The Return of Chen Zhen

Apple has posted the U.S. trailer for Legend of the Fist, Donnie Yen's first go at the Chen Zhen character. For background, the fictional martial artist has been around since 1972 (!!!) and has been played by the likes of Bruce Lee and Jet Li. This one actually looks pretty good and the trailer packs in the action. It comes to our shores April 22 (probably in limited release).

We're not lost, just finding our way

Fresh on the heels of one of the best movie posters to come along in a long while, Apple has an HD trailer for Kelly Reichardt's Oregon Trail drama Meek's Cutoff. Given Reichardt's track record (Wendy and Lucy, also with Michelle Williams), this one's probably thin on plot and high on atmosphere, but that's o.k. The trailer strikes some ominous notes, with Bruce Greenwood's Meek leading the wagon train into the desert and a pit of uncertainty. It looks handsomely shot and seems to have more on its mind than your typical latter-day western (i.e. it's more Assassination of Jesse James, less Appaloosa). Count me in.

Red Bandits

It's always difficult to judge a comedy based on its trailer since they tend to pack in the best punchlines (particularly the red band ones). Bad Teacher, however, looks pretty great. Phyllis Smith gets all the best laugh lines in this one. She's awesomely deadpan. I managed to compose myself pretty well, until this one:

Diaz: If I got a new pair of tits, he'd be all over me. But they're really expensive, you know, per tit.

Phyllis: Yeah, and you've got to get two of them.

Not ground-breaking humor, but it had me cracking up.

Oh, and the trailer for Paul, with Seth Rogen as a big-testacled fugitive alien, is also out. Meh. The editor clearly didn't strain him or herself cramming the laugh lines in. A bad trailer doesn't necessarily mean a bad movie, but this one didn't do anything for me.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

From all indications, Thai director Apichatpong Joe's latest "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," which took home last year's Palm d'Or at Cannes, defies easy explanation. But, from the trailer that popped up on iTunes, it looks like a beautiful, fascinating trip.

The Spielberg Special

Just in case you weren't watching the Super Bowl, check out this very Spielberg-y Super 8 trailer. Rubbery CGI aside (especially the crinkling rail car door), it looks like an interesting flick.

If today is the day you want to be bad

Apple has posted the trailer for Elektra Luxx (embedded below), director Sebastien Gutierrez's sequel to the soft-core anthology "Women in Trouble." In spite of the ridiculous plot and some incredibly clunky dialogue, the latter is an improbably good film. I've always liked Carla Gugino, although she's often relegated to cameos and thankless girlfriend roles (see: "American Gangster," "Sin City" and "Watchmen"). But she gives her all as a jaded porn star who, in the first film, learns that she's pregnant. Not earth shattering work, but worth the 95 minutes (it's on Instant Netflix, also a plus).

There's no evidence on hand that "Electra Luxx" will live up to its prequel, but that high profile cast (including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julianne Moore and Timothy Olyphant) must've been drawn to it for some reason. Or maybe, like the rest of us, they like seeing Gugino in a Girl Scout uniform.

Reach into your pockets...

Although his guerrilla tactics make him the antithesis of a competent, objective journalist, Michael Moore tends to get a pass from liberals because he's a mouthpiece for the "right" side of most arguments. Sure, he harasses aging, sickly movie stars. And, yes, he picks some of the most ridiculous examples to illustrate his points. But, the War in Iraq was wrong. And guns do kill. And so on.

I can't say I'm eagerly awaiting this New Film by Michael Moore, the teaser for which just showed up on Yahoo Movies, but there's something to be said for his blunt force rhetoric. After dealing with the absurdity of having PR spokesmen deliver prepared comments full of ill-conceived talking points (on behalf of so-and-so senator and such-and-such company), I can understand and almost admire his firebrand approach to reporting.

On The Road

Somehow I missed the trailer for The Road that showed up on Yahoo last month, so this is news to me if not to anyone else. Apple has just posted some HD trailers for this Cormac McCarthy adaptation from John Hillcoat, the director of the bloody Outback oater The Proposition (highly recommended).

Although the trailer itself follows the tired convention of the television broadcast narration (exhibit A: Blindness), it's the one film this year I'm anticipating the most. The novel was thoroughly deserving of the Pulitzer Prize McCarthy walked away with in 2007, although placement in the Oprah Book Club was probably an unwarranted punishment.

Like Proposition, The Road will feature a score composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis--the team responsible for the beautiful music of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Guy Pearce, who played the bedraggled outlaw in Hillcoat's last film, is back in a bit role here. And Viggo Mortensen seems entirely suited the role of "The Man."

Also interesting to note, a lot of the film was shot in south central Pennsylvania, around the Harrisburg area. Specifically, the highway tunnel is part of an abandoned segment of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I saw it when I was a kid and it is eerie in real life, too. Or at least it was then. The Road was also filmed in Louisiana. Unfortunately, the location scouts probably had no difficulty finding abandoned highways and devastated buildings there. For an interesting short article about the filming from last year, check out Filmmaker Magazine.

After a lot of release date shuffles, The Road will hit theatres on Oct. 16.

You'll never leave this island...

Even with a brilliant director and a richly talented cast, Shutter Island—the trailer of which just premiered on Apple—is a tough sell for me. Everything about the film seems like a plus. Joining Scorsese's new old stand-by DiCaprio, the cast is filled out by Mark Ruffalo (the realistically world-weary David Toschi in Zodiac), Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow and, a personal favorite, Patricia Clarkson. The fact that Clarkson features so prominently in the trailer is almost enough to make me cautiously optimistic. Add to this Scorsese's company of old-pros behind the camera (d.p. Richardson, editor Schoonmaker and production designer Dante Ferretti) and all should be right with the world.

Unfortunately, Scorsese's latest is based on the worst of the three Dennis Lehane novels I've read. I can't elaborate without (potentially) spoiling the plot of the film, but those who've read the book know where I'm coming from. Screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis retained the anagram character names. Not good. The trailer telegraphs the same plot twists found in the novel. Not good. And, finally, check out the video game-quality CG imagery. Not good.

Really, Scorsese. That's the best you could do? I'd rather to see him go the old school route of using matte paintings instead of falling back on bargain-basement CGI. I miss the matte paintings and process shots of Vertigo, Citizen Kane or Black Narcissus. There was a real art to seamlessly blending the world of the cinema and the world of the still frame. Comparatively, the CGI backdrops found nearly everywhere today are mere window dressing.

I guess this is a long way of saying I'm apprehensive about Shutter Island and the trailer didn't do a thing to dispel that feeling. Also, welcome to In Widescreen. I don't have any real idea where I'll be taking this blog, but it gives me a place to relax and write about the things that interest me. I promise I won't be this grumpy all the time. After all, everything's better in widescreen (har har har).