Trailer Trash – H8teful 8, Trumbo, The Revenant & More!
Anyone following popular cinema these days will be aware of the impact a film with the sidebar “by Quentin Tarantino” brings, especially in recent years – the director hit a high-water mark with Inglourious Basterds, followed that up with the exceptional Django Unchained, and, even in spite of the original script being leaked and the director famously saying he’d be unable to make the film in the aftermath, he’s gone and made The Hateful 8.
Hateful 8 (often stylized as “H8teful 8”) sees Tarantino re-team with what appears to be every actor he’s ever worked with, is essentially a “man in a box” scenario, with the plot synopsis on IMDb reading: “In post-Civil War Wyoming, bounty hunters try to find shelter during a blizzard but get involved in a plot of betrayal and deception.” So, a bunch of powerhouse actors (and Michael Madsen) spend the majority of a film inside a snowbound cabin in the woods where their relationships unravel faster than a Michael Bay plotline? Sounds good to me!
I’m most excited to see Hateful 8 because Tarantino has decided to shoot the film on 70mm, with the aspect ratio being similar to that employed on Ben Hur (and a few other films), a massively wide, 2.79:1 frame that delivers what appear to be the most beautiful landscapes I’ve seen in a QT film – hell, in any film, in ages. Watch the trailer below and take note of QT’s framing, his use of lighting, his ability to fill the screen with imagery that elicits all manner of emotion – Hateful 8 will be one hell of a gorgeous film, regardless of the story or characters. For that alone, I’m keen to see it.
The Hateful 8
Trumbo
The career of Hollywood screenwriter Donald Trumbo comes to and end in the 1940’s after he’s blacklisted as a Communist. The film stars Breaking Bad and Godzilla actor Bryan Cranston, Trumbo looks like a typically well made inward looking project that (come Oscar time), the industry is sure to get around.
The Revenant
Basically, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio out in the woods, Bear Grylls style. The Revenant is helmed by Birdman and Babel director Alejandro Iñárritu, and looks a-mazing.
American Ultra
I’m not a fan of either these two actors – Jessie Eisenberg will make a terrible Lex Luthor, I’m staking my last remaining testicle on it, while Kristen Stewart is an abyss of charm and presence – but I chuckled watching this one. It looks like a Bourne Identity on weed, so that will make for either awfully stupid or slyly cool viewing.
Zoolander 2
Well, there’s plenty of folks who’ve been awaiting this (I’m not among them, I thought the original film was just silly) so here is the updated adventures of Derek Zoolander.
The Last Witch Hunter
Vin Diesel goes all Van Helsing in this fantasy epic that will (probably) bomb out with audiences. Honestly, I didn’t feel much in the earlier trailer they released, and I have to admit to finding this new one all of “Meh” in about the first ten seconds. Still, it’s Diesel doing something other than a Furious movie, so I guess there’s that.
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