How else to explain the fact that the new New Moon trailer has debuted in France before America than to assume French Twilighters are considered better and more deserving than those in the U.S.? Or, is this just part of the continued teaserific marketing strategy from Summit? After yesterday’s trailer teaser ridiculousness, I wouldn’t put it past them, even if the thing was unofficial, recorded on video cam inside a theater and removed for copyright reasons later today. If Summit is really into teasing and whetting appetites, it was likely enough, considering any true Twilight fan would have been attentive enough to see the thing on any number of websites posting it this morning.

Anyway, since the trailer isn’t accessible anymore*, I’ve got nothing else to say about it — not that I know enough about the franchise to comment adequately anyway. I can at least share a screen capture of some bits that I found on a blog called My Twilife. So enjoy that little tease on the right there.

Let’s see what the film blogs are saying about this latest nibble for the impatient fans after the jump:
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So is this a real trend now? Releasing teasers to trailers? Should we call them “trailer teasers,” by the way? Sounds good, since it’s the reversing of the words in “teaser trailer,” right? Actually, don’t answer that; nothing about this sounds good at all. It was silly enough when people were writing about the trailer teaser to The Lovely Bones. I have a better understanding of why we’re paying attention to one for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, because the kids can not wait. Still, I’m wondering how much more of this concept we’re likely to see. I pretty much expect it’ll happen again whenever an Avatar trailer is about to be released, but if this continues next year with the summer blockbusters of 2010, I’ll probably just stop turning on the internet and go live in a non-ad-sponsored cave somewhere.

All I’ve learned from this thing is that Taylor Lautner is beautiful. As if the screaming girls at Comic-Con didn’t already inform me of this. Check out how other film blogs are responding to the trailer teaser after the jump:
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Yesterday, a reader commented that Elvira and mumblecore are to me what Twilight is to most movie blogs — ie: I’ll shamefully cover anything having to do with either. That commenter was correct! And I also like things having to do with Ghostbusters! The above clip, which reimagines the 1984 film as a circa-1954 comedy featuring a super-group of the decade’s comic stars — Martin & Lewis, Bob Hope, Fred Macmurray — isn’t terribly funny, but it makes just enough sense to be satisfying.

The reactions to the new G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra trailer are, as expected, pretty negative. But it’s almost as if bloggers had their write-ups pre-written, because the thing is not that bad. Maybe I just have low expectations and so therefore wasn’t expecting much to begin with, but considering all the crap that movie blogs get excited about on a regular basis, I’m dubious. Those criticizing this trailer so harshly are obviously just going along with the fashion of trashing on this movie. I’m not saying it looks good, but I might actually prefer to see this than, say, the new Transformers sequel.

And if District 9, which does indeed look amazing via its new trailer, is actually “this year’s Cloverfield, then I might also prefer to see G.I. Joe than that, too. Of course, if we go by trailers alone and not presumptions, the little-known-about District 9, which appears to be a faux-documentary sci-fi flick, completely wins the fight over our summer moviegoing dollars. And I’m certainly not alone in seeing the Peter Jackson-produced movie as the champion today. Let’s compare the responses to each trailer, from the usual suspects:

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While not as popular today as the Sarah Palin bikini video, the new red-band trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno is making its way around the blogosphere this afternoon to the delight of many a film writer. I was surprised by the video for two reasons:

1. Universal didn’t really need to release this thing so soon, because the NC-17 rating story brought plenty of buzz to the film for one month, let alone one week. As Steven Zeitchik wrote at Risky Biz Blog, word of the MPAA’s initial decision was already “like a really inexpensive trailer.”

2. Following the hype of the SXSW footage and the “objectionable” material referenced by the MPAA, this trailer actually seems a bit tame compared to what I was expecting, especially from a red-band trailer. It’s a perfectly funny ad and doesn’t do anything to my high expectations for the film, but considering all the excitement this week, I couldn’t help but find it disappointing.

Of course, as usual, few others agree with my disappointment. I know, I’m a cynical curmudgeon who is called a “goon” and a “muckracker” by his friends, but I’m just being honest. Anyway, I’m certain that I’ll be laughing my ass off when I see Bruno in its entirety, so my immediate — and slight — disappointment with the marketing isn’t affecting my anticipation whatsoever. Plus, the following bloggery ballyhooing is going to make more noise than anything I have to say, right?

