It recently dawned on me that Adrien Brody has really started to emerge as a full-fledged genre actor as of late. Since winning an Oscar for his role in Roman Polanski's The Pianist in 2002, he has appeared in numerous horror related films, with some of them being high profile, while others where somewhat less than so. In 2004, he put forth a fabulous performance in The Village, a film that has its issues and its detractors but is one that I personally love. The following year, he popped up in a giant remake of a giant monster movie, with Peter Jackson’s incredibly flawed King Kong, quickly followed by the underrated thriller, The Jacket that same year.
Considered terrible by most horror fans, Brody even showed up in an Argento film in 2009 with Giallo, a movie I have yet to see and am really in no rush to either based off what I have heard. Still, it's an Argento movie, and it gives a shred of horror cred to the actor in a way. But what really brings all of this actors work to my attention, is what he has on slate this year alone, with at least two of his films being much anticipated horror movies. The very promising Splice is just around the bend and looks to bring us a type of film we haven't seen in theaters in quite some time. Based off the new TV spots, the movie looks like it will deliver, and I believe that horror fans are pretty excited for the film, as I know I am.
What is even more anticipated than Splice is this year’s return of the dreaded one (plus some), with Predators, a movie that is by far one of the highest profile genre films of the year. Even with both of these big horror movies on the horizon, he still has another film due out in 2010 with the remake of 2001's Das Experiment, aptly titled, The Experiment. That's three horror movies in one year, two of which are definitely being released wide like your mom. Now, I think Brody is, most of the time, an excellent actor, and to have him doing as much work in the field of horror as he is doing is a great thing.
In a genre (and medium) that has become overly prettified over the last decade or so, it's nice to see an actor who can act, is respected and slightly awkward looking. Awkward as in, he looks kind of like the horse from Ren & Stimpy. So here's my question to you…is Adrien Brody carving himself a nice little niche as a horror icon, or am I completely crazy?
I have a great mixture of trailers that have recently caught my eye, so take a look and enjoy! But don't enjoy too much – we wouldn't want a sticky keyboard, now would we?
First trailer I got for your purdy eyes is for SES (or Voice), a Turkish film directed by Ümit Ünal and written by film-critic and novelist Uygar Şirin. SES is about a woman that begins to hear strange voices, voices that tell her things that no one else would know. Some believe she is receiving these messages from a greater being, but these voices become more threatening and intense as each day passes. No English, but even still, you will see what looks to be a very promising film that is shot very well and filled with some seriously intense sound design.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird was originally released in July of 2008 in South Korea, but it's taken until now to FINALLY get a release over here in the states. This film actually took the number five spot on my top 13 of 2009, though, this U.S. release date makes it a 2010 under my release date rules. But, this one took too damned long to be released, so I took liberties. Directed by one of cinema's finest directors, Kim Ji-woon, The Good, the Bad, the Weird stars two of my favorite actors with Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho. This trailer is made specifically for the U.S. limited release, which will be on April 23rd from IFC. So, if any of you get the opportunity, do not miss out on this highly entertaining action romp.
Being billed as a return to greatness, the Richard Berry directed 22 Bullets (L 'Immortel) stars Jean Reno as retired mobster - turned family man, Charly Matteï, who is shot 22 times and left for dead. Only problem is, he isn't and Charly makes it a point to take a little vengeance on those that dare to try and take his life. 22 Bullets is produced by Luc Besson, so of course the first thing everyone thinks is this is Besson and Reno's return to what was done with the fantastic hitman-with-a-heart film, The Professional. Well, Besson is the producer, not the director here, so that is a little unfair to 22 Bullets' helmer, Richard Berry. The film does look quite impressive and very beautiful, so he should be mentioned before the producer, whether or not it's Luc Besson. No speaka no English once again, but trust me, this movie looks just fine without it.
For the final trailer this evening, I have something that you may or may not have already seen. If not, then I'm very happy to be able to share it with you. This is one we all know about, so no need to go into background info or plot – it's the trailer for Predators! I must say, it looks quite promising and the cast is fantastic (Shane Vendrell!). However, Danny Trejo mispronouncing oriented is a little distracting (unless Trejo is British? Probably not), but it's Trejo, so he can say whatever the hell he wants.
In the short history of the Monster of the Week segment, there have been some great creatures, but this week’s pick is a true king in the vast jungle of Monsters, Mutants, and Madmen. Additionally, this pick would also be having a very long overdue, and very much anticipated return to the big screen without having to share any of the glory. With hair right out of the Caribbean, an arsenal of weapons that would make Kraven drool, and blood that would pique the interest of Herbert West, this weeks Monster of the Week goes to…
The Predator!
Originally appearing in John McTiernan’s 1987 classic action film, Predator, the Predator has appeared in a 1990 sequel, two Alien vs. Predator movies, and numerous comic books, video games, and one of the best fan film’s ever made. Created by Jim and John Thomas, and designed by the late great Stan Winston, the Predator was played by the late Kevin Peter Hall in first two films and then Ian Whyte in the Alien vs. Predator movies.
While the AVP films are not up to par, the original Predator is one of the best, and manliest action movies ever made, along with being one of my favorite Schwarzenegger films. Even the sequel, while being very flawed, is quite enjoyable and I love the urban jungle that this sport trophy hunter was placed in. To say that I am excited about a new Predator film would be a major understatement, and it’s about time that this Monster got it’s own movie again after nearly 20 years. One of the most original, intimidating, and just flat out cool creatures ever put to screen, this ugly mother fucker is the definition of classic Monster and a solid addition to the Monster of the Week.
It recently dawned on me that Adrien Brody has really started to emerge as a full-fledged genre actor as of late. Since winning an Oscar for his role in Roman Polanski's The Pianist in 2002, he has appeared in numerous horror related films, with some of them being high profile, while others where somewhat less than so. In 2004, he put forth a fabulous performance in The Village, a film that has its issues and its detractors but is one that I personally love. The following year, he popped up in a giant remake of a giant monster movie, with Peter Jackson’s incredibly flawed King Kong, quickly followed by the underrated thriller, The Jacket that same year. 
