Trailer Hitch

By Eric Hughes

June 5, 2008

He's no sillier looking than anyone from Poison.

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Welcome to Trailer Hitch, BOP's look at the latest movie trailers to hit the Internet. This week: Rainn Wilson goes nuts in his first leading role, Alan Ball finally gets back in the Hollywood game and the Coen brothers keep the creative train rolling with a new dark comedy release.

The Rocker – Opens August 1st

Whoever came up with the brilliant idea to let Rainn Wilson portray a washed-up '80s rocker who gets a second chance at fame is, for lack of a better word, brilliant. From former Simpsons writer Wallace Wolodarsky comes The Rocker, a comedy starring the man behind The Office's Dwight Schrute in his first-ever starring role. And based on his character's bizarre, cracked-out antics - fire breathing, excessive yelling, scary obsession to rock music, drunken fits - let's just say it's a character very reminiscent of someone funny man Will Ferrell could play as well. The catch here is that Wilson's new band is made up of a group of high school kids, since it is Wilson who subs in for the band's drummer when for irrelevant circumstances he is forced to drop out. At least from the looks of the trailer, the film - and the band itself - appears to be so ridiculous that it is, in fact, funny. And if I'm right about Pineapple Express turning out to be totally lame, Hollywood now has a comedy to carry the month of August.

Towelhead – Opens August 8th

Wait, American Beauty scribe Alan Ball is finally back on the silver screen? Get out of town! No seriously he's back, after a nearly decade-long absence from Hollywood to work on a little critically-acclaimed HBO show called Six Feet Under. Well, Alan, I'm glad you're back, because your new project looks fantastic - like everything else you've touched. Based on Alicia Erian's 2005 novel of the same name, Towelhead is the story of a young Arab girl (Summer Bishil) who is sent to live with her Lebanese father (Peter Macdissi) in Texas during the first Gulf War. While there, Jasira struggles with her new lifestyle by clashing with her strict father and racist classmates. The film even seems to share some American Beauty-esque themes, like an analysis of small town, suburban life and a May-December romance between Jasira and her bigoted neighbor (Aaron Eckhart). Toni Collette and Maria Bello also star.




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The Accidental Husband – August 22nd

From newbie scribes Mimi Hare and Clare Naylor, The Accidental Husband stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan as New York firefighter Patrick Sullivan, who is told by his girlfriend (Justina Machado) that they should break up after she gets advice from relationship expert Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman). To get back at Emma, Patrick "accidentally" marries the doctor with the help of his computer-savvy neighbor, which doesn't go over well considering Emma is currently engaged to another man (Colin Firth). Regardless, Emma ends up tracking down Patrick to resolve the matter, only to find out that she may not even want to marry her former fiancé anymore. Though this one has a strong cast, it appears like it's just another way - a unique one, at best - to tell the same, generic story. Let me guess: At the end of the film, Emma ends up with Patrick, because she simply can't live without his charm and good looks? Thought so.

Burn After Reading – Opens September 12th

Ever since I was blown away by the Coen brothers last winter with their Academy Award-winning No Country for Old Men, I have anxiously awaited their next release. Fortunately, it's finally here. The film, Burn After Reading, is a dark comedy that focuses on the world of the CIA, in which a former agent (John Malkovich) misplaces a disc containing pertinent information in a gym. It is later picked up by a trainer (Brad Pitt) and the gym's owner (Frances McDormand) who intend to use the disc to blackmail the CIA vet. Also starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons, the Coen brothers basically prove they not only know how to make a great film, but also have a lot of friends in Hollywood. The trailer ensures that this one looks like another winner, yet I do find it troubling that Focus Features decided to release Burn After Reading during the awkward month of September.

Gonzo – Opens TBA

Featuring a fast-paced trailer peppered with a hip, rocking soundtrack, Gonzo looks like it has the potential to be a wildly entertaining documentary - of course, as wildly entertaining as documentaries go. Its subject is the late American journalist Hunter S. Thompson, author of the famed Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and creator of gonzo journalism, in which reporters become the central figures of their stories. Director Alex Gibney makes use of intimate, never-before-seen home videos and interviews friends, enemies and the likes of Jimmy Carter, George McGovern and even Pat Buchanan, who mentions in the sneak peek that Thompson once called him a "half-crazed, Davy Crockett running around the parapets of Nixon's Alamo." Apparently, the man didn't hold anything back. The docu also stars Johnny Depp as its narrator.


     


 
 

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