[Movies] The Upcoming Movies Trailer Thread

Pop culture salad.

I'm pretty sure I already said this here before but I'm posting again for posterity.

The whole concept of the book much better fits a movie. It even reads like a screenplay.

My biggest complaint with it is reading the references is just fucking tedious.

However, visually showing them and not having to explain that "The orange glow of the flux capcitor danced off the faux-leather and wood grain interior of my perfect recreation of Doc and Marty's time machine. As Duran Duran's "Hungry like a Wolf" blast out of my, admittedly, over powered soundsystem, I gunned it to 88 leaving an opulent tron lightcycle blue trail behind as I went, as well as the customary flaming tire tread marks. All painstakingly programmed in by yours truely. Like the powerglove, it's so bad." I feel will come across so much better.

I don't expect awards, save maybe visually, but while reading it consistently all I could think through out was this would be a much better movie than book.
 
I liked the book, even though I agree with the criticisms that it's basically "80s pop culture references: the novel." And I agree, Far, I think those references will make for amazing eye candy for the movie.

Plus, with Spielberg directing, I feel like we might get something with a little more substance than the book. Call me optimistic. Either way, it should be fun.

The only thing I'm wondering is how they're able to get away with some many references. A lot of them are from different companies, are they not? I'm pretty sure they were in the book, at least. How did they secure the rights?

Unless, judging from the trailer, they're only pulling from WB properties.
 
I just think it gets far more blind praise than it deserves around the internet. It's readable but not defining.


I think part of their success in getting other companies properties has a lot to do with Spielberg directing. And maybe even a bit of help from Wreck-It Ralph a few years back. Having those quick cameos show up in small videos and gifs online probably isn' hurting the decision either.
 
I just think it gets far more blind praise than it deserves around the internet. It's readable but not defining.

I think part of their success in getting other companies properties has a lot to do with Spielberg directing. And maybe even a bit of help from Wreck-It Ralph a few years back. Having those quick cameos show up in small videos and gifs online probably isn' hurting the decision either.
Yep. All those little references will financially boost those properties. People will see that and go, "Oh yeah, Back to the Future. I haven't seen that in awhile." Or maybe a friend will be like, "Whoa! Is that giant robot from something?" "You've never seen Iron Giant? Okay, we need to fix that."

I mean, it probably won't be a significant financial boost, but still.
 
I just think it gets far more blind praise than it deserves around the internet. It's readable but not defining.


I think part of their success in getting other companies properties has a lot to do with Spielberg directing. And maybe even a bit of help from Wreck-It Ralph a few years back. Having those quick cameos show up in small videos and gifs online probably isn' hurting the decision either.
Spielberg pulled it off with helping Roger Rabbit. He has even more clout now, so maybe.
 
I just think it gets far more blind praise than it deserves around the internet. It's readable but not defining.
It's defining for a certain subset of people who have emotional attachments to the pop cultural of the era portrayed in the novel, especially autistic people (like the founder of OASIS himself). Conceptually, that's kind of sad... but it's also kind of the point:

The founder of OASIS reveled in this because he couldn't connect with people due to his emotional/psychological hang-ups, eventually pushing away his only REAL friends when he couldn't get the girl he'd been after for years. His decision to ensure that only someone like him could win was basically his way of reaching out to another troubled kid and telling them to wake the fuck up before it's too late because for him it already was.

... except all of THAT gets lost in the book's emphasis on "Hey, wouldn't this be cool?". If Spielberg can focus on the actual point of the contest then this movie might actually have some depth.
 
Spielberg pulled it off with helping Roger Rabbit. He has even more clout now, so maybe.
Right I thought he had been involved in Roger Rabbit but couldn't recall. I looked it up before quickly but I was thinking as director and when Google showed Zemeckis I didn't look in to it further.

Having that in his stable, being able to respectfully and faithfully show others content, would be a huge boon to getting more on board for this.
 
... except all of THAT gets lost in the book's emphasis on "Hey, wouldn't this be cool?”.
Does it, though? You got it. I got it. Anyone I’ve ever discussed the book with gets it.

This reeks of that standard internet bullshit where people turn on something because it’s popular.
 
I think it's a poorly written book. Despite what messages or themes you might infer, intended or otherwise, it reads like the author gets off on his vast 80s knowledge and that's my point of contention. Those ideas are there and presented clearly. They just get weighed down by poor flow and pop culture salad like I wrote above. Though it's something I threw together, it easily could have been pulled straight from its pages.

It's fine to like that, I enjoyed it for what it was, but I would argue the other side of vehemently hating something because it's popular, blindly praising and holding something on a pedestal without criticism is just as bad.

I'm not saying anyone here is doing such but it has been tone I've run into in various places.
 
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Tracer is there briefly, she definiely wasn't in the book. There are many more that I recognized from the first teaser that weren't in the book. Likely to fill with properties they could get the rights too for the filler scenes to make up for the numerous they couldn't acquire.

I'll have to take a better look on not a phone screen when I get home but I caught some Battletoads too.
 
Tracer is there briefly, she definiely wasn't in the book. There are many more that I recognized from the first teaser that weren't in the book. Likely to fill with properties they could get the rights too for the filler scenes to make up for the numerous they couldn't acquire.

