Trailers for three of the four most anticipated English-language movies of the year are up. Check it out.
1. The Black Dahlia. Brian De Palma in the middle of a third renaissance, and even though he's not exactly the auteur you turn to for a "true crime" story, the infamous Black Dahlia slaying may just pack all of De Palma's obsessions -- voyeurism, lust, whodunnit, and well, obssessiveness -- into one neat Ellroy-tied box. And yes, the trailer looks like a movie nerd's wet dream.
2. Inland Empire. David Lynch's three hour opus. No trailer that I can find. All I know is this is Lynch's follow-up to one of the best movies of the decade has wrapped and is ready to go. Good enough for me.
3. The Departed. Already inducted into the Movies for Guys Hall of Fame on the basis of the cast and plot alone, this American remake of Infernal Affairs could be Marty's Heat or Scarface, the kind of dude classic destined to be referenced in a Sports Guy column about the NBA Draft ten years hence. From the looks of the trailer, though, Leo lacks the stature and gravitas in a role Tony Leung was born to play (it's a role perfect for Pacino circa Serpico), and Damon doesn't exactly project that slippery, snake-oil salesman charm that comes so naturally to Andy Lau in this role (alternaverse casting: Alec Baldwin, 1991). (The original Infernal Affairs worked only because it was so perfectly cast.) Still, it's Marty, Jack Nicholson, and a crackerjack plot -- so it's unlikely to suck even if doesn't completely rock.
4. The Fountain. Could very well be awful, though I'm a sucker for time-travel romances. Gotta admit the trailer dampens my enthusiasm, as it comes off looking like The Cell meets Possession. But here's hoping Mr. ADDronofsky has one awesome picture in him.
