Oscar-nominated writer-director Oren Moverman returns behind the camera for Rampart, a fantastic second film that sees him to return to work with Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster from his debut, The Messengers.

This time around, Harrelson is front and centre in the corrupt L.A. crime drama, and it’s a role that has been deservedly described as the performance of his career. I saw the film at the London Film Festival late last year (you can read my review of the film here), and it was by far one of the best corrupt cop dramas I’ve seen in years.

“Los Angeles, 1999. Officer Dave Brown is a Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop, dedicated to doing “the people’s dirty work” and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate. Brown internalizes his fear, anguish and paranoia as his world, complete with two ex-wives who are sisters, two daughters, an aging mentor dispensing bad advice, investigators galore, and a series of seemingly random women, starts making less and less sense. In the end, what is left is a human being stripped of all his pretense, machismo, chauvinism, arrogance, sexism, homophobia, racism, aggression, misanthropy; but is it enough to redeem him as a man?”

To whet our appetites for the film, Millennium Entertainment have now made the first five minutes available to watch online through Yahoo Movies, and if you weren’t interested in seeing this movie already, I highly recommend you watch the clip below to get excited for its release at the end of the month.

James Ellroy, heralded as one of the best crime novelists in America, co-wrote the script with Moverman, and along with Harrelson and Foster, the cast includes terrific performances from Ice Cube, Robin Wright, Brie Larson, Ned Beatty, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, Cynthia Nixon, and another collaboration with Steve Buscemi, who took a role in Moverman’s first film too.

Rampart will be released here in the UK on 24^th February, which will see it opening against Katherine Heigl’s One for the Money and Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds’ Safe House. If you’re heading to the cinema that weekend, I’d definitely recommend choosing Rampart as your film of choice. Harrelson deserves every bit of the recognition he’s been getting for his role, and Moverman shows that the Oscar-nominated The Messengers was clearly no fluke. I’m already excited to see what the writer-director brings us next. For now, here’s the great opening of Rampart, which will be with us in full in less than two weeks. Enjoy.

Unpredictably co-directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who brought us Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, the film adaptation of the 1980s hit TV show 21 Jump Street has been receiving great reviews on its early preview screenings, and it looks like we’ve got a great action comedy in store for us in a few months’ time.

The film is led by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, with a great supporting cast that includes Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, The Office’s Ellie Kemper, and a cameo from Johnny Depp himself, star of the original show.

A new international trailer has hit the web, courtesy of Trailer Addict via The Playlist, giving us a look at a few new scenes that we’ve not seen in any of the earlier trailers so far (you can catch up on them and everything else 21 Jump Street-related right here).

“In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.”

Co-written by Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Hill himself, I think 21 Jump Street should be one of the funniest comedies this year, and I’m looking forward to it. The scene in this new trailer where Hill just plain pushes his mum’s friend into a box of shoes might be straightforward physical comedy, but it works. Along with Tatum and his female teacher. All great stuff. It’s set to be released here on 16^th March, so we’ve got less than two months to wait now. Enjoy.

We got the first two red and green band trailers for the upcoming 21 Jump Street film adaptation back in November, and they looked so great. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill look to have such great comedy chemistry in this, bouncing off each other perfectly, which is naturally a good thing in an action comedy like this. Think Seth Rogen/James Franco’s unexpectedly great chemistry in Pineapple Express, and you’re on the right track.

We then got a brand new trailer for the film yesterday, and to follow it up, we’ve now got the film’s brilliant first poster to share with you, courtesy of their own Facebook page.

Co-written by Hill and Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), the film has been helmed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, best known for their previous work co-directing Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, and if these trailers are anything to go by, they’re going to make a brilliant live-action feature debut together.

“In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.”

Along with Hill and Tatum, the film stars Ice Cube, who’s looking awesome in the trailers, his upcoming Rampart co-star Brie Larson, and Dave Franco, with a cameo to come from the 1980s original TV series’ star, Mr. Johnny Depp. Can’t ask for much more than that. 21 Jump Street will be hitting the big screen here in the UK on 16^th March next year, which is definitely a date I’m getting excited about. Without further ado, here’s the great first poster. I’m loving the look of Tatum and Hill in this from all we’ve seen. As usual, click to enlarge.

