Yes, you read the title correctly: this week will be focused on two low/no budget horror films.
The first trailer is ‘Sharkula’ which sees a shark cursed with the vampiric powers of Count Dracula. With its new powers, it aims to feed on the tourists in the local area, all while new vampires try to keep the creature alive.
The second trailer is ‘Amityville in Space’. After being exorcized from Earth, the cursed house suddenly reappears in space in the year of 3015.
Both films are being released by independent film distributor Wild Eye Releasing and are a reminder that films with practically no budget are being released worldwide. While both premises are definitely unique, with ‘Sharkula’s premise especially appealing to me, they’re both ruined by a lack of money being put towards them.
While appreciation can go towards the plots and the practical effects shown in ‘Amityville in Space’, the acting in both films represents that of a college project. And, from a lover of B-horror films, that’s a shame. With a bigger budget and better effects, these films could be saved to become truly ridiculous, but enjoyable, features.
Both films are released this summer if you want to experience them!
After multiple live action remakes, Disney looks to continue its journey into nostalgia grabbing when it comes to their feature length films. And the next project to be getting this treatment is ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers’.
First airing in 1989, ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers’ was a Disney animated series that followed the adventures of two chipmunks, Chip and Dale. The new film is set 30 years later and focuses on how their life has changed after the show ended.
This was a show that I remember growing up with, but only due to relatives introducing me to the cartoon, and I thought the cartoon was great and enjoyable. However, after a lot of recent films and shows have tried to recapture nostalgia, I am wary of the upcoming film.
‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers’ looks to be taking a page out of the recent ‘Tom & Jerry’ movie by blending animation with live action. However, it also utilizes different styles of animation, something that is a positive. While the actual shading of the animation is a little strange, I can appreciate the various styles that are being placed into the film to bring each character to life. This even extends to the lead characters themselves: while Chip is created to look like his original self, in 2D-style animation, Dale is fully CGI’d. Furthermore, there’s even a solid reason behind it which could act as a commentary on the way animated films are approached in terms of their visual style.
Unfortunately, the film also reminds me too much of ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’. A lot of character cameos are shown in the 2-minute trailer, including Roger Rabbit and even My Little Pony amongst others. And, while this is only a trailer, I worry that the blatant references will serve no purpose to the plot, and just act as Disney showing off the properties they own. I hope this isn’t the case though.
The voices of Chip and Dale are also jarring; the film has chosen to not ‘squeak’ the voices, like in the original show and, instead, left the actors original voices in which doesn’t blend with the characters at all. It’s especially strange since fans of the show will expect the voices to be a certain way, like they always have been, and that won’t be the case here. It’s a shame because the actual cast is fantastic: just a few names involved are J.K. Simmons (Spiderman), Seth Rogen (Invincible), Eric Bana (The Time Traveller’s Wife) and comedian John Mulaney and The Lonely Island’s Andy Samberg voice Chip and Dale.
While ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers’ looks interesting, I am ultimately wary. The references and the way they’re executed are reminiscent of ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’, and the voices don’t work with the lead characters at all. However, I am still interested in the plot, and the use of various styles of animation is a technic to admire. I just hope this film is a work of love for the show and not just another nostalgia grab.
Sunday saw the 2022 Super Bowl tournament in America. It is not only one of the biggest sporting events of the year, but it’s also a good opportunity for companies to advertise their products during this time. And, while I am not a sporting person, I hold an interest in the event purely because of the film and TV trailers that are shown throughout that weekend.
Due to the number of trailers that were released, this week’s Trailer Talk article will be a little different: instead of just focusing on one trailer, this article will focus on a few of the trailers that were released. So, let’s begin!
The first to be released was the first trailer for ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’. This was released on Thursday, just before the event, but is one worth mentioning.
Serving as the conclusion to the ‘Jurassic’ franchise, ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ introduces fans to a world in which humans and dinosaurs now co-exist, thus creating an ecological disaster. And, while Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return, the film also brings the original cast back with Sam Neill and Laura Dern reprising their roles as Dr Alan Grant and Dr Ellie Sattler.
I am a huge fan of the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise and really enjoyed the previous entry, ‘Fallen Kingdom’. It was a film that not only incorporated a more horror-esque tone, but it took a risk by destroying the park and creating a world where the dinosaurs integrated with the modern world. While the execution of the latter was ridiculous, I personally believe the franchise needed this change; it’s a unique aspect in the franchise. After seeing the official short film ‘Battle At Big Rock’, which was released in 2019 on Youtube, I hope ‘Dominion’ gives fans more scenarios where the general public are dealing with the new arrivals. This narrative has appealed to me the most.
Furthermore, the return of Sam Neill and Laura Dern is a huge welcome, and something that I have been looking forward to seeing since the announcement of their casting. Bringing in the original cast is a technic that a lot of films have been doing recently to the point where ‘Scream 5’ commented on it. However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t appreciate the technic for this film, purely because ‘Jurassic Park’ was a film that I grew up with. Hopefully their roles aren’t just a cameo, and they serve a solid purpose to the plot.
‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ looks fantastic, and has gone down a unique and crazy route, but one that I welcome. Plus, the return of Dr Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler is a fantastic decision; I just hope the roles aren’t cameos.
From dinosaurs to strange clouds; Jordan Peele’s new film released its trailer on Sunday and, like the trailers for his previous films, it’s definitely made a good impression!
