WB Rolls Out The Goods "Showest"

A LOOK AT; CLASH OF THE TITANS IN 3-D, INCEPTION, SEX AND THE CITY 2, LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS, LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, DUE DATE, AND HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 AND 2.

Simply put, Warner Brothers brought out the big guns. Sheldon, Bernie, John and I sat about five rows from the stage in the massive Le Theatre des Arts at the Paris Hotel and Casino. As we took our seats, we noticed that Warner Brothers reserved several seats just a few rows behind us. Each of these seats had name cards attached them. Names like Sam Worthington, Zach Snyder, Christopher Nolan, Louis Leterrier, Zach Galiafianakis, Todd Phillips, Robert Downey Jr., Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Katherine Heigl, and Josh Duhamel. It was perfectly clear that Warner Brothers meant business on this particular afternoon.

The lights dimmed and out walked Alan Horn, head CEO of Warner Brothers distribution. He chatted with the crowd for a while, talking about the growing popularity of 3-D and even went so far as to compliment James Cameron and Fox for raising the bar with Avatar. He then went on to discuss Warner Brothers' record breaking year at the box-office. The studio had four films that broke the $200 million mark (domestically). That's unheard of. While Horn's speech was rather long, he was actually pretty damn colorful. A really funny guy.

Following his speech, Horn introduced the first film.

CLASH OF THE TITANS IN 3-D

Director Louis Leterrier and star Sam Worthington hit the stage to discuss the making of Clash of the Titans and their love of the 80's film that inspired it. Leterrier revealed that he was reluctant to take on the job when first approached because he was such a fan of the original. After much consideration, he realized he could bring something new to the table. Included; modern special effects and a 3-D face lift. He and Worthington then presented footage. Most of it consisted of action. A sequence in which Worthington's Perseus battles Medusa and an extended action scene featuring a squad of soldiers doing battle with gigantic scorpions. There was also a brief look at a legendary sea creature known as the Kraken. All in all, pretty exciting stuff. The film wasn't shot in 3-D. It was transferred in post, and while casual movie goers probably won't be able to tell the difference, hardcore movie fans will. Still, I'm looking forward to this one. Clash of the Titans opens on April 2nd, 2010.

Check out the link;

http://clash-of-the-titans-movie-trailer.blogspot.com/2009/12/clash-of-titans-movie-trailer.html

INCEPTION

With the notable exception of Kick-Ass and Toy Story 3, this was the presentation I was most excited about. The possibility of new Inception footage had me positively giddy. Director Christopher Nolan took the stage to give us new insight into his highly secretive summer release. He revealed that Inception will rely heavily upon the world of dreams, but the movie looks to be more Dreamscape than Nightmare on Elm Street. In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio plays an extractor who enters dreams to...well, that's really all I know. Nolan brought a reel, and not surprisingly, it was amazing. And not surprisingly, it didn't really reveal too much in way of plot. Quite a bit of the footage was featured in the trailer but there was plenty of new stuff in there too. Shots of guys in suits sliding down icy mountain slopes and an image of a massive cliff side fortress exploding. A few shots of DiCaprio looking pissed off (I love that). A scene in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt discusses DiCaprio's profession with Ken Watanabe. I'm still not entirely certain where it is this movie is gonna go, but I'll be damned if I can't wait to see it. I really admire that Nolan is keeping this bad boy under wraps. Trailers spoil so much in this day and age, and I'm curious to see if Nolan can still manage to make Inception a hit without truly revealing any of its mysterious secrets. I'm so there. I don't care if I see another trailer or not. Inception opens on regular screens and in Imax on July 16th, 2010.

Check out the link;

http://inception.movie-trailer.com/

SEX AND THE CITY 2

We better file this one under the "I'm not the target audience" category. I think I might have seen one entire episode of the popular show but I wouldn't be able to tell you what happened in the episode. I never saw the first film either. I know the basic concept of the show, but for whatever reason, I never followed it. Director Michael Patrick King talked a bit about his history with the show and then he introduced three of the four women who star in the film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon (she'll always be cute Jenny Anderman from The Manhattan Project to me). Kim Cattrall (forever Lassie from the teen sex opus Porky's) was overseas doing a play so she was unable to attend. I was sitting at the end of the row and as these stunning women walked by me, Davis inadvertently brushed against my arm. As was the case with The Expendables trailer earlier in the week, I'm pretty sure there was a reaction in my pants. These three actresses were incredibly playful and I suppose I see the appeal. They presented a brand new trailer and what can I say. Its Sex and the City. Its glitzy and full of costume changes. I'm sure the fans are going to love it. Sex and the City 2 opens on May 27th, 2010.