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/12/21/channing-tatum-and-jonah-hill-look-great-in-first-21-jump-street-poster/feed/ 0 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/12/16/woody-harrelson-deserves-no-sympathy-in-new-extended-clip-from-corrupt-cop-drama-rampart/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/12/16/woody-harrelson-deserves-no-sympathy-in-new-extended-clip-from-corrupt-cop-drama-rampart/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:00:20 +0000 Kenji Lloyd http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=119873

For Rampart, writer-director Oren Moverman has reteamed with Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster, the stars of his Oscar-nominated debut, The Messenger, and he’s made what I think is the best cop crime drama since L.A. Confidential. I got to see the film at its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival back in October, and I absolutely loved it; it deserved every one of the 5 stars I gave it in my review (which you can read here).

Since then, we’ve seen the release of the film’s terrific first poster, along with an immense first trailer that really whets the appetite – and makes me want to see it again so much – and ComingSoon.net have now got a great new extended clip to share with us from the film.

Co-written by James Ellroy, often heralded as one of the greatest crime novelists in America, Rampart is led by Harrelson in what is being described as the best performance of his career, supported by a cast that includes Foster, Ice Cube, Robin Wright, Ned Beatty, Brie Larson, Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, and Cynthia Nixon.

“Los Angeles, 1999. Officer Dave Brown (two-time Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson) is a Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop, dedicated to doing “the people’s dirty work” and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate. Brown internalizes his fear, anguish and paranoia as his world, complete with two ex-wives who are sisters, two daughters, an aging mentor dispensing bad advice, investigators galore, and a series of seemingly random women, starts making less and less sense. In the end, what is left is a human being stripped of all his pretense, machismo, chauvinism, arrogance, sexism, homophobia, racism, aggression, misanthropy; but is it enough to redeem him as a man?”

In this new clip, we get to see Harrelson at the head of his dysfunctional family, involved with two sisters, each of whom has mothered one of his two daughters, and we see him here as a terrible father, a terrible partner, a terrible human. It’s an incredible performance from him, and I am truly hoping that it will be recognised when the nominations are announced for the Academy Awards in January, and again when the winners are announced at the end of February.

Rampart has had its Oscar-qualifying run in the US and will be opening wide there on 27^th January, and will be coming to the UK very shortly after on 10^th February. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see it again.

Oscar-nominated writer-director Oren Moverman’s return to the director’s chair for his second film, Rampart, is absolutely brilliant. I was lucky enough to catch the film at the London Film Festival back in October and thought it was utterly flawless.

The film sees Moverman collaborating once more with the stars of his first film, The Messenger, Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster, having co-written the script with none other than James Ellroy, heralded as one of America’s finest crime novelists, writer of the original L.A. Confidential book upon which the 1997 film is based.

Apple have now put out an immense first trailer for Rampart, and it gives a brilliant glimpse at Harrelson’s tour de force performance throughout.

“Los Angeles, 1999. Officer Dave Brown (two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Woody Harrelson) is a Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop, dedicated to doing “the people’s dirty work” and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate. Brown internalizes his fear, anguish and paranoia as his world, complete with two ex-wives who are sisters, two daughters, an aging mentor dispensing bad advice, investigators galore, and a series of seemingly random women, starts making less and less sense. In the end, what is left is a human being stripped of all his pretense, machismo, chauvinism, arrogance, sexism, homophobia, racism, aggression, misanthropy; but is it enough to redeem him as a man?”

Along with Harrelson and Foster, the film also stars Ice Cube, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Robin Wright, Anne Heche, Brie Larson, Ned Beatty, and Cynthia Nixon.

Having seen the film already (you can read our 5-star review of it here), I know just how good it is, and I can’t recommend it to you enough. The film’s been screened at a number of festivals already, and the response has been very similar to ours, with such respect for Harrelson’s performance especially, deservedly described as the best in his career.

Rampart will be getting an Oscar-qualifying run in the States before the end of the year, and after that it will then go on wide release at the end of January there. Unfortunately, the UK’s yet to have its release date scheduled, but I remain hopeful that it won’t be much longer after the US get to see it. I think the film stands a real chance of taking a number of nominations at the Oscars early next year, and with any luck, the UK will get to see it before the awards ceremony in February. I can’t wait to see it again; it really is absolutely brilliant. Without further ado, here’s the terrific first trailer. And you can head on over to Apple if you’d like to see it in stunning HD.