I'll have to take a better look on not a phone screen when I get home but I caught some Battletoads too.
This is basically "innocent" cross-marketing though. The pop culture being represented isn't really relevant; the obsession with it is the only relevant story element.
 

fade

Staff member
My biggest problem with the book Ready Player One is that the protagonist is a bit of a Mary Sue. Nothing is much of a challenge for him. Anything that comes close is dealt with rather swiftly and in a pretty standard way. Meaning standard for real life, not "cliche movie plot". There were quite a few moments where it seemed like the author was preparing an, "Oh shit, it's all going to go bad now" moment, but it never materializes. Examples include essentially every time he approaches a solution to the clues, and even the real life plot points near the end. The point about the protagonist being just like the founder (sorry cannot remember their names), is definitely beaten over the audiences head, but they've made the protagonist Standard Issue Cool by then, and he no longer seems to be a good match.
 
This is basically "innocent" cross-marketing though. The pop culture being represented isn't really relevant; the obsession with it is the only relevant story element.
I didn't mean to imply it was wrong of them to pursue other properties, especially in cases where they couldn't obtain the exact ones mentioned. In a lot of scenes the strength will be just how many they can get on screen at a time.

In my initial reply I'd written that Wade being a giant Mary Sue was a major sticking point for me as well but I cut that whole paragraph. I do think Spielberg will be smart enough to tone that down.
 
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Never read the book, but everyone that’s tried to pitch it to me only ever seems to mention all the 80s pop culture references as why I should read it. Makes me think it’s like one of those pizza places where they put 20 different toppings on a pie to try and hide the fact that it’s a really mediocre dough.

The trailer looks to be the exact same way. At least the owners of all the pop culture will be seeing some money off it this time, since they’re apparently the main draw.

It does kind of make me want to read Snow Crash though.
 


Coming STRAIGHT to DVD and Digital, because hooooooooooooly crap this looks bad. Also, what the hell is with Woody's voice recording, it sounds weirdly grainy.
 

Dave

Staff member
But this one has an all female cast! Including...uh...Awkwafina. Because I guess she couldn't turn Dasani into a bullshit name. And look! They named it 8 so that when they had a sequel they could still use the name! And if they have TWO sequels then they can have an Ocean's 10 as well!

Yeah. Not going to bother watching this. I really don't care if there are movies with all female casts - more power to them. But to remake movies JUST to have them is pandering and dumb.
 


A remake of a remake of a series which contained too many sequels.
I'm going to be pedantic for a moment and point out that this is a SPINOFF of a remake of a series which contained too many sequels.

Because Sandra Bullock is playing Danny Ocean's estranged sister who also happens to have a knack for theft and deception.
 

Dave

Staff member
I'm going to be pedantic for a moment and point out that this is a SPINOFF of a remake of a series which contained too many sequels.

Because Sandra Bullock is playing Danny Ocean's estranged sister who also happens to have a knack for theft and deception.
Your point is taken, my point still stands.
 
Your point is taken, my point still stands.
Yes, your point most definitely stands. My pedantry does nothing for the underlying argument that this is a lazy attempt at cashing in on a franchise that has long since used up its good will.

Which is sad, because I LOVED Ocean's 11 and thought Ocean's 12 was good too...

Oddly enough, I would have been far more interested in this upcoming movie had they not tried to shoehorn in a relation to Ocean's 11. It could have been just fine on its own.
 
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Oddly enough, I would have been far more interested in this upcoming movie had they not tried to shoehorn in a relation to Ocean's 11. It could have been just fine on its own.
...like if they'd named it "Girls Day Out" or something?

--Patrick
 


Coming STRAIGHT to DVD and Digital, because hooooooooooooly crap this looks bad. Also, what the hell is with Woody's voice recording, it sounds weirdly grainy.
That...that's actually getting a release here? Like, at all?

I know that Universal made that first specifically for Brazil because Woody Woodpecker is still big there, but I never thought it would actually get a release here, even a "straight to DVD" one.

I mean, it looks bad. I'm not planning on seeing it. Just a little surprised it's actually getting released here at all.
 
I have a confession. Mamma Mia, both the stage show and the movie, is a guilty pleasure of mine. I like Abba's music, and I like the saccharine escapism offered by such jukebox musicals. The movie definitely had its flaws (Pierce Brosnan's singing being primary among them), but I will still watch it whenever it comes on TV. Hell, I even played Harry in our university department's production of the show. Learned to convincingly fake playing a guitar.

So, I will be watching this movie. However, I know that I am probably the only person around here so interested in it.

 
But this one has an all female cast! Including...uh...Awkwafina. Because I guess she couldn't turn Dasani into a bullshit name. And look! They named it 8 so that when they had a sequel they could still use the name! And if they have TWO sequels then they can have an Ocean's 10 as well!

Yeah. Not going to bother watching this. I really don't care if there are movies with all female casts - more power to them. But to remake movies JUST to have them is pandering and dumb.
TIL there's a gender flipped version of Overboard coming next year. Flipping for the sake of flipping isn't progressive or empowering, it's just lazy.
 
TIL there's a gender flipped version of Overboard coming next year. Flipping for the sake of flipping isn't progressive or empowering, it's just lazy.
It gives people a chance to swing the meter from sublimated misogyny over to sublimated misandry.

--Patrick
 
I don't see a way to do that premise with any two types of people that's suddenly okay. You could do male/female, female/male, same gender, no gender, or Muppet version of Overboard and it'd still be fucked up.

Off-topic: I like how my phone's auto fill and autocorrect would offer duck when I typed fuck, but now offer fuckshit instead. I'm teaching it right.
 
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