Trailer Hitch
By Eric Hughes
April 8, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Anvil! The Story of Anvil – Opens Friday
Michael Moore dubs it "the best documentary (he's) seen in years." Coming from the man behind a few of the highest grossing documentaries of all time – Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko – Anvil! The Story of Anvil earned quite an endorsement.
And I'll agree with Mike on this one. Anvil looks awesome.
For those who have no idea who Anvil is – which, by the way, is much of the docu's point – Anvil is a Canadian metal rock band who influenced a musical generation, including Metallica and Anthrax. They opened for bands like Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Scorpions. Even so, the group never achieved mainstream success, having released its 13th studio album a couple of years ago to little fanfare.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a docu about their history, their families and how they've managed to keep it going for 30-plus years even when the public wasn't right there with them.
Grade: A
Also expected to be released on this date: Hannah Montana the Movie, Observe and Report
Powder Blue – Opens April 24th
Confusion isn't a strong enough word to stand-in for what I was feeling by the end of my preview for this movie. I know it takes place in Los Angeles. I know the unrelated leads somehow connect with each another through interlocking storylines. What their personal struggles happen to be? Eh... I have no idea. It's one big muddled mess.
Given the exceptional cast – Forest Whitaker, Jessica Biel, Ray Liotta, Patrick Swayze – signed on for this thing, methinks Powder Blue is a story that's just a wee bit difficult to market. Either that, or somebody seriously effed up its trailer.
Grade: D
Also expected to be released on this date: Obsessed, The Soloist, Fighting, Love N' Dancing, Tyson, The Garden, Julia
Rudo Y Cursi – Opens May 8th
In Rudo Y Cursi (English: Tough and Corny), Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal star as two misfit brothers (Beto and Tato) who have ambitious dreams of playing professional soccer and becoming a famous pop singer, respectively. However, a modest life working on a banana plantation stands in their way. One day, their luck changes when they happen upon a soccer talent scout who promises them fame, but at a cost.
Beto and Tato are silly boys, and I can't say I find the humor in what they find so gosh darn funny. They slap each other around like The Three Stooges and berate one another with their collection of insults. Part of me feels like this movie was made for the sake of bringing back the crew from Y tu mamá también.
Grade: C-
Also expected to be released on this date: Star Trek XI, Little Ashes
Bruno – Opens July 10th
I wasn't one of those Borat crazies way back in 2006. I saw it. I liked it. I moved on. Bruno looks like Borat in drag. Its trailer whelms me, but doesn't do much more than that. The obvious comparison I'm going for here is that Sacha's essentially going around doing the same thing albeit with a new character. The results had me chuckling in parts, but not uncontrollably laughing.
As Bruno, Sacha Baron Cohen plays a gay man who claims to be a reporter from Austria. He spontaneously interviews people on fashion, entertainment, celebrities and homosexuality. Clips from the trailer show him appearing on a Jerry Springer-esque talk show, enlisting in the Army and discussing Sex and the City with a bunch of hunters around a campfire. It's funny, yet you can't help but think it's a bit forced.
Grade: B-
Also expected to be released on this date: I Love You, Beth Cooper; Soul Power
Taking Woodstock – Opens August 14th
Taking Woodstock's trailer includes a wonderful thing: Liev Schreiber as a transvestite named Vilma. Movie producers, take note. That kind of thing'll get you props on Trailer Hitch.
In Taking Woodstock, comedian Demetri Martin plays Elliot Tiber, an interior designer who is partially responsible for making the famed Woodstock Festival a reality. After plans for the concert fall through, Tiber comes up with the brilliant idea of saving the show by hosting it on his family's 600-acre daily farm. The film, adapted from the book of the same name, is based on a true story.
Other cast members include Jonathan Groff, Eugene Levy, Emile Hirsch and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Paired with an assumed-to-be rockin' soundtrack, Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock could turn out to be a refreshing movie premiering at the tail end of the summer's box office season.
Grade: A-
Also expected to be released on this date: District 9, The Time Traveler's Wife, Bandslam, The Goods: The Don Ready Story, Post Grad