A Little Push 07.11.09: The Date Is 7-11; It Should Be National Slurpee Day

Posted by Rick Tym on 07.11.2009

Come on in as we talk about the District 9 trailer, a Hangover sequel (complete with Bradley Cooper career tangent), and a full listing of the panels set for the first day of this year's Comic-Con...plus two guest stars debate the pros and cons of the Nazi zombie horror film Dead Snow! All that and some news about the future of this news report after the click...

Wow…This looks Awesome

That was the first thing I said to myself after watching this trailer for the first time. Subsequent viewings have not quelled the anticipation. I know it's not new to most of you, but for those of you that haven't seen it, here's the trailer for District 9.



The Push is looking forward to August 14th. Normally there's not much to say about a 2:19 trailer other that "wow that looks good" or "that reminds me of ‘suck' on a stick" but there's a few really cool things going on here, so let's discuss. Keep in mind that I didn't do any additional research on the film; I'm relying solely on the trailer for the talking points below.

• Why are the aliens "not allowed to leave?" This is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the preview. What possible reason could the human race (most likely read: government) have for keeping this overgrown insects on our planet? One person is seen complaining about this. At first I thought that keeping them here was related to some higher purpose while maintaining the "for the greater good" excuse that governments use to justify their nefarious actions. (See: current and past versions of certain desert wars). It wasn't until my second viewing that I really heard what those guys were saying to that big bug in what looked like an interrogation room. "How do your weapons work?" I love, love, love the reply, "We just want to go home." For some reason the aliens can't, and even though the desire to make their exodus must be great, they haven't pulled out a doomsday ray a la Independence Day. Yet.

• Why haven't they just blown us all to bits? Surely they own some capable technology to do so if that is indeed why they are being kept on Earth. And the footage of fighting inside the District, along with news captions that tell us that alien/human violence in on the rise, shows that they can indeed engage in fighting, sometimes of the impressive variety. Were they a once peaceful race now forced into fisticuffs because of their imposed refugee status?

• What's up with those mechanical/biomechanical things running around? Is that our hero, or something alien? I'm assuming it's that dude that has the blue lights in his face but I can't be completely sure. (Please do not make fun of me for this. I've had a long week.)

• What exactly did that reporter spray himself with? Is that canister some kind of call to arms for the aliens? Huh? Huh?

• This last one isn't a question, just a simple observation: the mix of docufakery and traditional film footage looks pretty neat. So does that spaceship that's hovering over Johannesburg. I'd like to see more, please.

District 9 flew under the Push's radar, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Even though my role with this news report is to sift through the internet's detritus and bring you some goodies, sometimes I just can't stand watching fifty trailers right in a row. So like I said above, it may be old news to most readers out there, but hey, it's new to me. And I'm pumped about it and the preview gave me some fodder in a rather slow news week. So from my perspective, it's a win-win. And the best part is that August opening date, since I (or any of you that are just as interested) won't have to wait six to eight months to see the finished product.

The Hangover 2: More Vegas Boogaloo?

A few weeks back I copped to not seeing The Hangover yet. I got this comment in response:

See The Hangover in the theater, fuck.

Posted By: Joel Yeomans (Guest) on June 20, 2009 at 06:31 PM

I usually [bleep] out the profanity in my columns but I wanted the original intent to shine through, mostly because it still makes me laugh three weeks later. You're goddamed right, Joel, but you'll probably be pissed when I tell you that I still haven't seen this comedy and therefore probably have no business ruminating on the announced sequel. Feel free to curse again at the end of this posting if you'd like.
Warner Bros. greenlit the sequel which will bring back director Todd Phillips along with principle cast members Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms. Shooting will begin next October for a 2011 Memorial Day weekend release. This is not just because of the movie's extremely huge monetary success (last check at boxofficemojo.com listed its domestic gross as $212,511,668) but also because, according to popular opinion, it's a pretty darn good comedy.


We've all been there. Hung over, not the chapel itself.
Of course a sequel is a no-brainer. Hopefully it won't be a disaster, but with the time frame given the creative powers that be have many moons within which to craft another solid romp. I just wonder where they'll go this time. Atlantic City? Reno? One of those Midwestern showboat casinos that are only ‘boats' in the loosest sense of the term – at least when I used to live in KC; one wall of the structure may have gotten wet but there was no up and down on the Mississippi going on – or to some different type of location? You don't need a 24 hour party city like Las Vegas or casino at all for that matter to have a hangover. But it sure helps -- not only with the dry, dragon breathy mouth and temple-pounding headache, but with the comedic framing of the sequel as well. Should be fun to find out.

