Positive Experience/Entertaining? HOLY CRAP, no. I don’t think you could pack more lame-ass unoriginal cliches into a trailer than they did.

Technically any good? The stunts and FX look overblown and stupid as hell. When will filmmakers realize that pushing the limits into the realm of science fiction is simply too far? Acting-wise? Love the cast, but puh-leeze. This has “did it for the paycheck” written all over it. Angelina Jolie as the hot “Obi-Wan Kenobi” who “knew” James McAvoy’s “father.” Yes, that’s right, it’s ANOTHER GOD DAMN FATHER-SON MOVIE! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD WE’VE HAD TWO FRAKKING THOUSAND YEARS OF FATHER-SON STORIES! LETS MOVE THE HELL ON!! HOLY CHRIST–LITERALLY! Based on the trailer, this movie looks like it was written by a 13 year-old.

How did it leave me feeling? Like taking Angelina Jolie off my list of movie-crushes. Why does she keep staring in these CRAPFESTS??? PLEASE, Angelina, I’ll write something good for you–or–just be in better movies. Either that, or I’m going to have to stop telling people I think you’re hot and a good actress. Because you could be Hepburn and Bergman rolled into one and THESE CRAPPY MOVIES WILL STILL SUCK.

Final Rating? DNS – Do Not See when it comes out on March 28, 2008. But you can see the Wanted trailer at Yahoo and make up your own mind.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Well, I am familiar with the director’s previous work, so I know not to let a slick looking trailer convince me Brian DePalma’s latest film will definitely be good. It looks like an interesting story, based on the true story of a brutal murder, but DePalma is to movies what tabloids are to newspapers. His films are often entertaining, but very sensationalized.

Technically any good? As trailers go, it really kept my attention, though I’m tired of all the fast cuts and gimmicky transitions. The movie looks like it could be good. However, I don’t care for Josh Hartnett–he never seems all that alive to me. Not at all dynamic. I’ll see this movie, but only because of the story.

How did it leave me feeling? Enthused to see the film. I hope it’s good DePalma from his earlier days. If you are interested in some Hitchcockian thrills, check out Sisters and/or Body Double.

Final Rating? SIYL – This movie covers a very gruesome murder. I seriously doubt it’ll be everyone’s cup of tea. However, if you can get past the disturbing subject matter and a bit of gore, I bet you’ll enjoy this movie.

The Black Dahlia opens here in the US on September 15, 2006. You can check the trailer out for yourself here.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Wow, does this movie look good. I always get so excited when I see a trailer for a movie that deals with politics, culture AND historical events!! It’s a smart movie-goer’s paradise film!!

Technically any good? Based on the life of Idi Amin’s personal physician, it follows the doctor’s introduction to Amin and his eventual genocidal acts in Uganda. The film is shot in digital (I think) so it looks very grainy and “real”. Like a documentary film. Now it co-stars Gillian Anderson (Scully from The X-Files) and she’s really good. I am mad for the acting skillz of Forest Whitaker who I believe is incredible in just about everything I’ve ever seen him in–he plays Amin. SWEET.

How did it leave me feeling? Giddy like a schoolboy. I can’t wait another 24 days to see this film!! SMART MOVIES! WAHOO!!!

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND opens on September 27, 2006 and you can check out the trailer for yourself here.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Damn–the trailer was as intriguing as any movie should be. While one poster on IMDB.Com suggested it could be the next Matrix, my instinct is to compare the trailer to the trailer for Dark City. I had no idea what to think about Dark City after that beyond: “I WANNA SEE IT!” That’s what I got from this trailer.

Technically any good? Now, I’ve never seen the director’s last film, Requiem for a Dream (except for some supremely disturbing bits) but I have seen Pi. Between the two films, I’d say Fountain has the potential to get bogged down with too much style and not enough substance. I saw enough of RfaD to know I wouldn’t like the rest of it, but Pi was brilliant.

How did it leave me feeling? Very excited with the hope that this movie could be truly incredible. My cynical side is still screaming at me for being so positive about this film that seems so ambitious it could fail quite easily, but hey, I want it to be good. Don’t worry, if it isn’t, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Final Rating? SIYL – See If You Like trippy tales that span three time periods and don’t mind things not making sense in the end.

This movie opens wide in the USA on November 22, 2006 but if you’re in Austin, TX, you can catch it at Fantastic Fest on September, 28.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? It looks like the same kind of fictional movie as A Perfect Storm. I also think it’s too soon for a big screen movie about 911.

Technically any good? Paul Greengrass is a solid director. While I thought Bourne Supremacy was a supreme disappointment, Bloody Sunday was brilliant. Well shot, well cut, well acted, well everything. Still, I’m concerned that it will end up being a ra-ra, America-is-great kind of movie that can’t possibly hope to be the true story of Flight 93 since no one knows what really happened since there are no survivors.

How did it leave me feeling? The trailer left me feeling like I felt after A Perfect Storm. There is so much conjecture that had to be done for that film, you could have easily had said aliens abducted George Clooney and friends and no one could prove the film wrong. This film suffers from similar limitations. Sure, we have the cell phone calls and the blackbox recording, but short of having a survivor consulting, there are just too many gaps to fill in to make this an accurate movie.

Final Rating? RTV (Rent the Video – I just don’t know how this could be a movie of any depth.)

Please click over to page 2 for more of my take on this movie.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Hm, hard to say. I always think it’s positive when films explore other cultures, but (and I’m no expert on this) isn’t it odd that they cast Chinese actresses as geisha? Again, I’m no cultural expert, but usually geisha are Japanese women, not Chinese.

Technically any good? It looks like a sequel to The Last Samurai and, with a white man directing, seems to have about as many qualifications to be a statement about growing up a Japanese geisha as Samurai did (in other words, none). I’m sure the acting will be great, but script? Story? Historical accuracy? I dout it.

How did it leave me feeling? Nervous. I’m a Japanophile, but I hate when Americans direct movies about Japan. Let the Japanese tell Japanese stories. How many movies will white men direct? A lot more than Japanese men will. I’ll probably see this movie, but I don’t expect it will be good.

Final Rating? RTV (I expect it to be worth even less than the price of a rental–although that poster is AWESOME)

Positive Experience/Entertaining?? Looks like more of the same “insisting” type of film making director Michael Bay likes to do. Like Armageddon was an important movie or something.
Technically any good? FX look fine, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson are both good actors (and easy on the eyes!) but all of the scripts Bay usually go with are general, shallow and not terribly original. The trailer for this movie looks like it’s just more of the same.
How did it leave me feeling? I enjoy the premise of cloning, but this really just looks like a remake of the MST3K “classic” Parts: The Clonus Horror. When will Hollywood tire of making movies that are shallow, stupid, “important” films that move me about as far as I can budge George Bush’s foreign policy?

Check out the trailer for yourself.