As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I absolutely hate it when trailers give away the entire plot of a movie, especially when there’s some crucial plot twist in it. What I do enjoy, however, is when a trailer presents the movie’s twists and turns in such a way that it makes you even more confused about what the movie is really about, thus increasing your curiosity about the movie.

Such is the case for this trailer for The Nines. I’ve watched this thing a few times now, and I have absolutely no idea what is actually going on. Those colorful shapes on top of everyone’s heads make me think that maybe it’s all just one big video game, but that would be a way too obvious giveaway to put in the trailer. Plus, it doesn’t really make that much sense with the rest of the stuff that we see in the trailer. Anyway, the point is I’m intrigued.

Aside from the above average trailer, this movie also has a couple of other things going for it. For one, it’s written and directed by the screenwriter of Go and Big Fish, both of which were very well constructed scripts, even if they weren’t directed as well as they should have been. And also, I really like the idea of Ryan Reynolds getting a chance to do something other than a low-brow comedy for a change. I didn’t see Just Friends, but when I watched that trailer with him singing in a fat suit, I was pretty sure his career was over. This may be his last shot, so I’m hoping it’s a good film.

This trailer definitely sparked my interest in the movie, but I’d be lying to you if I said I was going to see The Nines in the theater. This is just one of those movies where I’m perfectly content to RENT IT and enjoy it in the comfort of my living room.

The Nines is rated R and opens in limited release on August 9. (Official Site)

As you may have noticed, we here at TrailerSpy are a bit averse towards horror movies. And it’s not that there aren’t some great horror movies out there; it’s just that we’re all too chicken shit to sit through most of them.

However, I do feel a unique obligation to post the trailer for Rob Zombie’s new Halloween movie. This is partly because the original Halloween movies played a significant role in my childhood. Some of the more vivid memories I have from growing up involve me biting down on a blanket, reluctantly squinting at the television screen, terrified by the knowledge that either Freddy, Jason, or Mike Myers was about to pop out of a closet and kill somebody. And all the while, my brother would be sitting comfortably beside me, laughing at how much of a wuss I was.

But that memory from my childhood isn’t what’s making me actually contemplate going to see this new Halloween movie. After all, Halloween H20 wasn’t that long ago, and I couldn’t have cared less at the time. The thing that makes this new Halloween different is that it represents an interesting development in the movie industry. For the first time (to my knowledge at least), a musician has taken the helm of a major motion picture…and surprisingly, it looks like he may have actually done a good job. I mean, by now we’re all used to the idea of musicians crossing over into the acting world (and usually stinking up the joint). But to have a musician recreate a well-known movie franchise, working as both the writer and director, well, that’s a pretty impressive feet. Granted, this may just be a clever marketing ploy by the Weinstein brothers, but I applaud Rob Zombie’s efforts nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I think I’m still too much of a wuss to see this thing on the big screen, but I am definitely going to RENT IT, mainly because I’m curious to see how Rob Zombie has faired in this endeavor. Plus, it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted some good blanket.

Halloween is rated R and opens August 31. (semi-Official Site)

I attended an advance screening of Stardust last night, and I still stand by my RENT IT review. It was better than I was anticipating, and actually quite funny at times, but I really can’t think of any reason to encourage you to shell out $11 to see it.

I’ll keep this brief since the movie actually opens today, and honestly, I can’t think of anything too remarkable (either good or bad) to comment on. But the one item I have to draw attention to is Robert De Niro. His role is relatively small and he doesn’t even appear until midway through the movie, but his performance as Captain Shakespeare, the airborne pirate, makes the entire movie. I don’t want to give anything away, but even if you’re not a fan of fantasy movies, or even of De Niro (do such people exist?), Stardust is worth a viewing for his part alone. Just wait for the DVD.

Here’s a combo trailer/movie review for you. And the trailer review is quite simple: This movie looks pretty stupid.

But then I got passes to a free screening, and like any New Yorker worth her salt, I rarely turn down anything that’s free. After the movie was over I was left thinking, “That movie was pretty stupid. And friggin’ hilarious!” I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard and repeatedly asked, “What the fuck…?” at the same time.

The story is the age-old tale of a young man trying to prove himself…by kicking his stepfather’s ass. Evel Knievel-wannabe Rod Kimble wants nothing more than to earn the love and respect of his stepfather, Frank, and to do so, he must beat Frank in a no-holds barred fight. Unfortunately, Frank is played by Ian McShane (a badass to beat all badasses), so Rod doesn’t stand a chance. Suddenly Frank needs a heart transplant to live, and the family needs $50,000 they don’t have for the operation. So Rod decides to raise the money by performing the ultimate stunt, then Frank can get his new heart so Rod can “beat him to death.”

Hot Rod borrows every ‘triumph over adversity’ movie cliché: there’s an extended training montage, overly dramatic speeches of inspiration, a love interest that comes out of nowhere, and a crew of misfits who must triumph in the end. But it all plays out hilariously thanks to the comedic skills of Andy Samberg as Rod, who is never afraid to look like a moron or take a punch (or twelve) in the name of getting a laugh. The movie feels like one of Samberg’s digital shorts from Saturday Night Live (often the only funny parts of SNL) combined with stunts from MTV’s Jackass.

