Sunday 15 August 2010

Movie-Con III: Day 2

Yesterday left me feeling like I'd spent seven hours being run over by a 3D CGI steamroller driven by Trailer Voiceover Man. As much as I love trailers, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. It's also possible to have too much of an average thing, a category into which much of yesterday's footage neatly falls.

Before I get my grump on though, I should mention the goodie bags. There they were, waiting for us like packed stockings on Christmas morning, and - like packed stockings on Christmas morning - there were only really two great presents:


Not that I was ungrateful for the A-Team box set, the New Moon DVD, all the t-shirts or any of the other stuff. It'll all make great actual Christmas presents (except maybe the London Film Museum lanyard). But you can't beat Jelly Belly, and Bitch Slap, well, I'll enjoy finding out if you can beat that.

Anyway I saw so much footage and saw so many panels that I should only really tell you about the awful stuff and the great stuff. So:

The Awful Stuff

The teaser for Captain America is predictably abominable and abominably predictable. Stock WWII footage, some fancy graphics and a shot of Chris Evans in an embarrassingly bad costume that looks like he sewed it himself while drunk does not an appetite whet.

There was other awful stuff but I'm politely glossing over it in favour of:

The Great Stuff

My Cowboys And Aliensometer has returned to the "enthusiastic" position. Daniel Craig looks ace as a cowboy with his face hewn from Monument Valley rock, and Harrison Ford being old and cantankerous is exactly what the world needs right now. On yesterday's evidence this could be Jon Favreau's redemption for Iron Man 2.


Monsters, which I had lazily dismissed as a District 9 clone, might just be better than District 9. The stuff we saw included bonkers creatures and intimate character moments, but the highlight was a Q&A with writer / director / cinematographer / production designer / God knows what else Gareth Edwards, one of the most genuine, down-to-earth people to grace the Movie-Con stage. He was immediately likeable and I hope to Christ his film is good because he deserves to go far.



And I've already banged on about Buried, but watching the first eight minutes of the movie and then listening to its excitable, hilarious, self-deprecating director Rodrigo Cortés giggle with glee at how much shit he put Ryan Rodney Reynolds through to make this film just made me want to see it more.

Apart from all that, Chloe Moretz is a 30-year-old in a 13-year-old's body, Cary Elwes is a rogueish raconteur and Daniel Radcliffe is tiny and needs a haircut.

Then some guy proposed to his girlfriend on stage, everyone stood up to applaud, and in doing so I lost my pen and therefore failed to write anything else down, which I imagine comes as some relief.

Still more tomorrow!

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6 comments :

  1. Can you tell a little more on how Chloë Moretz was at the panel?

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  2. She talked mostly about Let Me In, which actually looks very good unless you've already seen Let The Right One In, in which case it looks exactly the same.

    She was very cool and funny, she put Empire's Chris Hewitt in his place ("I'll be younger and cooler than you for longer") and spoke with wisdom beyond her years but still recognised that she's just a kid and has plenty to learn.

    I expect her to be President of the USA by the time she's 21.

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  3. A brilliant movie followed by a wide ranging Q&A with cast or production members is an honour and a treat.

    The problem comes when the film is rubbish and the moderator has asked the last of the prepared list of who, why, what, where & when questions and asks the audience for questions and there is a period of horrible silence when you wish you had boarded an alien space ship and were in another galaxy. It will have you squirming in your seat.

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  4. Who was it that said "Sincerity is what you need. Fake that and you've got it made."?

    At the Q&A sessions it is worth remembering most of those on stage are very clever operators from Tinsle Town and know how to work a crowd.

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  5. Woah I'm liking the look of Monsters, that trailer has intrigued me a great deal. Is the woman in that trailer a new actress?...I could see her playing "Tulip" if they ever get round to making the Preacher movie; mind you I always pictured Katee Sackhoff in the role 'til now.

    Tony, I am so glad I wasn't there for that excrutiating "lack of questions moment" rather you than me!
    Marge x

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  6. Her name's Whitney Able; she's been in a few bits and bobs but nowt that I've seen her in.

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2016345/

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