Kidding? Yes, that's right, as in kids, young 'uns, rug rats. This week on Trailer Park, we're scoping out previews of movies that are for or about the kiddies.
The Rocker
Kid is a relative term, but the teens populating this comedy are kids from where I'm sitting. Probably best known for playing Dwight on NBC's The Office, Rainn Wilson stars as a washed up 80s rocker who was booted out of a succesful band right before they hit it big. Kind of like Pete Best but with spandex and big hair. His teenage nephew's band is playing at the prom and they need him to fill in. The gig goes well and Wilson's character ends up touring with the band. There's a definite hint of School of Rock, but Wilson is so appealing in the role that I've chosen to overlook that and the groin injury joke (a hokey device that is often a deal breaker for me). Here's what Erik thought of the trailer.
Igor
Igor is obviously geared toward kids, but should also bring in a wider audience. This one has an awesome tagline: "It's hip to be hunched." I love the classic Universal Monster movies, and this new animated feature plays with some of the conventions on that genre. Every year in the land of Malaria all the mad scientists gather to show off their latest invention; oddly enough every one of them has a hunchbacked assistant named Igor. The Igor we're concerned with is voiced by John Cusack, and he has higher hopes for himself than just being a lackey. The design seems to take its cues from A Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. The trailer has tons of charm, but is a bit lacking in the belly laugh department. Still I'm curious to see the final product. Cinematical first posted about this one right here.
It's Alive
The horror remake trend continues with this tale of a bundle of joy straight from the bowels of hell based on Larry Cohen's 1974 film of the same name. Bijou Phillips (as first reported by Monika) stars as a young woman who survives a difficult birth, but everyone else in the delivery room is brutally butchered by ... something. The Mom was knocked out so she can't tell the police what happened, but soon her new baby is biting the breast that feeds him and mutilating small animals. You know it can only get worse from here. We never actually see the baby, though presumably we'll get a glimpse in the movie. I haven't seen the original, but this remake looks like it could be a fun little bit of B-movie horror.
It's a Boy Girl Thing
I would have thought the body switch genre had said all it had to say with films like Freaky Friday, Vice Versa, or 18 Again! Hell, this plot device is so old it has its own Wikipedia page. A male teenage jock and a cute, brainy teenage girl end up swapping bodies thanks to an Incan artifact. The two have long been enemies and they take advantage of this new situation to wreck each other's lives. What we obviously have here is yet another movie about teenagers that knows absolutely nothing about them beyond the broadest cliches. Elton John served as Executive Producer on the film, which is probably the only noteworthy thing about it. It's a Boy Girl Thing has played theatrically in several countries, but will be going straight to DVD here in the states on June 17. Check out the trailer right here:
Twilight
This vampire romance is based on the first of a series of books by Stephenie Meyer, and based on the number of comments Kim got when she posted the first image of the cast last week, it's a pretty darn popular series at that. I haven't read the books, so I will probably be called a blasphemer for saying this teaser reminds me of Anne Rice-style bloodsuckers with a liberal dose of teen angst. The V word is never used and we don't see any blood drinking or fangs, but our hero states that he's been 17 "for awhile" and demonstrates some pretty interesting superhuman abilities. I'll have to see a more detailed trailer before I decide if this is my cup of tea, but it looks like it should have a strong youth appeal.
New this week on AOL Moviefone:
- Edge of Heaven - A German language film about a Turkish man's trip to Istanbul to find the daughter of his father's fromer girlfriend.
- It's A Boy Girl Thing - Thanks to an Incan icon a teenage boy and girl suddenly find that they've swapped bodies.
- The Dark Knight - Third trailer for the caped crusader's latest adventure. Check it out here:
- Reprise - German language dramedy about two lifelong friends with dreams of being successful writers.
- Towelhead - A teenage Arab-American girl tries to come to terms with adolesence and going to live with her father in Houston.
- The Accidental Husband - When a firefighter's relationship is broken up by a relationship expert with a call-in talk show, he gets payback by falsifying records that say they are married.
- Before the Rains - Set in India in 1937, and English entrepreneur seeking to build a spice plantation sparks a dangerous scandal when he strikes up an affair with a local woman.
- A Previous Engagement - A married woman (Juliet Stevenson) takes her family on a holiday to Malta so that she can secretly keep a twenty-five-year-old promise to meet her first love.
- The Incredible Hulk - For the second time, "HULK SMASH!"
- Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - Second trailer for the newest adventure in the land of Narnia.
- The Promotion - Two men vie for a management position at a new grocery store.
