Dododreams

Friday I scrammed out of work a bit early to get to the new local la-dee-da cinema for the 4:45 viewing of Stardust. This is a fairy tale, written by Neil Gaiman, and a film that I had been looking forward to seeing, especially since I had recently coincidentally reread the book.

As I settled into the tall-back rocking chair type seat something unusual — nay, unprecedented! — happened: all five of the trailers made me want to see those respective films! After the first trailer I actually got out my wee notebook and started writing down titles so I wouldn’t forget what upcoming movies they were.

First up was Beowulf, which made me swoon a bit with the cast listing. John Malkovich? Anthony Hopkins? Crispin Glover? Okay, the third guy is hypercreepy but dang, the first two alone got my blood pounding, not to mention Robin Wright Penn (who is still lovely) and Angelica Jolie who is easy on the eyes in a “oh my god that woman is insane” way. Not to mention manflesh galore from the looks of it. And dragons! Dragons! Dude!

Here’s the trailer via YouTube for those of us who don’t like Quicktime *coughDadcough*:

This was followed by The Spiderwick Chronicles, which is apparently a book series of some sort, flying on Harry Potter’s coattails. After seeing the trailer elsewhere for the abomination they have made of The Dark is Rising I was just as happy to not have already read these books.

Check it out! Leaf Toads! As in toads made of leaves! Big ones! and fairies, aw I am still 7 years old because I do love the little flower fairies flitting around.

GIVE. ME. THE. BOOK.

Mmmkay, here you go, dude. God, I’m a wuss.

Next up, aw Cate Blanchett is my secret girlfriend, and her starring in a follow-up to Elizabeth is good news for armchair historians everywhere. I had no idea this film was being made. The Golden Age apparently covers the Bloody Mary and Armada period and also features Geoffrey Rush (who I like more and more every time I see him in a film) as well as some hunk I’ve heard about (Clive Owen) as Sir Walter Raleigh. Mostly I’m staring at Cate though, because she is the most mesmerizing female movie star today.

God, she’s something. Maybe I’m naive too but I reckon that they’ve put a lot of research into costuming, settings et cetera in this film so even if it sucks it’ll be worth seeing.

The next trailer was again for a film I had never heard of and at first I was terribly blah about it. Meh, a family feel-good movie, el pucko. Also, is Freddie Highmore in every film this year? But as I watched Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers interact (and he wasn’t being all Gormenghast); and Freddie, well I really liked him in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and damn, the story began to draw on my heart-strings a little. Even Robin Williams didn’t give me the gigantic heebie-jeebies which is saying a lot. Yeah, I’m interested, I’ll see this movie, this August Rush.

And the final trailer was for The Golden Compass, based on the first book of a trilogy by Philip Pullman. I have read the book but didn’t bother with the second and third volumes because despite the intrepid girl (!! not a boy, how enlightened !!) with some magical powers is in peril, journeys with friends, witch is after her, yadda yadda plot I just could not find myself remotely liking the main character, Lyra. I will see the movie though, based on the steampunk look that I’m currently addicted to as well as…

wait for it…

CGI POLAR BEARS!!!

Here’s the trailer, hello Holst music. In terms of cast, Nicole Kidman and her scaryass “fivehead” is well offset by Sam Elliott who I would watch trim his fingernails if he would talk at the same time. And the polar bear, rock on!

And that was what showed prior to the main feature beginning.

On to my review of Stardust:

Fantastic film, thoroughly enjoyable, you don’t have to have read the book, I liked it immensely and would see it again in a second, I strongly recommend it. (Also, I wager someone I know is going to want to own the soundtrack. #;)