The (Non)Blockbuster (but look a bit like Blockbusters) Season Is Upon Us!

Here's another in the occasional series of movie trailer roundups. Think of it as a service that allows you to turn up for a film twenty minutes later than the start time and still be clued in on upcoming movies (unless you're in North America where you're now clued up on movies that were out about a month ago but didn't bother to see).

We're now in the sort of post-Blockbuster season, the big summer movies are done and it's still too early for the fantasy epics that appear around Xmas. Usually that means a lot of quirky, interesting pictures but as these trailers show that might not be quite the case this year:

2012



The hugest of summer movies, and yet it's been held until after the summer. Roland Emmerich may be the greatest example of the auteur theory in action, as he keeps returning to that "world getting the shit kicked out of it" theme again and again. Plus they all feature pretty good casts who don't need to actually act, just perform the role of "plot delivery" between the repeated money shot SFX. Queue this being every 14 year old boy's "Greatest Film Ever" relegating Transformers 2 to the number two slot.

Surrogates



Not a bad idea and it's got Bruce Willis in it which is usually a good thing. The suspicion is that it'll end up just being a bog-standard action flick though. There's also the suspicion that it'll start resembling The Matrix, I, Robot and Minority Report. On other words it'll look a bit like Ghost In The Shell (am I right cool kids?).

Pandorum



Ah, some fun family viewing about a group of happy people's first trip into space and all the colourful, joyous things they encounter. I'm guessing, I tend not to bother paying attention to these.

Looks a bit like Alien = good thing
It comes from the same producers as the Resident Evil films = very bad thing indeed!

One for the possibly decent pile.

Whiteout



Or the incredible story of how one of The Monkees' parents invented Tippex.

Again there's a nice idea here, murder in the frozen tundra. Shamefully it looks like the plot goes a bit mental. Plus Kate Beckinsale in a role that should be going to someone like Tommy Lee Jones doesn't quite wash.*

*I'm cheating slightly with this one as I read some reviews of this whilst in Toronto. It's meant to be utter baws.

Fame



If you needed proof that our pathetic 80's obsession has hit saturation point it's this pointless remake of what was already shite. Blame it on X-Factor and American Idol and Swaziland's Got Talent. It's thanks to shows like that that the public supposedly want tales of the route to stardom, missing the irony that since Fame is set in a talent school you actually do need some to get in and graduate, whereas little is required to succeed in those shows.

Sorry, rant over, but fuck you Susan Boyle with your face and bludgeoning voice. Sorry, it really is over.

The most alarming thing about this trailer; they've somehow made the theme song worse. How is that possible?

Oh, and another irony? Nobody remembers the names of any of the original's cast. Take heed cast of the 2009 version!

Fantastic Mr. Fox



Now this looks like it could be fun. Stop motion animation's cool, the original book's one of the best things the mighty Roald Dahl wrote and it's being directed by every indie kid's favourite indie kid director. Looks like much has been changed but the voice cast's good and if Anderson can re-capture the spirit and tone of the book this could be a winner.