More Cellulloid Anticipation

Haven't done one of these for awhile...

Quite simply, there are some movies not out yet to which I am hugely looking forward.  Consider this a cinematic rorshach test if you will about what really goes on inside my soul.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.  Muhahahah...

One of  these is Black Swan.  I'll admit that what got my attention at first was the much-bally-hooed sex scene between stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.  But the idea of an intense psychological drama/thriller set in the world of ballet was intriguing in and of its own right.  Then, earlier this week, I saw the trailer and was blown away.  Click on the title above to see said trailer.  Like the poster to the right, it was disturbing in an exciting way.  From what I can gather, the lead character seems to be going mad.  Or perhaps is already mad.  Or (perhaps most intriguingly) is straying outside what is normal, safe and mundane--an artist who glimpses a world that exists in shadows and behind our backs.  How that is different from insanity is another question, and I'm not sure an answer is particularly necessary.

Anyone who knows me very well realizes just how much I'm looking forward to Let Me In, based on the Swedish novel that already produced on the best vampire films ever (again, click on the title to see the red band trailer--not real sure why it is restricted, though).  Chloe Moretz plays a little girl vampire who befriends a lonely, tortured boy played by Kodi Smit-McPhee.  In an interview the latter put one aspect very well.  She gives him, he says, "something to look forward to."  Novel and first film created a strange, nightmarish and yet innocent, even sweet love story.  More than one reviewer called this the anti-Twilight and while I don't share their (presumed) hatred of Myers' series, the logic is clear.  No pulling of punches.  No dreamy love interest who is a romance novelist's stereotypical ideal.  For one thing, these are children, on the verge of sexuality but not there yet (and one will likely never be), yet still sensual.  The vampire is not a "vegetarian."  She cannot be.

The director (Matt Reeves of Cloverfield) stated in various forums that he wanted to make the setting of his film clearly American, in keeping with the themes of the novel.  From the trailer and other hints, he seems to have done precisely that.  Good!  I don't want a carbon copy of the first film.  What would be the point?

Another vampire movie I'm looking forward to--Suck, which after showing at film festival after film festival has finally gotten a DVD/Blueray release later this year.  Over the past year or sot there've actually been a lot of trailers for this but I included my favorite (click the title).  Vampire comedies are tricky, at least in my humble (HAH!) opinion.  Most simply don't work.  My own theory is that its a question of tone.  Pure camp or silliness has its place (I say this as a huge fan of Red Dwarf and Monty Python as well as the late, lamented The State on MTV) but to my mind the best comedies explore the humor of these weird creatures called human beings.  This seems to go double or even triple for comedies about no-longer-human creatures like vampires.  My two favorite vampire comedies have plenty of jokes, but remained focused on the characters first and foremost (Love at First Bite and Sundown if you're interested).  Having watched five or six different trailers for this movie I think it likely this one succeeds where so many others have failed.  Just watch the trailer and you'll see what I mean.