Khan, The Amazing Spider-Man will be out on July 3.
The Dictator New Clip – 9/11 Helicopter
Here’s a new clip from Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film The Dictator. It’s a rather impressive four minutes in length and in it, Admiral General Aladeen embarks on a reconnaissance mission onboard a New York tourism helicopter.
When discussion turns to Aladeen’s favourite sports car – a Porsche 911 – the passengers on the helicopter begin to suspect he is plotting a terror attack.
Interesting that there’s been a heck of a lot of footage online but no press screenings… Hmmm…
The Expendables 2 Wish List Character Posters
While The Expendables 2 certainly does boast a rather impressive roster of 80s action heroes, we’ve long since said that there are some that they missed out. But with the character posters announced last week, we thought we’d retool them to reflect some of the missing.
Check it out:
The Possession Teaser Poster
Listen up horror fans, here’s the teaser poster for the new Sam Raimi produced movie The Possession.
Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie Brenek (Kyra Sedgwick) see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host.
Based on a true story? The true story of Thing from the Addams family finally snapping and going on a homicidal rampage? The true story of the dangers of cannibalism? Idle Hands 2?
We’ll find out when it hits our screens on August 31st.
Casa De Mi Padre ‘Fight For Love’ Music Video
Will Ferrell’s new comedy Casa De Mi Padre is set to hit our screens on June 8th. In a rather bold move, it’s completely in Spanish.
Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) has lived and worked on his father’s ranch in Mexico his entire life. As the ranch encounters financial difficulties, Armando’s younger brother Raul (Diego Luna), shows up with his new fiancee, Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez). It seems that Raul’s success as an international businessman means the ranch’s troubles are over as he pledges to settle all debts his father has incurred. But when Armando falls for Sonia, and Raul’s business dealings turn out to be less than legit, all hell breaks loose as they find themselves in a war with Mexico’s most feared drug lord, the mighty Onza (Gael Garcia Bernal).
Sound good? Well check out the music video ‘Fight For Love’ below.
WIN a Mel Gibson DVD Bundle With How I Spent My Summer Vacation
To celebrate the release of How I Spent My Summer Vacation in cinemas this Friday we are offering one lucky reader the chance to win a Mel Gibson DVD bundle including Apocalypto and The Million Dollar Hotel.
It’s been a bad day for Driver (Gibson) and it’s not getting any better. He just made a big haul of millions that would give him a nice summer vacation on easy street. A good idea that went south – literally.
During a high-speed car chase with the US Border Patrol, and a bleeding body in his back seat, Driver flips his car smashing through the border wall, tumbling violently, coming to a stop … in Mexico. Apprehended by the Mexican authorities, he is sent to a hard-core prison where he enters the strange and dangerous world of “El Pueblito”, the worst prison in all of Mexico. Not an easy place for an outsider such as Driver to survive, unless it’s with the help of someone who knows the ropes – a 10 year-old kid.
Directed by Adrian Grunberg, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, is produced by Mel Gibson, Bruce Davey and Stacy Perskie and stars Mel Gibson, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Jesus Ochoa, Roberto Sosa, Dolores Heredia, Kevin Hernandez, Fernando Becerril, Mayra Serbullo, Mario Zaragoza, Gerardo Taracena, Tenoch Huerta and Peter Gerety.
To be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize simply answer the following question:
What is the name of Mel Gibson’s character in How I Spent My Summer Vacation?
A) Trucker
B) Driver
C) Biker
To enter, follow @Jezsands or @Onthebox on Twitter and tweet us the answer or email competitions@onthebox.com with the correct answer.
Terms and Conditions
- Competition will close on Monday 28th May
- Open to UK participants only
- Prize for the main winner is one Mel Gibson DVD bundle (1x The Million Dollar Hotel, 1x We Were Soldiers, 1x Apocalypto, 1x What Women Want and 1x Edge of Darkness)
- In the unlikely event the prize style has discontinued a similar model to the same value will be provided
- There is no cash or other alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.
- Winners will be picked at random and contacted by the site. The prize will be delivered to the winner within 28 days of confirmation of delivery address.
- Winners name, contact number and address will be passed to a third party provider for delivery.
- The Editor’s decision is final and binding on the entrants. No correspondence will be entered into.
Staying In: Films To Watch Over The Long Weekend
It’s another miserable bank holiday, so that means we won’t all be flocking down to the coast to get sunburn, we’ll all be flopping on the couch watching telly. Well, here are some film highlights that’ll be keeping your eyeballs occupied as you slump on the sofa.
Channel 4 wins the battle for sofa supremacy this Saturday with two cracking action adventures.
The fourth film came out at the end of last year and was one of the action highlights. We saw Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt dangle preposterously off the Burj Khalifa, punch out a series of old school Russian villains and get caught in a sandstorm entirely controlled by the speed of plot.
But whoa, whoa, whoa, back up there cowboy. 1996 saw the beginning of the Cruise-fronted franchise, itself a reinvention of the original 1966 TV series. When Ethan Hunt’s team is wiped out when their latest assignment ends in disaster, their agency starts to suspect a mole in their ranks and suspicion falls on him as the only surviving member, forcing him to go on the run to clear his name.
Looking back at it, it’s actually strange to see Tom Cruise looking so fresh faced, he almost looks like a Madame Tussauds version of himself. It’s got the familiar checklist of spycraft – cameras in glasses, hidden microphones, some absolutely ridiculous disguises – all the things that fans of the genre will love. In fact, it seems almost like a prototype for the more muscular James Bond reboot Casino Royale (via the Bourne films which would also come later).
Brian De Palma brings his expertise with thrillers to bear and concocts some fabulous action sequences – including a brilliant segment with Cruise clinging to the outside of the train but the plot remains rather convoluted. In fact, I’ll give a small prize to anyone who can explain it to me in fewer than 50 words. But mostly that doesn’t matter, as the plot rockets along so quickly, you won’t have time to think about. Plenty of scope for post-credit debate though. Read more
The Essential Avengers: Captain America Then & Now
May 2, 2012 by Chris Arrant
Filed under - Home, Features
With the release of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble last week to universe acclaim, it’s time to take a look at the backbone of the superhero team, the man around whom all the other characters rally – Captain America.
He may not be as technologically savvy as Iron Man or as strong as Thor, but Captain America possesses unique qualities that make him a patriotic icon in the Marvel Universe and the indisputable leader of the Avengers.
Created in the tension-filled build up to the United States’ entrance into World War II by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Captain America was the first of a new breed of super hero: A soldier and a living flag bearer for his country, gifted with the abilities that make him the peak of human perfection. Created as the driving force for the Allies’ super powered answer to the Axis forces of WWII, in later years he became the crux of Marvel’s definitive super hero team, the Avengers…not bad for a kid born during the Depression in the Lower East Side named Steve Rogers.
“He’s the glue that holds the group together,” explains artist Steve Epting, who has drawn both the AVENGERS and CAPTAIN AMERICA. “The Avengers are an elite group of super heroes, and Cap, more than any of the others I think, embodies what that means.”
Although he didn’t join the team until the fourth issue of THE AVENGERS in 1964, Captain America quickly became an archetypal part of the team and considered part of the core trinity–alongside Iron Man and Thor–that make the team work. Read more
