Join us every week for a trip into the weird and wonderful world of trailers. Whether it’s the first teaser for the latest instalment in your favourite franchise, an obscure preview for a strange indie darling, whether it’s good, bad, ugly or just plain weird – your favourite pop culture baristas are there to tell you what they think.
There would be so many trailers to choose from when it comes to Angela Lansbury, the focus of Sam’s homage in this week’s Six Damn Fine Degrees. Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Manchurian Candidate or Beauty and the Beast, for instance. She even lent her voice to Alexander Payne’s About Schmidt (which I didn’t previously know – thanks, IMDB!) But for so many of us – well, at least the Gen Xers among our readers – the first and most iconic of all of Lansbury’s roles will always be her neo-Miss Marple: Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote. And yes, trailers for classic TV are cheesy and weird, but hey, it’s Murder, She Wrote!
From cosy crime in Cabot Cove to strange, chilling goings-on in the clammy Icelandic countryside: Matt wasn’t entirely convinced by A24’s recent strange gift, Lamb, but there’s a lot to admire about the film.
Which brings us to our regular trailers for the week:
Sam: How could I not write my trailer post about Dame Angela Lansbury, to whom I have dedicated this week’s Six Damn Fine Degrees post as well. A movie I had completely missed was her appearing opposite Dick Van Dyke in Buttons (2018), in which she does her best cute old lady version alongside her Mary Poppins Returns co-star. It’s a rather charming plot surrounding orphans, angels and really achieving anything if you truly believe. A little syrupy, for sure, but maybe a perfect belated watch in the upcoming Christmas season…
Matt: I’ve posted the teaser for The Power of the Dog as well, but since there’s a new trailer and the film’s 1 December release isn’t all that far away, here’s the new trailer for Jane Campion’s latest. I’ve not always been altogether convinced that Benedict Cumberbatch, while being very effective in some tailor-made roles, has all that much of a range… but I suspect that Campion’s new film will show us a side of the actor that we’ve not seen so far. There’s more than a hint of Daniel Plainview to Cumberbatch’s toxic rancher, so who knows? Perhaps Cumberbatch will end up drinking all our milkshakes across the room!
Mege: The soundscape in the all-too-short trailer betrays its A24 provenience, but I would not have guessed by its style that Joel Coen directed this one. OK, Frances McDormand is in it, which is a giveaway, and I cannot wait to see her get blood on her hands. While it’s not Joel’s first black and white endeavor, the style is more reminiscent of Bergman or of The Green Knight than of, say, The Man Who Wasn’t There. What’s more, it’s Joel Coen’s first standalone credit as director. And Denzel Washington in the lead is a great choice. Can’t wait to see this one.
A Damn Fine Cup of Culture 