Call me naive, but when I first heard that Conan O'Brien would be answering questions on his Facebook page, I really did assume that he would be doing a marathon live chat type session. Not quite. Two weeks later, after thousands of questions submitted, Conan has now answered question number two.
Ever since Cloverfield turned out not to be about a fictional soft drink called "Slusho" that turns people into giant monsters, I've had a hard time getting into this whole "viral marketing" thing. But at least the delivery of these new Paranormal Activity 2 promo clips was inventive: Several journalists at Fantastic Fest found mysterious thumb drives containing creepy promo videos for the film on their doorstep, in their mailbox, and even in their pocket. Now that we've got all six together, it's time to make long-shot predictions about the movie based solely on each clip. Join me in analyzing blurry security camera footage and demon hijinks after the jump. Contributions welcome as always!
Maybe there's something strange in the air, but I approached the Yogi Bear trailer with a surprising amount of optimism. Sure, the first trailer was awful and Justin Timberlake doesn't want to talk about his role, but the amazing Anna Faris is in it and some of the marketing was borderline subversive. I went in open-minded and completely prepared to let everyone know that there were interesting things going on in the totally unnecessary Yogi Bear movie.
Tired of reading about how the Oscar campaign is going to come down to The King's Speech and The Social Network? Then warmly embrace the Coen Brothers and their adaptation of True Grit, since it could probably get a Best Picture nomination based on this first teaser trailer alone. If only Roger Deakins could shoot every movie, ever.
Upon returning to work Monday morning, I typically find the Movieline mailbag bulging with goodies and not-so-goodies that have accrued over the weekend. And then there are curios like... this, a preview of the next Clone Wars episode that features a character loosely based on George Lucas blowing the hell out of a bar where his kidnapped family appears.
It was the Blurb Heard 'Round the World -- or at least Seen 'Round the World, if you've been paying attention at all to the marketing campaign for The Social Network: "It's the movie of the year that also brilliantly defines the decade," said Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, known for years as one of Hollywood's most reliably fulsome dispensers of poster-ready praise. Whether or not you agree with him (Movieline's review is forthcoming later today), you can't really help but be amused by fellow critic David Edelstein's reaction -- on national television, no less.
Sometime in between promoting Scott Pilgrim, premiering the second season of Bored to Death (stay tuned for Movieline's recap) and getting his wife pregnant, Jason Schwartzman found the time to film a quick instructional for The New Yorker's iPad app. Directed by Schwartzman's cousin Roman Coppola, the video features a little something for everyone. That means piano serenades, denim jackets and and the Rushmore actor's semi-nude body -- not necessarily in that order.
Of all the songs I could pick to hear RZA and Elijah Wood sing at karaoke, The Black Eyed Peas' entire discography would be pretty low on the list. That said, this video still rules. and apparently blame (or credit) for the song selection goes to Timecrimes director Nacho Vigalondo. Anyway, as a counter-point to all the stuffy red carpet coverage of Toronto and Venice, I give you the karaoke party for Austin's genre-centric Fantastic Fest featuring Wood, RZA, Vigalondo and others. Just watch the mayhem and try not to get pumped for the week. Happy Monday!
Still seething with rage at Wall Street after seeing this weekend's number one movie? Looking for another film to fan the flames? Or maybe you're just looking for one that has more information weaved in and not just endless catch phrases. Regardless, it looks like Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney has you covered in his new documentary about the disgraced New York governor, Client Nine: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer.
Fresh from the Fantastic Fest down in Austin comes this tantalizing little nugget of terror from the upcoming Paranormal Activity 2. All that we know so far is that the spooky-ass hauntings appear to be directed at a young family rather than a couple. Take a look at this itsy-bitsy little clip and see how scared you get.
Are you enjoying that sandwich? Maybe you should put it down for a few minutes. IFC announced today that it had acquired the rights for the "much anticipated" The Human Centipede sequel and simultaneously released a teaser trailer for director Tom Six's sure-to-be vomit-inducing classic. Is it 2011 yet?
Katy Perry's décolletage has been in the news more than usual this week, though that's to be expected considering she dressed like the lead in a Zalman King movie during her banished-to-YouTube Sesame Street appearance. For her part, Perry hasn't shown any hard feelings (no that wasn't some sexual reference), but what of her duet partner, the always-up-for-a-good-time Elmo?
I already like the movie better. In this past summer's pretty disappointing Iron Man 2, the movie opens with Iron Man calmly walking out onto the platform of an open plane cargo door. Them without comment, he jumps out and pretty routinely flies down to the applause of adoring fans -- followed by two hours of explosions.
Another month, another comedy about hitmen. Admittedly, the cast of Wild Target, which includes Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert "Ron Weasley" Grint and Rupert Everett, is more interesting than some (especially Killers), but seriously: How many of these movies do we need? Could we have even a short moratorium?
The last two films to win the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival were Precious and Slumdog Millionaire, so do your best to feign surprise when 2010 winner The King's Speech winds up on the list of Best Picture nominees next year. If recent history still has you unconvinced of The King's Speech Oscar bona fides, however, the first trailer for the film will do its best to change your mind.
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