Another AAIFF observation: I asked FC what he thought of “Fruit Fly,” which he saw at AAIFF on this past Sunday. He liked it, although he said it’s of the musical genre – people suddenly breaking into song. But – to me – that is the point of the genre! 😉 I hope I’ll see it soon; I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff.
As we get closer to the inevitable, as feared – the opening of the live-action G.I. Joe movie (“G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra” – man, the titles for G.I. Joe has yet to really improve). The trailers for the G.I. Joe movie kind of highlight some odd things for me:
Christopher Eccleston – a.k.a., the Ninth Doctor – as Destro? What? For a moment there, I thought it was the Doctor trying to take over the world; I do fear that he is going to be typecasted – he might have to go back to doing independent films. Sienna Miller as the Baroness? She doesn’t have the requisite creepiness for me (perhaps because she has more callow youth to her than I would have expected of the Baroness).
What made the trailers least original for me – see one below – is how it seems vaguely similar to the J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie trailers. You have the deep inspiring tones of the elder leader – General Hawk (Dennis Quaid) in a G.I. Joe trailer, versus Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) of Star Trek. You have the young leader-in-waiting (Channing Tatum as Duke in G.I. Joe; Chris Pine as Kirk in Star Trek – even having them both yell, “Go, Go, Go!!” — huh?). Even similar parachute scenes? Granted, the Big Reveal didn’t get shown in either trailer (Cobra Commander or Spock (Prime)), but still – they loom. G.I. Joe taking cues from Star Trek? Who’d a thunk it?…
I will say that I’m a bit perturbed that they didn’t use the old G.I. Joe theme song (maybe they will in the movie – I’m still not sure I want to see it) and that there was the ironic line reading of “Real American Hero” in the trailer — aww, come on!
Something that looks seriously cool (well, besides a good Star Trek trailer): the preview of AMC’s “The Prisoner,” coming in November, after being shown at the recent Comic-Con in San Diego. I have to say, kind of saddened with the recent passing of Patrick McGoohan – the original Number Six – but this will be fascinating. Ian McKellan as Number Two? Jim Caviezel as the new Number Six (but American — oh well). Ian McKellan – now that’s a casting coup; you need a good Number Two to go up against an intense Number Six (and Number Two is a character that was divvied up into different actors – probably to drive Number Six crazy – Leo McKern being the most memorable to me of the Number Twos – (1) because he later became Rumpole of the Bailey and (2) he was the last Number Two (I think)).