We got our first look at the upcoming remake of the ’80s TV series, 21 Jump Street, back in May this year, showing us Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in their cop uniforms, with Jonah Hill looking a lot slimmer than we’re used to seeing him.

The film’s first red and green band trailers have now arrived, courtesy of Collider and ComingSoon.net respectively, and they give us a great idea of what to expect. Essentially, this should be a lot of fun.

The green band trailer’s pretty much the same, with one additional scene, minus all the swearing. So naturally, the red band trailer’s not suitable for work.

A little unexpectedly, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs’ co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are helming this remake, which Hill has co-written himself with Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World).

“In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.”

The film will also star Ice Cube, who is brilliant in the trailer(s), Brie Larson, and Dave Franco, with a cameo coming from the original series’ star, Mr. Johnny Depp. 21 Jump Street is set to hit the UK on 16th March next year, and judging from these trailers, it should be a pretty great success. Without further ado, here’s the red band trailer first, followed by the green. Enjoy.

And if you fancy seeing the red band trailer in glorious HD, then you can click on over to the film’s Facebook page, where Hill and Tatum will introduce it to you after hitting the Like button.

Back in May, we got the terrific first look at Woody Harrelson in his next upcoming film, Rampart, along with the official full synopsis, and right from the get-go it looked and sounded brilliant.

Earlier this month, we then got the first three clips from the film, just after it had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where it was very much well received.

Now comes the fantastic news that Millennium Entertainment have acquired the US rights to the film for $2m., Deadline report, and they have their eye on taking a shot at the Oscars early next year. They are currently planning on releasing the film in twenty cities across America, and since the Academy’s rules for eligibility state that the film must have at least a week-long run, specifically in Los Angeles County, within the calendar year (Rule 2.2 c., d., and f.), we can be pretty sure that at the very least, LA will be lucky enough to see Rampart before the end of the year.

“The last of the renegade cops, LAPD officer Dave Brown (Harrelson) is caught on tape “doing the people’s dirty work” and finds himself at the center of a vicious scandal. The days of being above the law are over. Now a poster boy for police corruption, Dave learns he’s been targeted by cop killers looking for revenge. Nothing is what it seems as Dave descends into the L.A. underworld and exacts his own brand of justice.”

Millennium are planning on campaigning for Harrelson on the Best Actor front for the Academy Awards, and for writer-director Oren Moverman for both Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Since famed American crime author James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) co-wrote the script with Moverman, this would be the writer’s first nomination if he and Moverman do get a nod for Best Screenplay.

Neither Harrelson nor Moverman are rookies when it comes to the awards. Both received tremendous praise for their work together on 2009’s The Messenger, which earned Harrelson a Best Supporting Actor nomination and Moverman a Best Screenplay nomination with his co-writer, Allesandro Camon.

Having not yet seen Rampart, I of course can’t say for sure how Oscar-worthy the film is. But everything about it suggests it deserves a shot at the awards. With an Oscar-nominated writer-director with a twice-nominated leading man, and a terrific support cast that includes Ben Foster, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Brie Larson, Ice Cube, and Robin Wright, there’s really no way that this film won’t be incredible. There’s no word yet on when the release date will be, either here or in the States, but Deadline do note that the majority of the film’s international rights have been sold already, so let’s all keep our fingers tightly crossed that the UK is included, and that Rampart will get a release here before the end of the year too. I cannot wait.

This is a film that I truly cannot wait for.

Directed and co-written by Oren Moverman (The Messenger), and co-written by the celebrated US crime novelist James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential), the film has just had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Moverman first started making a name for himself back in 2007 as co-writer on I’m Not There., the Bob Dylan biopic starring the likes of Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger. He then earned himself an Oscar nomination with his 2009 directorial debut, The Messenger, starring Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, and Jena Malone.

