Those wondering if Quentin Tarantino would complete his latest film (the WWII epic “Inglorious Basterds”) in time for the Cannes Film Festival (and perhaps more importantly, its late August release date) need not worry. Yahoo! Movies has officially released the teaser trailer on the internet today, and from the looks of things, it’s farther along than I imagined. Though it seems to be more traditional than the usual QT project, the film shows immense promise – notably Brad Pitt, who seems to be channeling his inner George Clooney for what may be his best role to date.
In the film, Pitt stars as the leader of a group of Jewish-American soldiers who invade Nazi-controlled France to give Hitler and his army a taste of their own brutality. The film also features “Freaks and Greeks” star Samm Levine, “The Office” star B.J. Novak, and horror director Eli Roth. Check out the trailer below, and then let us know what you think.
Need further proof that Shout Factory rocks? No, of course, you don’t, because they’ve proved themselves dozens of times over by now. But at the very least, let’s give them a shout-out for not only taking over the release of “MST3K” DVDs but also not wasting time between releases. They started the ball rolling in November, with the show’s 20th Anniversary Set; now, it’s less than three months later, and we’re already being gifted with “Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV.” Better yet, it’s as if the producers of this new collection took the comments in my review of the anniversary set to heart, since the selections on “Volume XIV” are split straight down the middle: two from the Joel Hodgson era (“Mad Monster” and “Manhunt in Space”), two from the Mike Nelson era (“Soultaker” and “Final Justice”).
The big win here is unquestionably “Soultaker,” which not only stars Joe Estevez (who also featured in the last set’s “Werewolf”) but also features the return of both Joel and TV’s Frank for guest spots. Still, you can never go wrong with a Joe Don Baker film, so there’s much to be said for “Final Justice” as well. As for the Hodgson-era flicks, it must be said that any chance to take a trip in the wayback machine and experience some seriously old-school “MST3K,” and “Mad Monster,” which is from the show’s very first season, fits that bill perfectly. “Manhunt from Space,” from Season 3, is equally classic, with the film’s cheesy sci-fi effects inspiring references to everything from the B-52s to “Gamera.” Shout Factory has also come through with some nice bonus material: new interviews with Joe Estevez and “Final Justice” director Greydon Clark (both of whom are really good sports), the original trailer for “Mad Monster,” and a clip of Mike, Tom, and Crow appearing on ESPN Classic’s “Cheap Seats without Ron Parker.” Yep, it’s another great set all around, fans. Go forth and buy it.
Ever since 1996’s “Scream,” it’s been tough for filmmakers to do subtle parodies of the horror genre without being greeted with a bored “it’s been done.” Kudos to Jeff Fisher, then, for deciding to take a slightly different approach by mocking reality TV and horror movies but managing to get a few laughs without sacrificing the scares. (He has the right resume for it: he used to work on “The Simple Life.”) Although “Killer Movie” can’t be called a groundbreaking scary-movie entry, it has a wittier-than-average script and a strong cast, including Nestor Carbonell (“Lost”) as a sleazy agent who looks sharp but doesn’t think twice about sacrificing morality in favor of a big paycheck, Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) playing the middle ground between Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, and Leighton Meester (“Gossip Girl”) in what can only be described as a glorified cameo.
The premise of the film involves a reality-show director – played by Paul Wesley, late of ABC Family’s “Fallen” – who gets drafted for a gig covering a high school hockey team in White Plains, ND, but ends up battling with the show’s executive producer (Cyia Batten), who’d rather go sensational and focus on the death of the team’s former coach, who had just gotten out of prison after having had his murder conviction overturned. It will not surprise you that the coach’s death soon becomes only one of many within White Plains, but you probably will find yourself unexpectedly impressed by Cuoco’s performance in the film, which gives one hope that she may yet have a film career ahead of her…not that we’re hastening the end of “The Big Bang Theory,” you understand. Beyond the blood, what keeps the film moving is the decision to intersperse interview footage with the characters between scenes. Though there’s a decent amount of typical horror stuff here, it’s those bits which raise “Killer Movie” a bit above the ordinary.
Those pop culture geeks among us who don’t mind dropping a little bit of coin to score unique trinkets inspired by our favorite shows may already be familiar with GenkiWear, a company which has earned a name for itself by producing “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” jewelry, including reproductions of Anyanka’s Power Center Amulet and Necklace and The Slayer’s Cross and Necklace.
Now, however, they’ve set their sights…and their scents…on “Star Trek” fans by developing a trio of fragrances celebrating the classic TV series. Get your olfactory organs ready for “Tiberius” (destined to be referred to as “Smells Like Shatner”), “Pon Farr” (great news for those of us who are looking to score with a Vulcan but can live with only getting laid once every seven years), and “Red Shirt,” which we can only presume allows its wearer to bear the stench of death…but for God’s sake, don’t wear “Tiberius” and “Pon Farr” together unless this floats your boat. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) All three of these colognes are scheduled to be available in stores in the spring…a date which is no way coincidental to the release of the new “Star Trek” movie.
Want a piece of this? Wear “Pon Farr,” from GenkiWear.
(WARNING: The wearing of “Pon Farr” does not, in fact, guarantee that you will get said piece.)
There have been movies based on books, TV shows, plays, skits, comics, and video games, but to my knowledge, inspiration for a film has never come from a commercial. Credit documentary filmmaker Jessica Yu, then, for taking a character from a little-known online advertisement and putting him up on the big screen in one of the year’s most underrated films. “Ping Pong Playa” tells the story of Chris “C-Dub” Wang (Jimmy Tsai), an Asian-American slacker with dreams of becoming a pro basketball star. When his mother and brother are injured in a car accident, however, C-Dub is forced to help out with the family ping pong business by teaching his mom’s beginner class and filling in for his champion brother at the upcoming tournament. Following the same formula as most underdog sports comedies (including the mandatory training montage and cartoon villain), “Ping Pong Playa” makes up what it lacks in originality with a never-ending supply of comic energy. To quote my good friend Neil Miller of Film School Rejects, actor/co-writer Jimmy Tsai is “crazy charismatic.” Granted, he’s had some time to perfect the character (which originated in a series of Venom Sportswear ads), and it’s not exactly a star-turning performance, but without Tsai, “Ping Pong Playa” wouldn’t be nearly as funny or memorable.
