New poster combo: Stoker and five for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Here’s the question – which is more disturbing: the skin-smoothing photoshop on display in this international poster for STOKER, or the raw and bloody hand holding a pencil that has surely seen some nasty sights? It’s a detail I missed the first time around and only caught when I was looking over the poster with the express intention of finding something that made it worthy of the atmosphere espoused by this film thus far, and now that I’ve seen it it’s all I can see.

But the question of what it portends, and the reveal of the greater mysteries that plague this obviously disturbed family, will in all likelyhood not be answered except through a viewing of the film itself.  And if you indeed hope to check it out, you’ll have to wait all the way until March 1st.  But by all indications, it will be well worth the wait.

Plot recap: Stoker begins when India’s (Wasikowska) father dies in an auto accident and her Uncle Charlie (Goode), who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother (Kidman). Soon after his arrival, she comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

I have never been a fan of the “man-child” type of modern film character for more than a few minutes at best, so my anticipation for THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE is riding high even if for no other reason than the fact that neither Carell nor anybody else seems to have taken on that sort of role.

Instead, we have an absurd comedy about magic with some quite outrageous designs going on – and, you know, it could be worse.  Maybe I’m just a sucker for plots that deal with magic, but this looks like a load of silly fun.  And sometimes, that’s just what one needs.  Especially by way of coming down from what will surely be a very troubling viewing experience with STOKER just a few weeks before, as THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE arrives March 15th.

Plot recap: Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt’s growing ego. But lately the duo’s greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they’ve grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray, whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show looks stale. But there’s still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act—both onstage and off—if Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.