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The new trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is such a phenomenon today that I’ve even seen celebrities excitedly Tweeting about it (and by celebrities, I mean specifically Rob Corddry). Actually, I think the majority of people I follow on Twitter have squeezed out a gushing statement in 140 words or less. That is, except me (don’t I technically follow myself?). Sure, I’m looking forward to the movie, as a fan of Maurice Sendak and a fan of Spike Jonze and a fan of Dave Eggers, but I don’t think the trailer looks that incredible. And the parts that do look really great remind me of how amazing the trailer for Benjamin Button looked. Remember what happened with that?

Maybe it’s my usual distaste for computer-generated characters; yes, I’d honesty be happier if the Wild Things were made by the Jim Henson Company and all looked like Sweetums from The Muppet Show. I do believe the film includes “suitmation” and animatronics, in addition to CG, but much of what I noticed in the trailer was the computer stuff, and I’m sad to say that, unlike all the commenters at FirstShowing.net, I can’t yet label this as an “instant classic.”

Let’s see if there are any bloggers who agree with me after the jump:

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With all the blockbuster movie trailers that debuted last week (they were officially released to be placed ahead of Watchmen), were you surprised not to see one for James Cameron’s Avatar? I wasn’t, but that’s because the to-be-groundbreaking 3-D sci-fi film won’t be released until this fall, and I’m expecting to see very little from it until at least midsummer. Well, it turns out that the main reason we didn’t see a trailer isn’t because it’s so early in the year; rather, it’s (rumored to be) because Cameron apparently can’t decide on how to market the thing. He’s supposedly passed on eight attempts at a trailer and is now at work on his own cut.

Here’s my idea: show as little as possible. You’re James Cameron and you haven’t given us a feature film in 12 years. And this one’s a return to outer-space sci-fi, not another sappy romantic disaster film. You really don’t need to show one second of footage. Because we’ll be there no matter what.

However you do it, though, as a result of this rumor you have to give us something. The geeks are restless:

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I have always tried to maintain low expectations for Hollywood product in general. But when it comes to highly anticipated movies, particularly blockbuster sequels to popular sci-fi action franchises, my excitement can get the best of me. Whenever I need to calm down my expectations, though, I simply recall all the disappointments of 1997 (Alien Resurrection, The Lost World, the Star Wars Special Edition), and I can get through the hype pretty safely. Considering I’m one of the few who actually loved both Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and (yes, even) McG’s Charlie’s Angels movies, it’s hard for me to believe that I’m also one of the few who isn’t now expecting Terminator Salvation to be the second coming of Christ The Terminator after watching the new trailer (embedded below).

Sure, Christian Bale could very well be a lucky charm to franchise reboots (though does anyone believe this will be even a tenth as good as Batman Begins?) and T4 could easily be better than rival summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (though “easily” is an understatement, because Transformer 2 will suck just as bad as Transformers 1). But with two and a half months left until the movie opens, it’s just too early for us to be going so ga-ga over one piece of marketing. The only thing left to happen now is a backlash, which I guess I’m sort of starting right now?

Here’s a sample of the most extreme gushing to hit the blogosphere since the trailer’s premiere last night:

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Above: the new trailer for one of our favorite films from Sundance 2009, Ry Russo-Young’s You Wont Miss Me (and we weren’t its only fans; Tom Hall called it “a living, breathing demonstration of pure cinema.”) The film next screens at SXSW next month; check out our Sundance preview interview with the director here.

Ramen is a tricky subject to most Americans. On one hand, it means “Cup Noodle,” 24 packages for $2 and ingesting more sodium than once thought humanly possible. On the other, it’s downright delicious when served properly and with things aside from the dried peas or “flavor packets” that come with the cheap versions. (If you’re around New York, we recommend the Ippudo chain or Minca.)

That said, there has only been one great film about ramen: Tampopo. A heart-warming tale of a truck driver helping a widow turn her ramen shop around, it is a regarded whimsical “noodle western” that proves even hobos can be culinary masters. And now, to round out the spectrum, there is officially the Worst Ramen Film: The Ramen Girl.

