10 Missed Trailers

Every year, when I am compiling my top 100 trailers list, I come across some great trailers I’ve forgotten all about. With 400+ trailers released each year that’s as easy as you might imagine. This year I thought you might enjoy seeing some great trailers that you may have missed or forgotten. These are all indie or foreign films that have played the festival circuit and are either coming soon to theater or DVD. Here’s the group – feel free to add your suggestions below in the Strike Back section.

WALTZ WITH BASHIR

First up is the movie WALTZ WITH BASHIR. This movie has a unique visual style that is alone worth the price of entry. It has received quite a bit of critical acclaim and was selected as Israel’s entry for Oscar’s Best Foreign Language Film. It is currently in limited release and might expand further if it does well on Oscar night.

GIVE ‘EM HELL, MALONE

It is common knowledge that Thomas Jane is the king of the JoBlo kingdom. The man carries himself like a freight train and always knows how to kick ass. This one is for his unreleased action thriller GIVE ‘EM HELL, MALONE. It’ll be out this April but you may have to hunt it down in an art house because it will likely be a limited release.

KILLER AT LARGE

I am a junkie for documentaries and this is one that may have snuck under your radar too. KILLER AT LARGE has shown at a couple festivals and I couldn’t dig up anything about a DVD release. Basically, it is an in depth look at the obesity epidemic and how it is the greatest threat to American life. Not terrorism and not global warming, but getting chubby.

GOLIATH

GOLIATH is one of those Sundance releases that gets some chatter in January and then, kind of, disappears. This wacky comedy is about a dude who just got divorced and becomes a bit obsessed looking for his lost cat. Apparently, its available for rental On Demand if you have Comcast and a DVD is coming some time soon.

THE COTTAGE

The next one up is an import, THE COTTAGE. This horror flick stars Andy Serkis from the LORD OF THE RINGS, as well as, super hottie Jennifer Ellison. The trailer is very cool and here’s what Variety had to say: “there’s still enough blood, mangling and spilled guts to keep genre fans fairly happy.” What else could you want? Buy this DVD on Amazon!

SHOTGUN STORIES

This indie, SHOTGUN STORIES, saw release in April but failed to pick up steam. Even the glowing words of Roger Ebert couldn’t help: “Few films are so observant about how we relate with one another. Few are as sympathetic.” The trailer is compelling and worth a glance. Buy this DVD on Amazon!

ELITE SQUAD

ELITE SQUAD is another cool import that kept under the radar despite garnering tons of awards in South America. While I think the trailer is very cool, be forewarned that reviews skew towards the negative on this action flick. Buy this DVD on Amazon!

BACKSEAT

The next indie has been hitting festivals since 2005. BACKSEAT saw theatrical release in March of 2008 but wasn’t able to breakout. This is one of those typical indie road movie types that has a pretty good trailer and might show late at night on IFC someday. No news on a DVD so you’ll have to do some research to find it.

MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY

Hyped at SXSW, MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY stars the new breakout comedian Wyatt Cenac from the Daily Show in a movie reminiscent of BEFORE SUNRISE. Theatrical release is in February and early reviews are solid. Hipster film critic Karina Longworth lays it on heavy: “MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY offers a self-contained rebuttal to claims that precious, naturalistic dramas about the existential dilemmas of hipster singles are exclusively a white man’s game.” Dig it.

IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS

Finally, yet another BEFORE SUNRISE pretender, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS has been on the festival circuit since 2007 and then saw limited release in August. Reviews were generally positive but not enough to propel it to GARDEN STATE or ONCE status. My favorite blurb was in the Hollywood Reporter: “An amusing ensemble piece about the troubles of dislocated twentysomethings attempting to find their way through life and love.” No DVD release date is set.

Make sure to check soon for my list of the Best Trailers of 2008!