For Rampart, he’s working together with Harrelson and Foster again, after proving so successful first time around, for his highly anticipated follow-up to The Messenger, and I can’t wait to see his next film. Based on the real-life Rampart scandal of the late 1990s, which saw the investigation of the corruption within the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) anti-gang section of the LAPD,

“Its central protagonist is Officer Dave Brown (Harrelson), a Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop who operates by his own rules within the Los Angeles Police Department. A bit of an eccentric character to begin with — he has fathered children with two sisters (Anne Heche and Cynthia Nixon), each of whom he intermittently lives with — he also marches to his own beat and plays by his own rules on the job… that is, until he is caught on tape beating a suspect and is subsequently scapegoated by his own Rampart division when it falls under a corruption investigation. Haunted by his past actions and the implications that they have had on both others and himself, he begins to mentally unravel.”

Harrelson and Foster aren’t the only two talented stars Moverman has enlisted for this project, with Rampart also starring Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, and Cynthia Nixon, and by all accounts, that’s a cast capable of a lot.

These first three clips from the film, combined into one video, come courtesy of THR via The Playlist, and they are a brilliant first look at the film that show how amazing we can expect it to be. The pictures we’ve seen from it have been so great, and this video just compounds that.

If you’re going to the BFI London Film Festival next month, then you can count me sincerely jealous, because Rampart is one of the many great films that have been announced as getting their UK premiere there. The film is still seeking distribution both here and in the States, so no word yet on an expected release date, but I really hope that it won’t be too long a wait now. I can only assume how brilliantly it’s done at Toronto, being one of the most anticipated films playing the festival, and how terrifically it should do at the London Film Festival next month, so hopefully it will get snapped up very soon.

Anchor Bay have released the first trailer for their new movie, Tanner Hall which is directed by Francesca Gregorini, Tatiana von Furstenberg and stars Rooney Mara, Georgia King and Brie Larson. The odd thing with this one is that the movie was actually made back in 2009. More than likely, it’s getting it’s release as Rooney Mara has become rather a big star since it was made as she is set to play opposite Daniel Craig in the David Fincher US remake version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

It’s nice to see the movie coming out. No UK release date as yet but the US will see it on September 9th.

Have a watch of the below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Source: Vulture

The Playlist has got three great new images and the first full synopsis from the upcoming L.A. cop drama, Rampart, starring Woody Harrelson in the lead role.

The film is to be directed by Oren Moverman (The Messenger), and has been scripted by Moverman and the brilliant novelist, essayist, and screenplay writer James Ellroy (Street Kings, L.A. Confidential).

Rampart is based on the real-life Rampart scandal of the late 1990s, which saw the investigation of the corruption within the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) anti-gang section of the LAPD, with over 70 cops implicated and convicted, making it one of the most widespread and notorious instances of police corruption in U.S. history. And, if that is anything to go by, the film is going to be utterly immense.

Supporting Harrelson in the lead will be Ice Cube (Friday), the main investigator that’s gunning for Harrelson’s character, Dave Brown. The film will also star one of my favourite actors, Ben Foster (Alpha Dog), Sigourney Weaver (Avatar), Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs), Brie Larson (Scott Pilgrim), Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Anne Heche (Donnie Brasco), and Ned Beatty (Toy Story 3). Looking at that list, we’re in for a real treat.

Many of Ellroy’s novels have been turned into films, including the truly incredible L.A. Confidential and The Black Dahlia. In his novels, and now in his films, Ellroy’s vision of L.A. is like almost no other writers, and I personally can’t wait to see Moverman and Ellroy’s take on the Rampart scandal. And judging from the cast and the first full synopsis, it’s going to be exceptional:

“The last of the renegade cops, LAPD officer Dave Brown (Harrelson) is caught on tape “doing the people’s dirty work” and finds himself at the center of a vicious scandal. The days of being above the law are over. Now a poster boy for police corruption, Dave learns he’s been targeted by cop killers looking for revenge. Nothing is what it seems as Dave descends into the L.A. underworld and exacts his own brand of justice.”

L.A. has been the subject and location of an endless number of novels, films, songs, and every other art form imaginable. This kind of vision of its underworld is something that has been tackled by many artists, and there are those that do it exceptionally, but also those that don’t. Without a doubt, Ellroy is one of those that do, and this project has got me so excited for it that I’m already mentally reserving space in my all-time favourite movies list for it.

According to The Playlist, Harrelson’s performance,

“has already been hyped as “stone cold,” “insane” and one that will likely be recognized come award season.”