What's really cool is the success that Bradley Cooper is enjoying right now. The Push has always been a fan of the actor from way back when during his Will Tippin days on Alias. Now he's got a bonafide megahit under his belt, and IMDB tells me that he is indeed slated to be part of The A-Team which is now in preproduction. The Hollywood Reporter also, well…reported this week that he, Ryan Reynolds and Justin Timberlake have made the shortlist for the lead in another Warner Bros. venture, Green Lantern.
The Push's opinion on this news? Ryan Reynolds is just as awesome as that District 9 trailer above. (Man, I can just see someone quoting that and adding some snarkiness in the comments section.) But he already has a comic book vehicle on the horizon and will presumably be breaking the fourth wall as Deadpool sooner or later. JT (that's what the kids call him) should be due to bring sexy back to the music world within the next year or two. I hope that Cooper gets it; he has an innate charm and solid acting ability that should be a good fit for the first stab at what could morph into a major franchise. Here's hoping he gets a shot at becoming Hal Jordan.

Author's Note: Seems like Van Wilder landed the role. While I was rooting for Cooper, Reynolds will do great with the part.

Feel free to ignore all of the above now, I guess.


Can you see it? The Push can did.
One final note: I will finally be seeing The Hangover this weekend. That domestic gross I listed above is a reason for people like me to be thankful the movies has the legs it does in the theater; like an unopened Christmas present that somehow made its way under the couch until late morning when the buzz of opening all those other shiny packages has worn off, I am delighted to find that this little nugget is still around, begging to be opened via a matinee ticket purchase. Bring on the bad popcorn and Wild Cherry Pepsi!

Time for Some Guest Stars

Yes, yes it is. Some time ago a bunch of staffers participated in Joseph Lee's A Bloody Good Time column by sharing our earliest fond horror memories. After it was all said and posted, Mr. Lee thanked all of us and promised to return the favor should any of his fellow writers ever desire some of his gory input . Know what I did? I called him on it.

But one guest star is not enough for A Little Push so I came up with a plan. You see, Joseph earned my envy by being able to watch a little film called Dead Snow (or DØD SNØ for you purists out there) – no matter where I move these days it seems it's harder and harder to find anything non-mainstream to go see – and he seemed to like it. But another member for the 411 community, Shawn Lealos, movie reviewer, columnist and 3R's extraordinaire, had some different ideas. I thought it would be fun to get them both together and discuss a few things about Dead Snow right here, in this very column!

(Pauses for the crowd's cheers to subside.)

What follows is the result of that experiment. I asked Joseph and Shawn to talk about three specific things concerning DØD SNØ: the overall concept of the film, the character that pranced around the blood-flecked snowy backdrop, and the horror/gore factor. Ladies and gents, help me welcome the lads to the Push. Note that I won't be scoring this like some bastardized version of Ben Piper's weekly Fact or Fiction column; I'm just here to share their stories.


The Leadoff
Joseph Lee: My opponent, Shawn S. Lealos liked Transformers 2. I think that says everything about his taste in movies! Okay, just flame-baiting there. But we differ greatly on Dead Snow, and that's a shame. Shawn should show a little more appreciation, as this is probably the best horror film of the year so far.

Shawn Lealos: I always find it amusing when someone brings up my review of Transformers 2 when discussing my taste in movies. But understand, Joseph Lee is the man who considers Jaws to be a flawed horror film. How can I take his thoughts on Dead Snow seriously? Of course, I'm just flame-baiting back, there. I don't think Dead Snow is a great horror film or the best of the year so far (that would go to Drag Me to Hell).

[Editor's note: Once again, I'm not taking sides and am just presenting this mini debate, but I liked Revenge of the Fallen in all its bloated, excessive glory.]


The Concept
Joseph Lee: This movie's idea is akin to the grindhouse explotation features of the 70's. Nazi zombies kill a group of friends. They're not doing it over typical zombie stuff, but because the friends have their gold. I like this idea. The concept of slow, lumbering zombies who want to eat brains is tired. That's why many people have tried to freshen it up and these smarter zombies, who can fight, think strategically and have motive, are a way to do that. That's what made me want to see this movie to begin with.