Now the tricky part…what rating to give this movie. If you enjoy the irreverent humor that Samberg has brought to SNL (or The Lonely Island, his pre-SNL claim to fame), I have no doubt you’ll find this movie hilarious. But I’m not sure it’s worth spending $11 on to see in theaters. So I have to give Hot Rod a RENT IT, but if you’ve had your fill of all the summer epics and are in need of a good laugh, you may want to consider seeing it.

Hot Rod is rated PG-13 and opens August 3. (Official site)

So far the marketing team behind Balls of Fury have released at least three trailers and a ton of clips for this movie. I’m pretty sure that if you pieced together all of the footage that’s out on the internet, you could pretty much recreate the entire film.

Unfortunately, the desperate marketing campaign has left me unimpressed, which is probably why I’ve declined to post about Balls of Fury until now. I admit that the idea of doing a Ping-Pong spoof is a great premise, but every video I’ve seen has left me feeling like actual movie won’t live up to its potential.

Anyways, the next faze in this marketing onslaught seems to be these training videos. They’ve released two so far, and apparently they’re going to release a new one every Monday until the movie comes out.

Once again, I think the idea is brilliant, but the execution is a letdown. Instead of gathering together a few of the actual actor to create some funny, satirical training videos, they’ve decided to post actual Ping-Pong training videos. I suppose there are probably some people laughing their butts off at the clips from these ’80’s training tapes, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them.

As for the movie, I’m going to RENT IT, mainly because my Netflix que is getting a little thin. But I do hope I’m wrong and that the movie really will be as good as it potentially could be…if there’s one thing I hate, it’s the waste of a good idea.

Balls of Fury is rated PG-13 and opens August 31. (Official Site)

I was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening of Becoming Jane last night, and as I predicted in my trailer review, this one is a RENT IT. The film plays very fast and loose with the “facts” of Jane Austen’s life, and should by no means be taken as a biopic. But luckily, that doesn’t take away from the bittersweet story it’s telling.

Anne Hathaway, although not British, plays Jane beautifully. She manages to portray Jane as a strong-willed, independent woman, while still allowing her vulnerable side to show through. And James McAvoy is absolutely charming as the philandering Irishman who catches Jane’s hard-to-catch eye. The story tends to lag in places, as most period pieces are known to do, but it manages to pick itself up and engross you again.

So while not a staggering work of genius, Becoming Jane is exactly what it sets out to be; a sweet and sad love story that anyone who has liked the films based on Austen’s novels will enjoy. It’s perfect for viewing on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

One of my favorite things about writing on TrailerSpy is the opportunity to give more attention to small but deserving movies that might otherwise pass you by. Charlie Bartlett is one of those movies, and I hope it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of the summer blockbusters.

In the dog days of summer, I long for a movie with three-dimensional characters, witty dialogue, and an intelligent story. From the trailer, it looks like Charlie Bartlett will more than fill the void left by spiders, pirates, and robots.

See it for Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, and Anton Yelchin holding his own in the title role. See it for all the small, smart movies that fade into the background. SEE IT so that studios will realize that we’re still aching for good movies.

Charlie Bartlett is rated R and opens on August 3. (official site)

If you like historical action movies rife with historical inaccuracies, The Last Legion may be your cup of tea. It tells the story of the fall of the Roman empire and the beginning of the legend of the sword in the stone (aka the legend of King Arthur). There are lots of dirty men in breastplates with swords yelling a lot and one mandatory hot chick. Why there must always be a hot chick in every action movie, I’ll never know, but there she is anyway.

Despite this lackluster trailer, I’ll probably still RENT IT for one reason. Colin Firth. The same sort of admiration/respect/lust I have for Daniel Day-Lewis, I also have for Colin Firth. Unfortunately, it looks like he was completely miscast in this movie. Colin Firth can be a dramatic lead, a love interest, and even quite funny (in that dry, British sort of way). But can he be an action hero? My Spidey-sense says ‘no’, but I’ll still give him a chance. It can’t be any worse than Nanny McPhee, right?

The Last Legion is rated PG-13 and may or may not open on August 24 (there’s some debate going on about the US release date). (IMDB page-the official site is in Russian)

After attending an advance screening of Hairspray last night, several words came to mind: campy, silly, frivolous, and unrealistic. And I loved every second of it. The story was quick-moving, there was never a lull. The songs were catchy, upbeat, and fun. The actors were perfectly cast for their individual roles, yet they still shone as an ensemble. The campiness was played to perfection; it was very careful to never cross the line from delightful to total cheesiness. And as for John Travolta’s fat drag suit…I couldn’t decide if it was hilarious or disturbing, so I’ll settle for describing it as hilariously disturbing.

As I predicted in my review of the trailer, this one is a SEE IT. So once you’re tired of watching Camaro’s turning into robots, evil wizards getting vanquished, and Bruce Willis being old, go check out Hairspray. If you don’t leave the theater tapping your feet with a smile on your face, check your pulse. You might be dead.