That’s just the kind of thing that’s getting me excited. Foster, who’s also acting as a producer on Rampart, has said that the film likely won’t be released until next year. Filming has finished and the project is now in post-production, so I think everyone’s hoping that it might just make its way into a 2011 release. Foster, Harrelson, and Moverman all worked together on The Messenger, which saw Academy Award nominations for Harrelson in the Best Supporting role and for Moverman and Alessandro Camon for Best Original Screenplay. I sincerely believe that these people working together again will produce a work of sheer immensity.

Without further ado, I now present to you, the three pictures. As usual, click to enlarge:

ComingSoon has announced that Johnny Depp has been confirmed for a cameo in the upcoming film adaptation of the ’80s TV show 21 Jump Street, in which Depp was one of the principals for four of the show’s five seasons. He’s since gone on to have a modestly successful career in movies, starring in one or two films that you might have seen over the years.

The adaptation for the big screen is to be directed by Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs duo, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and will be starring Jonah Hill (who has been involved with the project since May 2008, and will also be executive producing), Channing Tatum (who’ll be taking Depp’s original role), Dave Franco, Ice Cube, and Brie Larson in the lead female role.

The film be following in the same footsteps as the original show, about a group of young cops who go undercover in schools, with Cube playing the youngster’s police chief. Hill, who’s also a co-writer on the project, said back in May ’09 that the studio told him,

“they were gonna let me make my kind of movie—an R-rated, insane, Bad-Boys-meets-John Hughes-type movie.”

Whilst the original TV show was a little before my time, I do quite like the sound of that. John Hughes was a prodigious filmmaker (we’ll remember him always), and plenty of Bad Boys-esque action sequences to mix things up can’t go amiss. I think Hill’s had a lot of great roles in the past few years, and he does seem like a genuinely funny person, so I think this adaptation could definitely prove to be a big success. It’s set to be released in the UK on 20th April next year, so we have one year almost to the day to look forward to it.

Here’s a fun post for the evening. It comes from HeroChan.com via a tweet from @GreatWhiteSnark. It’s an animation showing all of the Evil Exes from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World mixed with their original characters from the graphic novel. I thought you might rather like it…. cos I do!

Not much else to say other than Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is released on DVD and Blu-ray 27th December, is directed by the fabulous Edgar Wright and stars Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin,  Brie Larson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Ellen Wong, Anna Kendrick, and Bill Hader.

With the UK premiere of Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World tonight there’s never been a better time to delve deeper into this film, and there’s a nice behind the scenes video which has just been released.

Focusing on the sound design this video from Soundworks Collection (via Collider) intersperses the widely seen trailer footage with some decent behind the scenes shots, and having seen the film last week (you can read our review here) there’s much to enjoy from Edgar Wright’s film and the richness of detail is evident in this video, as is the dedication of the cast and crew.

Here’s the video, there’ll be pictures and interviews from the premiere tonight so check back for those, and then – go and see the film!

We’re trying out a new format for our Scott Pilgrim review. In honour of most of the characters in the film going head-to-head, toe-to-toe, mano-a-mano, we’re having a bit of a review battle.

In the red corner, we have self-confessed Scott Pilgrim-fanatic, Ben Mortimer, a man who has read the comics (several times), and who has spent the last few weeks rocking back and forth excitedly at the sheer mention of anything to do with the movie.

In the blue corner, weighing in at an impressive set of scales, is Jon Lyus, HeyUGuys editor and Scott Pilgrim neophyte. He’s also not quite as pretty as Ben.

Round One – Who is Scott Pilgrim?

Ben: Scott Pilgrim is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Except it sort of is. For all the clever computer game references, and little nods to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comics, there’s something very familiar about Scott Pilgrim vs The World. Between the snowbound setting, the nice-guy lead, the girl with ever-changing hair colour, and the doomed relationships, it feels very much like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. By way of Spaced.

While this was a little unexpected, it certainly wasn’t unwelcome. Eternal Sunshine was an exceptional study in the breakdown of a relationship, and while Pilgrim has little of the depth of Gondry’s film, it covers much of the same territory, with a great deal of skill.

