The Trailer Park, Week of August 3, 2021
It's Tuesday and that means we have a new batch of all the latest movie trailers to discuss in this week's The Trailer Park. And readers, let me tell you - this was quite the week for trailers! We were treated to some genuine surprises in the form of trailers for the dazzling realized world of Mad God, A24's newest horror masterpiece-in-the-making, Lamb, and a low-budget, con-artist movie in the vein of Lucky Number Slevin [2006] with Paul Schrader's The Card Counter.
Not to mention a better look at two upcoming, crowd-pleasers with Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Keep reading for further thoughts on all of these trailers, including which one will be awarded Trailer of the Week!
Mad God
RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2021
DIRECTED BY: Phil Tippett WRITTEN BY: Phil Tippett
STARRING: N/A
Starting off on a delightfully weird note, Mad God is a traditional stop-motion animated short film from the mind of Phil Tippett, VFX legend. What's more notable, is that this throwback, passion project has been 30 years in the making and is finally premiering at Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival this week.
If that intro detailing Tippett's dedication surrounding getting his animation made isn't enough to convince you to check this one out - you're in luck! The trailer completely sells the fever dream-esque visuals and grungy, tangible aesthetic missing from most modern CG-animated movies. A stunning trailer that builds its world and perfectly sells its movie with nothing but imagery.
"Phil Tippett is a master." - Guillermo Del Toro
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2021
DIRECTED BY: Jason Reitman WRITTEN BY: Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman
STARRING: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd
The first official trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife has arrived - and it is chock full of references and nostalgia bait. While I'm not necessarily against this tactic, it does feel a lot like course correction after Ghostbusters: Answer the Call [2016] was very publicly rejected and torn apart by hardcore fans. It's a move that immediately brings to mind the negative fan discussions around Star Wars: The Last Jedi [2017]. If you forget your movie history, The Last Jedi was followed up by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker [2019] - a loud, unsatisfying collection of references and nostalgic scenes that only served to minimize the perceived "damage" to the brand. So there's a reason that I'm going into this one with a largely cynical chip on my shoulder.
With that out of the way, ignoring the myriad of references in this trailer - there is an inherent charm to a passing-of-the-torch generational tale, mixing Ghostbusters [1984] with a Stranger Things vibe, and that's not just due to Finn Wolfhard's presence either.
I also feel a little more confident in this one, seeing that it is being handled by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman - director of the 1984 original. With the trailer teasing the return of at least one member of the original Ghostbusters team, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is shaping up to be what looks like an enjoyable holiday blockbuster.
"Call Ghostbusters - we're ready to believe you!"
Lamb
RELEASE DATE: October 8, 2021
DIRECTED BY: Valdimar Jóhannsson WRITTEN BY: Valdimar Jóhannsson, Sjón
STARRING: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Gudnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson
This trailer had me from the start with its inventive A24 logo formed by sheep wandering in a field. What unfolds afterwards is an odd mixture of humor, drama, and suspense, as we're brought into the world of Lamb - telling the story of an Icelandic couple who find themselves parenting a strange lamb/human hybrid creature. The haunting and beautiful images that quickly unfold, set to the perfectly dissonant "God Only Knows What I'd Be Without You", promise a movie that is very likely to be A24's most unique experiment to date.
"She's not used to strangers..."
The Card Counter
RELEASE DATE: September 10, 2021
DIRECTED BY: Paul Schrader WRITTEN BY: Paul Schrader
STARRING: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe
The Card Counter tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler in what seems to be a pretty slickly shot thriller. While I'm unfamiliar with writer/director Paul Schrader, the stellar ensemble (featuring Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, and Willem Dafoe), along with what looks to be a character driven, twist-filled, con-man story - and I am here for it!
"Is it possible to know when one reaches the limit?"
King Richard
RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2021
DIRECTED BY: Reinaldo Marcus Green WRITTEN BY: Zach Baylin
STARRING: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Jon Bernthal
We're treated to another surprise this week in the form of the official trailer for Will Smith's new biopic, King Richard. This one focuses its story on Richard Williams - father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. Equally shocking is that Venus and Serena seems almost like supporting characters to this tale, centered around the Williams' patriarch. It's a move that helps give King Richard a bit of distance from other sports biopics - and one that also seems to, at least judging by the trailer, seems to credit Richard Williams most of the credit in Venus and Serena's greatness. It feels a little dismissive of their actual accomplishment to chalk it up to having a strong father figure. How the film actually handles all of this, remains to be seen though.
I'm slightly interested in hearing more about this one, and the trailer does show competent acting and cinematography - but honestly there's nothing truly special here. Ultimately, the trailer didn't do enough to sell me on the idea of watching the untold Richard Williams story - again, consider me mildly curious.
"I wrote me a 78 page plan for their whole career, before they were born."
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2021
DIRECTED BY: Andy Serkis WRITTEN BY: Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy
STARRING: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Woody Harrelson
I'll just go ahead and get this right in the open - I didn't like Venom [2018], at all. I found it to be a huge step back from where Hollywood has come in terms of superhero movies - harkening back to the mid-00s when studios used any comic brand available and force a narrative ill-fitting of its characters and themes upon it. That was the first Venom for me - turning Eddie Brock into a photographer-bro in the middle of an odd-couple comedy with a murderous alien symbiote. The biggest criticism of the first film was its limp villain, in the form of Riz Ahmed and his equally dull symbiote, Riot.
The sequel already appears eager to shake things up by switching out directors, subbing in Andy Serkis for Ruben Fleischer, and by setting its sights on including the infamous Marvel villain - Carnage. That's right, Carnage is finally in a movie - played by a woefully miscast Woody Harrelson. Nothing in the tone laid down by the trailer gives me confidence that Sony learned their lesson with the first Venom, instead seemingly doubling-down on what the four-quadrant audience ate up in the first one.
The glimpsed shots of action seem to be neatly framed, as opposed to the chaotically edited and filmed action beats from the first Venom. However, after this trailer, I have no hope that Venom: Let The Be Carnage will be anything but more of the original - something that will satisfy many viewers out there, just not this one.
"You've got to get ahold of your aggression, or we're gonna get hauled off to Area 51."
Film-FTW's Trailer of the Week | Lamb
While this week was one filled with many entertaining and deserving trailers, sadly, there can only be one awarded Trailer of the Week.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Card Counter, and Mad God each each offer something enticing enough to fully sell me on their movies...but nothing sold me better this week than Lamb. Leave it to A24 to create a trailer so bold and brazenly off-putting that immediately hooked me. Further to its credit, the trailer for Lamb has been one that I've not been able to stop thinking about, even if I wanted to. Through its tone, imagery, and bizarre premise - Lamb easily wins this week's Trailer of the Week, and might very well wind up being my favorite trailer of the year.
What are YOUR Thoughts?
What were your thoughts on the trailers above? Was our choice for Trailer of the Week right or wrong? Let us know below or over on social media using the hashtag #TrailerTuesday. Additionally, consider following the author on Twitter for more opinions on movies.