Simply titled ‘Nope’, it was written and directed by Jordan Peele (‘Get Out’, ‘Us’) and sees a small town invaded by aliens, who’s ship is in the form of a massive cloud.
The one thing I love about the trailers for Jordan Peele’s films is that they rarely give too much away. In a world where the majority of film trailers reveal the whole plot, it’s refreshing to watch a 2-minute trailer that hints at its synopsis, while also being eerie and a little humorous. The film caught my attention when the simplistic poster appeared online earlier last year, and the trailer has me even more interested. Like his previous work, I hope this is the only trailer that ‘Nope’ receives because this appears to be in the category of ‘the less you know, the better’.
And, finally, Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ had its second trailer released on the same day as ‘Nope’. The first trailer was revealed as an end credits scene at the back of ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ and looks fantastic. Directed by Sam Raimi (‘Spiderman’ trilogy, ‘Evil Dead’ trilogy), the sequel sees Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) try to fix the multiverse, all while meeting Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), after the events of ‘Wandavision’.
‘Doctor Strange’ writer Scott Derrickson (‘Sinister’, ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’) returns to executive produce and, with this film’s director having experience in both horror and the superhero genre, the film looks to be taking on a more horror-esque tone, especially with its visuals. From seeing the surreal scenery of the multiverse to a tentacle monster attacking the city, the film looks to be a spectacle.
But, because it’s focusing on the multiverse, it has the opportunity to introduce characters and events that wouldn’t have been possible before. This film looks to be continuing Wanda’s story arc after her unusual end to ‘Wandavision’, which saw her and Scarlet Witch split. This narrative opens the idea that Wanda and Scarlet Witch could be portrayed as a villain/hero separately. Which character will be what will have to wait for when ‘Doctor Strange 2’ is released in May. But Doctor Strange himself gets an alternate version as well; fans of the Marvel animated show ‘What If?’ will be familiar with another variation of Doctor Strange that was introduced, Strange Supreme. Doctor Strange’s episode in the series was my favourite one, so I’m especially excited for the different portrayal of the lead character in this film. I’m hoping the film takes a page out of ‘What If?’ book when utilizing this character.
While I wasn’t a fan of ‘Doctor Strange’, the sequel looks fantastic and surreal. As a fan of multiverses in media and Sam Raimi, I am very interested in this entry. Plus, I loved ‘Wandavision’, so I’m curious to see the continuation of Wanda’s story.
Super Bowl 2022 has given fans some fantastic trailers for films that’ll be released this year. A few more trailers were released over the weekend (‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’, ‘Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’). But, if I covered those too, this article would be extremely long. Plus, the above trailers were the ones that caught my attention the most. They all look fantastic, and I cannot wait to see them when they’re released later this year.
In 2019, Netflix announced that an animated series based on the best-selling run ‘n’ gun game ‘Cuphead’ was being created. Developed by Studio MDHR, ‘Cuphead’ was influenced by the visual style of 1930’s American cartoons and beautifully captured the aesthetic of the older cartoons that it resembled. But, through its beauty was also one of the most difficult games to exist.
‘The Cuphead Show’ follow the game’s main characters, the impulsive Cuphead and his cautious brother Mugman, in their misadventures meeting various colourful characters, including the Devil himself.
Because the source material took influence from Disney cartoons and even ‘Looney Tunes’, it makes sense that the series will be influenced by ‘Looney Tunes’ and utilizing its slapstick humour. The animation style and designs are completely accurate to the game as well. However, the absurdity of modern cartoons like ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ have also been added in here, and it works perfectly to create a unique and enjoyable 2-minute experience. Hopefully this humour and tone stays throughout the entirety of the series.
After ‘Detective Pikachu’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’, it truly feels like TV and film studios are realizing that creating an accurate video game adaptation will win over the respective fanbase and, thankfully, ‘The Cuphead Show’ is no exception. Turning this property into an animated series was a wonderful choice considering the visual style of the game, and it looks fantastic. Plus, fans won’t have to wait too long for it to arrive onto Netflix, because ‘The Cuphead Show’ will arrive 18th February!
After the return of the ‘Scream’, ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘Chucky’ franchises this year, it seems that Leatherface wants to join in. Leatherface’s first appearance was in 1974 with Tobe Hooper’s ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ with the last entry being in 2017 with the divisive ‘Leatherface’.
After nearly 50 years of hiding, the horror icon Leatherface returns to wreak havoc on a group of teens who accidentally stumble onto his shielded world.
There seems to be a theme currently running through mainstream horror films, which could be dubbed as the ‘nostalgia’ genre. Just this year has seen a new ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Paranormal Activity’ film, a ‘Chucky’ series and even the new entry in the ‘Scream’ franchise commentates on this idea of returning icons and cast. And, with original lead character Sally Hardesty returning, this entry looks to join in with the current trend. But that’s not to say that’s a bad thing; if these aspects hold an importance to the film, then the nostalgia grab could be worth it, like in ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’.
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ does look enjoyable and creepy. Plus, this entry is written by Fede Alvarez, who wrote 2016’s ‘Don’t Breathe’ and the brilliant ‘Evil Dead’ remake from 2013. Therefore, I am hopeful for this entry, even if it is being released onto Netflix with hardly any promotion. I just hope this film has something unexpected within it, considering the number of sequels ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ has, or that it’s scary or creepy.