Jon: To me, Scott Pilgrim is all about Edgar Wright. I’ve not read the comics, though I plan to, and only had the numerous trailers and posters to go on. The film arrives on a massive wave of buzz, fueled recently by successful Comic Con screenings, and the internet is the perfect place for this film to whip us all into a frenzy.

When talking to people after the screening the word I kept using was ‘fun’, and there was a signature post-Pilgrim smile on the faces on almost everyone I saw. It was not the second coming as some had predicted, but it is so refreshing to see a film (almost) reach the hype and hyperbole it arrives with. Visually arresting, whip crack funny and rich in geekery there’s much to like with Scott Pilgrim. It is a vibrant and exciting film, Ben likened it to Eternal Sunshine, to me it was more Nick & Norah’s Infinite Combo.

Round Two – And what about his world?

Ben: It’s actually quite interesting that Scott Pilgrim vs The World feels so shallow, because the comics certainly don’t. In adapting the story for film, Wright and co have stripped out a lot of the more complexity. In particular, the theme of coming to terms with one’s past, which is so central to why the comic works, has been reduced to something much more simple and less satisfying.

This lightness is something of a problem for the film, as there are moments where it seems to lose its audience. There was one point in particular, an overblown, computer generated ‘battle’ that simply left me cold. Which is a shame, because in some places the film really does connect. Particularly when Ellen Wong’s Knives Chow is on screen. While O’Malley’s Knives was something of an ancillary character towards the end of the books, Wright makes her very much the emotional heart of the film. Even in very brief scenes, she seems to bring the audience back into the movie, and the fact that she likes Scott, who essentially spends the film behaving like a bit of a whiny dick, makes us like him. It also doesn’t hurt that Wong steals just about every scene she’s in.

While Knives’ character arc is greatly expanded from the comics, and much improved, other characters suffer in the adaptation. The complexity of Scott’s relationship with Kim is only hinted at and Julie Powers is reduced to comic relief. Envy Adams gets the worst treatment, however, as she becomes much more one dimensional, and essentially just another evil ex. Which is a shame, because it would have been fairly simple to develop her into a far more fully fledged character.

Jon: This is Michael Cera’s show, and his tumultuous love life is ably assisted by a great supporting cast. Stand out for me was Kieran Culkin, whose deadpan smarts steal the show more than once. The kinetic style suits the overblown imagination of Scott Pilgrim, and Bill Pope’s cinematography is incredibly seductive and Wright’s visual embellishments work perfectly to accompany us through the lovelorn fantasy world of Scott Pilgrim.

At its heart Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a love story, and Cera and Winstead need to get us engaged in their tryst, and this is where all the sound and fury seemed to count for nothing, I knew what I was meant to feel but their attraction didn’t seem real and while this won’t spoil the film in any way it misses an emotional beat for me which may have been easier to accomplish in six volumes of a comic book.

While I had no reference point for the various compositions which may have been lifted directly from the comic, the invention and the thrill to be had in Wright’s direction was tangible. Scott Pilgrim’s world is a fun place to spend time.

Round Three – Fight!

Ben: Although a few elements of the comic have been cut in the adaptation, it is, for the most part, incredibly faithful. Many of the shots in the film are directly inspired by frames of the comic, and throughout the movie Wright includes many of O’Malley’s visual jokes. It’s also a pleasant surprise how close most of the characters feel to their comic counterparts. With the exceptions already mentioned, every character feels spot on. Cera is essentially still playing Cera, but it works for Scott, and the exes, despite their lack of screen time, each work perfectly, all performed by actors at the top of their game.

This fidelity makes Pilgrim work, but it is also it’s biggest failing. Many of the jokes from the comic seemed to fall flat, whether this was due to an over familiarity with the material, or because they simply didn’t suit Wright’s style is unclear, but this was a problem that ran throughout the film. In contrast, the moments where Wright moved away from the source material were some of the film’s best. An early scene with Scott and Knives playing on an arcade machine is funny, cute and a great set up for later events, and a visual joke involving a shoelace is the film’s funniest moment.

Jon: Playing Scott Pilgrim to the Comic Con faithful may seem like an ostentatious show of confidence but that is the perfect audience for the film. Geek-literate film fans who have played some Nintendo in their time will eat this up, and fans of Wright’s previous film will also find much to enjoy. The soundtrack is pitch perfect and gets the blood pumping throughout, even if the romance flits about like a stoned butterfly with heavy lidded eyes muttering the word ‘whatever’ and never truly engages.

