Sara Bentley reviews everyone's favourite part of the going to The Pictures - the trailers...
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Creativity vs. Convention: Mama
Who is Mama? Where is Mama? When two young girls are found barely living in deplorable conditions deep into a forest, they are tentatively taken in by their uncle and his wife. With no information or knowledge to explain their survival, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Annabel (Jessica Chastain) soon find themselves knee deep in the mystery of the girls’ history and the ever closing presence of their ‘Mama’.
When Guillermo Del Toro gifted audiences with Pan’s Labyrinth back in 2006, our eyes were widened to image upon image of sheer creativity and awe. As executive producer alongside director (and writer) Andres Muschietti what, then, will Del Toro now bring to the table? A dip into supernatural horror will certainly curl a few toes, and the feature for Mama is quick to showcase some of the feature’s finer scares. The unknown lurking beyond a doorway or under a bed; childlike innocence manipulated into a chilling and haunting entity. There is a danger here, for the feature to slip into convention as a simple, standard ‘scare’. Only with its oddities and artistry, however, can Del Toro hope to bring this feature closer into the world of the weird and wonderful.
There will be a strong anticipation in the run up to the release of Mama. With pressure upon his shoulders, can Del Toro follow through?
Mama is set for a US release on 18th January 2013. A UK release date is yet to be confirmed.
Drilling for Gold: Promised Land
Gus Van Sant has hit a few home runs in his time. Renowned for such epics as Good Will Hunting (Matt Damon, 1997) and Milk (Sean Penn, 2008), the director has certainly cemented his reputation within Hollywood over the years. For his latest feature, Van Sant collaborates once more with Matt Damon to envelop the story of a salesman set loose amongst a small town where he attempts to persuade civilians for the rights to drill for natural gases.
As salesman Steve Butler, Damon proves to be the sole focus of the feature’s theatrical trailer, even privileged with a background history brief to establish his character from the offset. With this dedication, there doesn’t appear to be much room to showcase the further acting talent that Promised Land has to offer. The likes of Francis McDormand (Fargo, Burn After Reading) and Hal Holbrook (Wall Street, All the President’s Men) seem almost banished to the background; slightly questionable considering their worth and reputation. Through the eyes of the trailer, this is essentially a Matt Damon film. Biographical of his character, full of opinion and emotion, the trailer is narrative driven and straight in its approach.
Star clad and sparkling, Promised Land has all the credentials. The threat of it becoming a one man show is all too apparent; however with emphasis and weight distributed accordingly, one can certainly anticipate its release.
Promised Land will endure a limited release in the US on 28th December 2012, with a commercial release set for 11th January 2013
Child’s Play: Dino Time
It is safe to say that Dino Time has been on its way to the big screen for quite some time. First premiered at the Berlin Film Market in 2010, and then featured at Cannes in May 2011, the animated 3D feast is finally honoured with a commercial US release come December this year.
John Kafka and Yoon-suk Choi’s creation would appear to be a fairly harmless children’s animation. Three youngsters after playing around with an inventor’s self built time machine suddenly find themselves transported 65 million years back in time to the land of the dinosaurs. Taken under the wing of none other than a T-Rex – ‘Dino Mom’ – the trio must locate a way to get themselves home. It is a simple and enjoyable narrative for a youthful audience. The lively fast pace will eradicate any potential loss of interest, and children will surely revel in the fantastical approach and extravagantly playful subject matter. A film shot for 3D, the swooping camerawork featured in the trailer will certainly be taken advantage of to achieve an overall awe inspiring vision.
Subtle and low key in its production, Dino Time will unfortunately fail to benefit from the widespread marketing enjoyed by its neighbouring companies. Subtlety may prove advantageous, however, in creating a no nonsense and simply enjoyable feature for all the right reasons.
Dino Time will hit US cinemas on 12th December 2012
Sara Bentley![]()
Creativity vs. Convention: Mama
Who is Mama? Where is Mama? When two young girls are found barely living in deplorable conditions deep into a forest, they are tentatively taken in by their uncle and his wife. With no information or knowledge to explain their survival, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Annabel (Jessica Chastain) soon find themselves knee deep in the mystery of the girls’ history and the ever closing presence of their ‘Mama’.
When Guillermo Del Toro gifted audiences with Pan’s Labyrinth back in 2006, our eyes were widened to image upon image of sheer creativity and awe. As executive producer alongside director (and writer) Andres Muschietti what, then, will Del Toro now bring to the table? A dip into supernatural horror will certainly curl a few toes, and the feature for Mama is quick to showcase some of the feature’s finer scares. The unknown lurking beyond a doorway or under a bed; childlike innocence manipulated into a chilling and haunting entity. There is a danger here, for the feature to slip into convention as a simple, standard ‘scare’. Only with its oddities and artistry, however, can Del Toro hope to bring this feature closer into the world of the weird and wonderful.
There will be a strong anticipation in the run up to the release of Mama. With pressure upon his shoulders, can Del Toro follow through?
Mama is set for a US release on 18th January 2013. A UK release date is yet to be confirmed.
Drilling for Gold: Promised Land
Gus Van Sant has hit a few home runs in his time. Renowned for such epics as Good Will Hunting (Matt Damon, 1997) and Milk (Sean Penn, 2008), the director has certainly cemented his reputation within Hollywood over the years. For his latest feature, Van Sant collaborates once more with Matt Damon to envelop the story of a salesman set loose amongst a small town where he attempts to persuade civilians for the rights to drill for natural gases.
As salesman Steve Butler, Damon proves to be the sole focus of the feature’s theatrical trailer, even privileged with a background history brief to establish his character from the offset. With this dedication, there doesn’t appear to be much room to showcase the further acting talent that Promised Land has to offer. The likes of Francis McDormand (Fargo, Burn After Reading) and Hal Holbrook (Wall Street, All the President’s Men) seem almost banished to the background; slightly questionable considering their worth and reputation. Through the eyes of the trailer, this is essentially a Matt Damon film. Biographical of his character, full of opinion and emotion, the trailer is narrative driven and straight in its approach.
Star clad and sparkling, Promised Land has all the credentials. The threat of it becoming a one man show is all too apparent; however with emphasis and weight distributed accordingly, one can certainly anticipate its release.
Promised Land will endure a limited release in the US on 28th December 2012, with a commercial release set for 11th January 2013
Child’s Play: Dino Time
It is safe to say that Dino Time has been on its way to the big screen for quite some time. First premiered at the Berlin Film Market in 2010, and then featured at Cannes in May 2011, the animated 3D feast is finally honoured with a commercial US release come December this year.
John Kafka and Yoon-suk Choi’s creation would appear to be a fairly harmless children’s animation. Three youngsters after playing around with an inventor’s self built time machine suddenly find themselves transported 65 million years back in time to the land of the dinosaurs. Taken under the wing of none other than a T-Rex – ‘Dino Mom’ – the trio must locate a way to get themselves home. It is a simple and enjoyable narrative for a youthful audience. The lively fast pace will eradicate any potential loss of interest, and children will surely revel in the fantastical approach and extravagantly playful subject matter. A film shot for 3D, the swooping camerawork featured in the trailer will certainly be taken advantage of to achieve an overall awe inspiring vision.
Subtle and low key in its production, Dino Time will unfortunately fail to benefit from the widespread marketing enjoyed by its neighbouring companies. Subtlety may prove advantageous, however, in creating a no nonsense and simply enjoyable feature for all the right reasons.
Dino Time will hit US cinemas on 12th December 2012
Sara Bentley
