New Trailers: "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Keeping up with the Hollywood Marketing Machine isn't easy sometimes, and in the last few days there have been a lot of new trailers released, including two high-profile comic book adaptations which will hit theaters later this year.

First up is the latest from Marvel Studios, Guardians of the Galaxy, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. Described as "A group of intergalactic misfits who will need to band together in order to save the universe," Guardians has the potential to take the science fiction elements we saw in Thor: The Dark World and expand them into outright Star Wars territory. Director James Gunn (Slither, Super) also seems to have added a dash of 80's camp to the formula; there are moments here that hark back to films like Ice Pirates and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. I personally view that as a good thing, but it's a gamble when you're dealing with the success of a huge franchise film. This will be a good test to see how strong the Marvel brand truly is.





Next up, is Kingsman: The Secret Service, which is an adaptation of the comic series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Directed by Matthew Vaughn of Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class fame, the film stars Colin Firth as a veteran spy who recruits a resourceful young street punk (Taron Egerton) for his agency's training program. The film co-stars Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and a lispy Samuel Jackson.





I like Vaughn's movies. I really do. But, he's been hired to direct three different X-Men movies and has bailed on two of them (The Last Stand and Days of Future Past) very close to production, which in my book makes him fickle as hell. He was also in the running for the new Star Wars, a gig which later went to JJ Abrams, but his history of dropping big productions late in the game could certainly have been a factor in Disney's decision not to hire Vaughn for Episode VII.

When he does follow through on a project, however, it is hard not to argue that the finished products are stylish and entertaining. Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class is a pretty strong resume, and Secret Service looks polished and poised to deliver the goods. I like the cast, and the movie has that "John Steed Meets James Bond" appeal. Looks fun.

What do you think? Be sure to drop a comment here or on Facebook. You can also now tweet them to me @settingtheframe.

STF Episode 9 - "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" & "Godzilla"

With the summer movie season already upon us, there's a lot to talk about! Cesar Alejandro from Film Smash joins me to discuss Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Gareth Edwards' Godzilla -- two films with so much riding on their nine-figure budgets that it's turning their respective directors prematurely gray.

This was a great conversation; even though we mostly agree on Godzilla, I was much tougher on Spider-Man than Cesar. Below is a breakdown of the content, just in case you want to avoid the spoiler-filled portions. This episode clocked in at just over 90 minutes, which is where I'd like to keep these as we move forward. Enjoy!

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:26 Maryland Film Festival
00:13:47 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Heavy Spoilers!)
00:48:02 Godzilla (Light Spoilers)
01:22:37 Wrap-Up includes talking about the new X-Men and Eat Drink Man Woman

One other thing to note: During our discussion about my time at the Maryland Film Festival, I forgot to mention that you should look into their Friends of the Festival program. This is a year-round membership that gives you access to special screenings, VIP ticketing, discounts on MFF merchandise, and more! Definitely check it out if you live in the Maryland/D.C. area.

You can also listen to this episode on PodBean by clicking here, or check us out on iTunes. Don't forget to comment below and share STF with your movie-loving friends!

New "Interstellar" Trailer!

Christopher Nolan occupies a special place in the world of big-budget filmmaking right now. He makes movies with mass appeal that demand you be fully engaged to enjoy them. I'm partial to Memento, The Prestige, and Inception, but even his Batman movies are ambitious, mature, and thematically focused. His next film, Interstellar, looks to continue in that tradition. The film opens in November and there's a new trailer for you to enjoy below.

The story seems to take place in a future where climate change has nearly destroyed the food supply. Matthew McConaughey plays a former pilot who is given the chance to join an expedition to the far reaches of space with the hope of finding a habitable planet to colonize. By doing so, however, he risks never seeing his children again. Co-starring in the film are Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley, and Topher Grace among others.

Since Nolan's longtime cinematographer, Wally Pfister, has moved on to directing his own movies, Hoyte Van Hoytema (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) will step in to help craft the visual texture of Interstellar. As with Nolan's last three pictures, select scenes will be shot using IMAX cameras, which seems appropriate for the scope of the story. Hans Zimmer (Composer), Lee Smith (Editor), Nathan Crowley (Production Designer), Emma Thomas (Producer), and Jonathan Nolan (Co-Screenwriter) are all reuniting with Nolan for the film.

I like what I'm seeing so far. Those shots of the spacecraft circling the wormhole are fantastic, and I can't wait to see what's on the other side. I have a funny feeling that most of the scenes in the trailer are taken from the first half of the film, so there should be plenty of surprises in store for us come November 7th.

What do you think? Check out the trailer and drop a comment below, or tweet your comments to @settingtheframe.

MDFF Presents: "Liquid Sky"

I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of Liquid Sky. I hadn't. A quick online search of websites like Ebay and Amazon.com revealed that finding a decent copy of this cult film is tougher than you might think. While there are a few VHS tapes still circulating around (if you even have a working player) and some import DVDs that you could take a chance on, there hasn't been an official U.S. version available for some time. Just like the freewheeling new-wave lifestyle depicted in the film, the movie faded away, becoming little more than a cinematic footnote as the most successful indie hit of 1983.