Those looking for more dimensions in their protagonists may find the rapid fire witticisms a little too unreal to fully immerse themselves into, and in adapting the comic book Edgar Wright made almost universally good choices and delivers a film which is as exciting an experience visually as any this year. It sits alongside Kick-Ass as another balls out action comedy, which wraps up its cliches in its fist and delivers a dizzying punch to the senses.

KO!…?

Ben: It is particularly telling that the film really finds its feet when it gets to the point where Wright ran out of comics to work from. While the ending isn’t quite as satisfying as its more complex comic counterpart, it is still the best section of the picture, and while Scott Pilgrim vs The World was certainly good fun, and a decent film, if Wright had been a little more willing to move away from the source material it could well have been perfect.

Jon: This is a very funny film, as we’ve come to expect from Edgar Wright, and its quality lies in the confidence Wright showed in his actors, his own ability and the source material. If you’re attracted by the trailer then you’ll love every second, and if you accept that this film is centred around the imagination and ego of a young, awkward man then you won’t mind the broad brushstrokes applied to the female characters in the film.

I enjoyed the visual thrill and laughed a lot, though it never took my heart and gave it a good beating, it still a lot of fun. There’s that word again.

The Edgar Wright directed adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World graphic novel series hits theatres this week, to a huge wave of anticipation from the Internet movie community. The comic series in question has achieved huge cult acclaim, as has helmer Wright thanks to his work with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

When the first trailers were released for Scott Pilgrim, the web went into meltdown, with millions of hits accumulated in just a matter of minutes. Demand crashed servers as excited fans watched the video multiple times. For some, the wait has been almost unbearable since then and excitement has reached fever pitch. Surely, then, Scott Pilgrim is heading for huge box office success?

Well, no, probably not. Because whilst it is easy to be blinded by the furore over the release of the film seen online, from the point of view of the average mainstream movie-goer, there is very little to get excited about. We know all about the movie, we’ve followed its development, and it has been one of the most talked about films of the summer amongst us movie bloggers. The reality, however, is that those not all consumed by movie and comic fandom, those casual cinema patrons who only take in the TV and press advertising, have absolutely no idea who or what Scott Pilgrim is.

Back in April, the countdown to the release of Kick-Ass ended, and we all expected it to be the surprise hit of the year. We had followed Kick-Ass from day one, we had lived through the trials and tribulations of director Matthew vaughn as he struggled to find a distributor, and most of all we were just damn excited about the movie. The box office numbers, though reasonable, came as quite a shock to us when we realised the outside world just wasn’t interested. Many blamed the marketing campaign, but the sad truth is, the general public just didn’t understand what it was.

Kick-Ass was not a failure. It made a healthy profit by the end of its run, and a sequel appears to be in the works. It just wasn’t familiar enough to the popcorn audience. The costumes were cheap looking, the trailer looked silly, and they didn’t recognise the actors. In short, the general public didn’t get it. These were the reasons for the lack of interest, and i can’t help but worry that the same fate will befall Scott Pilgrim.

It is a cult rather than mainstream graphic novel, and there have been no TV shows or movies previously to bring the character to the attention of the masses. The trailers, though a delight to fans, are incomprehensible to someone who doesn’t know the property, and are in danger of just looking stupid. Again, there are no big name actors involved, and the lack of box office stars and a recognised franchise are not good signs for the financial success of Scott Pilgrim.

Lets face it, there is a lot of love for Michael Cera, but even though he has appeared in mainstream films like Year One,  he really wasn’t the name star of that movie, and it wasn’t exactly a glowing recommendation of any of the actors involved. Parts in Superbad and Juno probably stand him in better stead, but even those films were very much targeted at a niche market. Of the rest of the principal cast, Anna Kendrick is possibly the most recognisable after roles in Up In The Air and the Twilight movies. Mary Elizabeth Winstead has a diverse filmography, but hasn’t really headlined any major movies. Others, like Jason Schwartzman and Chris Evans are better known, but aren’t prominent in the marketing. All in all, if you mention any of these names to the average man on the street you’ll probably get a blank expression.