Shawn Lealos: I find it interesting that I enjoyed Drag Me to Hell, a movie directed by Sam Raimi, and not Dead Snow, a movie that shamelessly rips off Raimi. The movies idea is great. I mean Nazi Zombies is awesome but the overall idea is nothing I have not seen before, better. The concept is amazing, the design is awesome. The problem lies in the director simply aping other movies. If I watch a movie and see a scene shot directly mimicking a movie by Sam Raimi, Edgar Wright or Peter Jackson, I would just rather watch the original. Add to the fact that the movie namedrops all these better originals and it makes it even more depressing that this movie never reaches the level of those films.


The Characters
Shawn Lealos: The characters in this movie sucked. There were moments of character development that included playing Twister and a strange scene where Erlend tries to suffocate one of the girls for reasons I don't understand. There is also the sex on the toilet scene that still disturbs me. When I sat down to watch a movie about Nazi Zombies, I did not expect to be bored but for the first 30-45 minutes of the movie, I was bored to tears. Evil Dead had Ash to keep me interested. Braindead had the great cut scenes with the mother as well as the kick ass priest. Shaun of the Dead had GREAT characters to lead us through the plodding setup. Dead Snow had nothing to make the first half less excruciating than a trip to the dentist.

[Editor: Ouch.]

Joseph Lee: Shawn said in his review [Editor: And above, too] there was no reason to like any of the characters. Maybe. I personally liked some of them, including Erlend, the resident movie nerd. That guy is like me in terms of randomly quoting movies and bringing them up in conversation even when it's not appropriate. Maybe that's why I liked him. But even if there were no likable characters, I don't see how that's a blight on this type of movie. Even Braindead had pointless exhibition with Lionel. Lionel wasn't exactly likable or anything like that. His girlfriend was even worse. It's just one of those things you seem to have to get through in order to reach the awesome fun.


The Horror and the Gore
Joseph Lee: Well there wasn't much that was scary about this, but there is plenty of gore, which is what makes this thing fun. My favorite moment is when a character has to use a zombie's intestines to save his life from falling off a cliff. That's just awesome. There are other great moments and kills, and this thing is extremely bloody. The climactic battle where two guys fight off a horde of Nazi-zombies is just great. I can't name off all of the kills and gory moments, because it would just spoil it.

Shawn Lealos: This is the best part of the movie, and is what keeps it average in my eyes instead of a stinker. The final battle with the zombies was simply spectacular. They used practical effects and achieved things that were original and inspired. As I said in my review, if you just fast forwarded to the final all-out battle, you would love it. But that does not make a complete movie. If you get sick of the boring first half and give up before you reach the battle, you are missing out. And the first half is just that bad.

So there you have it, folks…some good ideas on what is a dividing topic. Me, I just want to be able to see the damned thing. Preferably before it gets and American remake. (Hey guys, did you hear about the USA-ification of Let the Right One In? What a frickin' travesty.) Thanks to both Joseph and Shawn for taking the time to share their thoughts here. If a theater around me ever does get DØD SNØ on its screens, I'll be sure to share my thoughts as well.

2009 San Diego Comic Con Schedule



Here's a rundown on all the upcoming panels on the first day of this year's geekfest. (I wish I could go. Sniffle.) This comes courtesy of the event's official site and darkhorizons.net, which is correct in the statement that the first day looks stacked like a motha – "shut yo mouth!"

DAY ONE: Thursday, July 23

10:15-11:15am: "Astro Boy"
Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell Q&A, along with exclusive debut footage. Room 6BCF

10:30-11:30am: TheOneRing.net presents "The Hobbit"
The site's staff talk early stuff, potential behind-the-scenes footage and/or guest. Room 7AB

11:00am-12:30pm: Disney Pictures 3D Panel
3D Footage from Disney's "A Christmas Carol," "Alice In Wonderland" and "TR2N". Guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey and Steve Lisberger. Hall H

12:00-1:00pm: "Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey"
Several cast members and crew will show off clips and discuss the 3D, CGI Large Format film featuring animated sequences with actual space imagery.

1:45-2:45pm: Summit Entertainment
Footage from "Astro Boy", "Sorority Row" and "The Twilight Saga: New Moon". Various cast members (to be confirmed) will appear. Hall H.

2:00-3:00pm: "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"
Footage from the animated family comedy. Q&A with Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg. Room 6BCF.