Check out the link;

http://www.sexandthecitymovie.com/

LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS

I had heard a little bit about this project, but I hadn't seen the trailer nor was I familiar with the source material. This 3-D computer animated film comes courtesy of visionary Zack Snyder. Snyder was on hand to discuss the project and he revealed that after Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen, he simply wanted to make a film that his children could see. When he told his kids he'd be adapting the Kathryn Lasky novel, they were ecstatic. This fantasy film centers around a magical world populated by owls. Snyder brought a 3-D version of the trailer along with him. Visually, Legend of the Guardians looks exactly what you'd think an animated Zack Snyder film world look like. It opens Sept. 24th, 2010.

Check out the link;

http://legend-of-the-guardians.movie-trailer.com/

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

This dramedy features Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel as an unlikely pair who are reluctantly brought together to take care of an infant girl after tragedy claims the livers of her parents. New comer Greg Berlanti brought Heigl and Duhamel to the stage to discuss the film. The actors were taken aback by the wonderful fusion of comedy and tear jerking drama. We were then treated to the trailer. Truth be told, this one could go either way. Heigl is likable but I couldn't stand 27 Dresses or The Ugly Truth. This film looks to have more depth, and its clear that she and Duhamel have chemistry, but it remains to be seen whether or not the film strikes up the right balance of laughs and tears. There is a funny bit in the trailer in which Heigl has baby shit smeared across her face. Trust me. Its funnier than it sounds. Life As We Know It opens on December 22nd, 2010.

DUE DATE

After earning Warner Brothers a gazillion dollars with the surprise hit The Hangover, director Todd Phillips returns this November with Due Date, a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles style road movie featuring Robert Downey Jr. as a man whose in a mad rush to make it home to witness the birth of his first child. His journey is slowed down by a goofy actor (played by the hilarious Zach Galifianakis) and a masturbating dog. Yes, you read that right. Bernie, Sheldon, and I were quite excited to meet Phillips. As it happens, we've been working on a screenplay for the past few months, and we have a scene in our project that features a cameo by The Hangover crew. Phillips was gracious enough to take a copy of our treatment. Whether or not he reads it remains to be seen, but just the fact that he took the treatment himself was incredibly gratifying. We anxiously await your call Mr. Phillips. Back to the topic at hand. Phillips brought Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis to the stage, and not surprisingly, the trio killed. I could have listened to their witty banter for hours. Unfortunately, they only had around five minutes. We were then treated to an extended red band trailer and it was hilarious. Some might think the notion of a dog masturbating isn't funny at all. They'd be wrong. This movie looks absolutely hilarious. Its in the tradition of of great male bonding road movies such as the aforementioned Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and Midnight Run. Can't wait to see it. Due Date arrives on Nov. 5th, 2010.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PARTS I AND II

This was actually quite the surprise. Harry Potter pretty much sells itself but given that the last two installments are nearly in the can, I guess Warner Brothers decided they really wanted to make a huge deal out of this. As they should. I've never read the books and I wasn't a huge fan of the first two films, but I recognize and respect the importance of this franchise. Furthermore, I thought the Half Blood Prince was outstanding (still, The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite of the films).

Having said that, I'm really looking forward to Deathly Hallows. No one from the production team was on hand presumably because they're still filming, but Alan Horn did bring a reel of extremely raw footage and I have to tell you--it was damn exciting. Some of the coolest stuff I saw at the convention. It actually gave me chills. It was so cool, I forgot to write notes. I was too wrapped up in what I was watching. The footage opens up with Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes) standing in a dark forest as Harry Potter slowly approaches. Voldemort then sends an energy blast barreling towards Harry. Just as the energy force is about to make contact, the reel cuts to a montage of scenes that are presumably from both chapters. The thing that was particularly interesting about this footage is that it was unfinished. As we first see Voldemort, he has blue dots all over his head, indicating the parts of his face that will be digitally touched up. There were big sweeping battle scenes featuring Harry and crew flying through the air fighting off the enemy. Again, some of this stuff was unfinished. There were green screen shots and animated storyboard sketches. Really intriguing to see this footage in such raw form. There was also an intense altercation between Harry and Ron. Really cool stuff. The footage ended with Voldemort asking Potter; "Why are you still alive?" Potter's reply; "Because I have something to live for." Very dramatic. A Lord of the Rings moment. A great reel. Very classy to see Warner Brothers allow David Yates to helm the last entry in the series, and even cooler that they've agreed to split it into two films. Most of the complaining I hear from the fans pertains to the omitting of important plot points in the books. I suppose Warner Brothers really felt the fans deserved a truly grand send off. If this footage is any indication, that's what they'll be getting. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I hits theaters and Imax 3-D on Nov. 19th, 2010. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II hits theaters and Imax 3-D on July 15th, 2011.

Check out the link;

http://harry-potter-7-movie-trailer.blogspot.com/

Props to Warner Brothers for a truly magical afternoon.