Failure is a strong word, and i don’t think Scott Pilgrim will actually be considered a failure any more than Kick-Ass was. I think it will have a lower opening weekend than Kick-Ass did. With a pretty low budget considering, though, it will certainly cover costs, and probably make a decent profit. I just worry that expectation is too high, and people will once again be shocked if it only enjoys very modest success financially. Based on the buzz and early reviews it is a great film, and it will be a great shame if only a small percent of cinema audiences check it out. It does have competition this weekend in theatres, with women most likely to see Eat Pray Love and men probably more drawn to Sylvester Stallone and his Expendables. This leaves only the discerning film viewers to go for Scott Pilgrim, and unfortunately they seem to be more and more of a dying breed.

I hope i am wrong, and Scott Pilgrim enjoys the numbers it deserves. It could be a surprise hit, but in a world where M Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender can receive a 7% Rotten Tomatoes rating and still make over $40m in its first weekend, i think the genius of Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim may well be overlooked, despite its infinitely better 76% rating. We shall see in a few days how it has fared on its first weekend of release, and i would welcome the chance to eat humble pie if the worldwide cinema audience prove my cynicism unfounded.

Bazmann – You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/baz_mann

The title of this post is not just an enticement, it’s also a command.

Vulture pointed us towards Spinnermusic who have the nineteen track soundtrack all ready and waiting for you to listen to, right now.

It’s a thing of beauty and should be just the thing to get you in the mood for Edgar Wright’s film, which is coming out all over the place over the next few weeks.

The soundtrack includes songs from Beck, Frank Black, T-Rex, Broken Social Scene, The Bluetones and, of course, Sex Bob-omb and there are handy links to buy the album right there on the page. You can only buy the CD in the US so far – the UK album is out on the 23rd of August.

Here’s the link – what are you waiting for?

Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about Scott Pilgrim.

If you’re familiar with Scott Pilgrim you’ll know that Ramona has seven evil exes and one of these is Hollywood star Lucas Lee, played by real life Hollywood star Chris Evans in Edgar Wright’s forthcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

In the original Scott Pilgrim comics there are glimpse of some of Lucas Lee’s cinematic atrocities in poster form and Edgar Wright has carried this across into his film adaptation. Embedded below (thanks to Empire) you can see the fake posters created for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

I saved my personal favourite till last. Action Doctor, Check Your Pulse May 19.

Find all of our Scott Pilgrim coverage here.

Another impressive piece of marketing for Edgar Wright’s anticipated Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and it’s one of the finest examples of the interactive trailer I’ve seen so far.

Dolled up in its 8-bit glory, this new trailer offers the viewer the chance to hear from Edgar Wright as the trailer plays, giving his usual generous insight into the shots and the inspirations evident.

Word is already coming out of the various screenings and it seems as though Wright continues his winning streak with Pilgrim, we’re seeing it next week and, no – we can’t wait.

Here’s the ‘i-trailer’,

Yahoo had the good sense to put this one online.

I’m going to keep this brief, but suffice to say that some of you have already seen Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

That’s a fact which makes me jealous, but I’m not begrudging anyone having seen this – it looks like a wonderful mixture of anarchy and 8-bit charm and these pics, released today via the Scott Pilgrim Facebook page, just make the long wait until it hits our screens even worse.

In amongst these production stills you’ll see Mr. Wright doing his directing thing, as well as finished shots from the movie (and I can’t help but feel pleased at the pixelated glow around that huge weapon Ramona is sporting in pic number 8), so here are the pics, enjoy Pilgrim Pilgrims.

Not long now…

You can find all of our Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World coverage here.

I am worried Universal Pictures and in turn, director of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Edgar Wright, are in danger of giving away the entire movie in clip form for their new movie.

Scott Pilgrim is released in the UK 25th August and stars Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman), Kyle (Shota Saito) and Ken Katayanagi (Keita Saito) and Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman), of all who Michael Cera’s character, Scott Pilgrim must defeat in battle in order to win the hand of Ramona V. Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

We’ve put clips up for Scott Pilgrim every day since Comic Con started and there’s still a day to go! You can see them and all our coverage of the movie here.

This new clip comes from Yahoo is is called ‘Finish Him’. You can either watch it below or visit Yahoo to view in HD.