Green Lantern
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Jay O. Sanders, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins
After quite a bit of online backlash from the first couple of Green Lantern trailers, the makers have clearly tried their best to win back the haters by putting together a much more serious and dramatic trailer (as well as spending a few more million dollars to improve the film’s effects). It’s a ‘pretty much tell us the whole story’ affair and is still full of brutally kitsch design and makeup, but it is an improvement over previous glimpses at the film. I’m still dubious though – it looks quite cheesy and has more of a Fantastic Four vibe than a Dark Knight vibe.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Director: Sean Durkin
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes
This looks like one to watch out for. Winner of Best Director at Sundance as well as being an official selection for Cannes, Martha Marcy May Marlene looks to be a dark psychological thriller playing on the difference between memory, dreams and reality. It’s nice to see John Hawkes getting more work after his stunning performance in Winter’s Bone, although this role doesn’t look massively dissimilar.
Project Nim
Director: James Marsh
James Marsh’s follow up to Man On Wire (as well as his addition to the TV mini-series Red Riding), Project Nim looks like a fascinating watch. The film follows the famous experiment from the 70’s, when scientists attempted to teach an ape to communicate with humans and be brought up as such. I can remember looking into this when I was at college and it’s a very interesting subject. The key will be presenting sides of the story that haven’t already been discussed, but from the looks of things it should be a compelling film.
Conan the Barbarian
Director: Marcus Nispel
Cast: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Saïd Taghmaoui, Ron Perlman
Hmmmm…. Not too impressed by this one. It just looks too much like The Scorpion King with it’s over-abundance of average-looking CGI. It’s very campy too, which I guess is what the original film thrived on, but it looks to lack the charm that the Arnie version had. I’ll be giving this a miss.
God Green Lantern and Conan look AWFUL. Project Nim looks the type of film which will make me bawl throughout the whole thing… I presume this is what inspired the film Project X which never fails to make me cry. Stupid monkeys….