3:00-4:00pm: Masters of the Web
Web-heads Robert Sanchez, Ryan Rotten, Mike Sampson, Jeremy Smith, Brad Miska, Drew McWeeny, Devin Faraci, Paul Christensen, Wilson Morales, Vic Holtreman, and George Roush give a fiery debate on the film news world. Brandon Routh and Sam Huntington will show off "Dead of Night". Room 32AB.

3:00-4:15pm: "Avatar"
The first public screening of footage in 3D. James Cameron, Jon Landau, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana will appear for a Q&A. Hall H.

3:30-4:30pm: "The Hole"
"Gremlins" helmer Joe Dante and Haley Bennett Q&A about his new 3D horror thriller. Hall H

4:45-5:15pm: "The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus"
Footage from and Q&A session with Terry Gilliam about the fantasy film starring the late Heath Ledger. Hall H.

5:15-5:45pm: "Pandorum"
Ben Foster, Cung Le and Antje Traue appear to hype the sci-fi horror thriller. Hall H.

5:45-6:45pm: "Kick-Ass"
Director Matthew Vaughn, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and a surprise guest will give a Q&A and present world premiere footage. Hall H

6:30-7:00pm: "Thirst"
Rare U.S. appearance by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook to promote the vampire melodrama. Hall H

8:00-9:30pm: "Green Lantern: First Flight"
World Premiere screening of the DC animated title. Ballroom 20

9:30pm-12:00am: "Trick 'r Treat"
Michael Dougherty's darkly comic Halloween-set horror flick screens. Dougherty, Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett and Brian Cox on a panel moderated by Harry Knowles. Ballroom 20.


You can see Anna Paquin on HBO right now, but to see Trick ‘r Treat you've gotta go to San Diego. What the hell is up with that? When's this thing out on DVD again? [Looks around desk, shuffles papers, prepares to start searching old online columns.] I know I had it here at one point.

Outtro

The teaser for this column promised some news about the future of A Little Push, and I am not an author who likes to disappoint. Maybe.

At the end of this month – actually, August 1st to be exact – this news report will be coming to a close. What we at 411 like to call ‘real life' has reared its head in a decidedly good way. Graduate school calls and therefore I must respond; I really enjoy writing the Push but the promise of earning an advanced degree at an accelerated pace is strong enough to lure me away from a weekly posting deadline. For the next sixteen months or so, anyway.

But fret not! There are many, many other great things to read here at the Mania from writers such as the Dead Snow debaters above, and the goodness obviously isn't limited to the Movies/TV Zone. And we've got another month to hang out with each other on the weekends. There won't be any big blowout as we approach the end of the show; business will continue as usual. This is mostly because I haven't even been around long enough to be worthy of any type of celebration. You see, like all of the 411 writers (except Csonka, he gets a big fat paycheck every two weeks – hey Larrold, how you doin'!) I write this report because I like to write and I love the wacky world of entertainment. It's been a hoot, and there's more to come before I sign off. So let's just have fun in the remaining weeks, shall we?


Let the countdown begin. Note: may not be numerically accurate if applied to weeks remaining.
Have fun with your weekend and whatever entertainment excursions you have planned. After finally going to see The Hangover tomorrow, I'm flipping a coin on the option of either another comedy starring a gay fashionista or that Dillinger flick that's been getting mixed reviews for Sunday's lineup. Once school starts, I won't have much time to go to the movies, so I'm going as much as I can until then, dammit! (Jack Bauer Power Curse Count: 1 – but it counts, dammit! [That's two.]) Until next time, thanks for tuning in and take care.

P.S. As I was posting this article, WWE Friday Night Smackdown! was on. Man, that CM Punk is gonna make a good heel. I especially loved it when he told Jeff Hardy he already had two strikes while discussing eye medicine -- the only chemical the Straight Edge Superstar will allow in his body. Good times.

But why the hell is he fighting the great Khali? I like the Punjabi Prince as much as the next guy or gal, but still...

...and now here comes Kane with a steel chair! All right, I've got to stop lest this turn into a Wrestling Zone recap.

P.P.S. Enjoy the centennial UFC PPV this weekend if you're so inclined, and be sure to visit our MMA zone for coverage and analysis of the big event. While I didn't get involved in the UFC 100 roundtable, I'll go on record and state that I've got Lesnar by TKO in Round 2.

Okay, now I'm really leaving!

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