This week we’re ratcheting up the action. With this weekend’s release of “Captain America,” the Great Superhero Glut of 2011 has officially drawn to a close…so obviously it’s time to start looking ahead to next summer’s super-powered offerings! What with the Marvel ultra-collaboration “The Avengers” plus the two films below, summer 2012 could be the most mask-tastic ever. But before we get there, a brief art-house interlude.
Drive (red band)
Nicolas Winding Refn’s thriller has been causing quite a stir in the international film community, what with its unexpected Best Director prize at Cannes and general mix of pulse-pounding genre action and snobby pedigree (how many people have even heard of Refn’s “Valhalla Rising? show of hands?). This sleek, propulsive trailer just pumps up my excitement, and bloggers I trust are saying that what we get here doesn’t even begin to capture what a rush the film is. Sounds pretty bitching to me. I’m fascinated to see comedian Albert Brooks take on a the role of a sleazy villain, and Ron Perlman always provides a welcomingly devilish presence. And is there an actor in Hollywood who picks his role with such pluck and daring as Ryan Gosling (OK, perhaps “Crazy, Stupid Love” aside)?
The Dark Knight Rises
Obviously not much to go on here, since Nolan’s final installment in the Dark Knight trilogy is still in the middle of filming. Most of the film’s most anticipated elements, i.e. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as whoever the hell they are, are still being kept tight under wraps. In fact, all we get that’s new are some incredibly brief glimpses of Tom Hardy as lead villain Bane, a typically goosebumps-worthy speech from Gary Oldman, and that inexplicable chanting. AND IT’S AWESOME.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Now, if we can look past the idiocy of this project even existing (we seriously have to do the origin story again? we REALLY couldn’t just move on with the story?), I think we all have to concede that this trailer is actually really damn promising. I’m already a bigger fan of Andrew Garfield than I ever was of Tobey Maguire, ditto with Emma Stone versus Kirsten Dunst. And that point-of-view stuff at the end is pretty fucking cool – I don’t think anyone has ever captured the crazy kinetics of Spidey swinging around that well before. It’ll be interesting to see the Spider-Man mythos given a more sincere, straightforward treatment, sans Sam Raimi’s sense of camp.
Finally, in related news, a bit of fun from this year’s Comic-Con:
The Best Films of Our Lives 
He is the cutest!! He sounded so nervous and happy. Aww.. Andrew Garfield. Well, seeing that Spiderman was always my favourite superhero (in my limited knowledge of superheroes), that Andrew Garfield is the best, and that the trailer looks really good (and explores a lot more about why he ended up with his aunt and uncle, which the old one.. at least installments one and two… never got into), I’m really excited!
Also, your “Dark Knight Rising” trailer won’t play embedded. Thought you should know.
Tom Hardy looks like he’ll be terrifying.