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We lost two great men last weekend, Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. So, in a timely promotion of the upcoming film Soul Men, which costars Mac and features Hayes in a cameo, MTV has posted four new clips, including the one seen above of Hayes’ appearance (the clip won’t embed properly, so head to MTV to watch). Seeing the two late stars together (with Samuel L. Jackson) somehow doesn’t bring tears to my eyes, but I guess their deaths still haven’t hit me. Perhaps when Soul Men actually arrives in theaters November 14, or maybe when they’re included in the memoriam montage at the Oscars, I’ll appreciate this scene more.

While this clip is relatively short, the other three at MTV.com are pretty substantial, especially considering The Weinstein Co. (via Dimension) still haven’t released a trailer for the movie. My favorite is the first clip, which features an entire performance from Mac and Jackson at a country western bar. Of all the cool scenes that Samuel L. has been in, this one of him line dancing takes the cake. He may not be swearing or beating the crap out of anyone, but he’s the only person I’ve ever seen that doesn’t make the dance seem lame. It almost makes up for his other clip this week, in which he makes The Spirit look really lame.

Remember when trailers would name-appropriately trail the movie? Me neither. I don’t think anyone does. But occasionally trailers are still shown after the main feature. Back to the Future Part III was advertised at the end of Part II, and The Matrix Reloaded ended with a preview of The Matrix Revolutions. As next installments of cliff-hanging series, though, these sequels were like the old serials from which trailers received their name (in one of multiple explanations).

I suggest that previews of big movies starring the main actor of the film you’re currently seeing also follow this model. Why? Because after watching this teaser (boy does it tease right) trailer for next summer’s Terminator Salvation, which is showing with The Dark Knight and which stars TDK’s Christian Bale, I’m too distracted by my excitement for the nex season to fully concentrate on the blockbuster at hand. Wouldn’t it be better if Warner Bros. instead slipped this trailer in right before the Dark Knight credits with an announcement like, “you’ve just seen Christian Bale in The Dark Knight; see him again next summer in … ”

A roundup of favorite comments about the trailer itself (as opposed to its placement) after the jump:

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Oh good! The long-gestating remake of George Cukor’s bitchy masterpiece The Women has a trailer––and just in time to catch all those lady filmgoers in the afterglow of their weekend orgy! Some thoughts:

__Cukor’s original, released in 1939 and based on Clare Boothe Luce’s hit play, was basically a melodrama cranked up to the tempo of screwball; the performances today play as camp, but even the comedy is underlined with some kind of emotional truth. This new trailer plays broad, broad, broad throughout. The whole idea of the text is that it offers a glimpse into the way women behave when together in uncomfortably intimate spaces; going too big with the punchlines and the delivery seems like a tonal mistake.

–Where the original film had an ultimately cynical view of female friendships, depicting them as nuanced and unstable and constantly flipping between fingers-crossed faux sympathy, outright hostility and tentative trust, thisThe Women seems to be surrounding Meg Ryan’s Mary with a Sex and the City-like cadre of demographically varied Bestest Friends. The Annette Benning character, who I think is a stand-in for Rosalind Russell in the original film, seems annoying, but hardly the busy-body back-stabber that Russell made classic.

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We’re not going to start posting reviews of SXSW films until the week of the festival, but having already seen several via screeners, I can promise you that when the time comes I’ll have much, much more to say about Barry Jenkins’ Medicine for Melancholy. A beautifully shot examination of 24 hours in the lives of a boy and girl who hook up at a party in San Francisco, Jenkins’ film has already been compared to certain other handmade movies about the personal dramas of lost urban youth. But Melancholy is politically engaged and formally ambitious in ways that films of this budget level often are not. More than a relationship drama, it’s a portrait of the city in which its set, a grafting of tentative romance onto the city’s very real, very rocky terrain of race, class and cultural conflict.

Above, you’ll find the Medicine for Melancholy trailer; below, Barry Jenkins answers the 4 Questions We’re Asking Everybody. The film premieres at 2:30pm on Sunday, March 9, at the SXSW Film Festival.

Tell us about your movie. Who did you work with, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.

“It’s like Before Sunset meets Do The Right Thing…with a dash of the French New Wave to sweeten the pot.” And yes…I know that makes no sense.

I’ve never considered doing the “It’s like this meets that” game with this film, but looking at the descriptor above I must admit, that pretty much sums it up. Two strangers meet and spend the day together following a random romantic liaison (Before Sunset) while pondering the shifting dynamics of place and identity as it directly relates to their locale (Do The Right Thing). The New Wave references are a bit more obtuse, but…they’re there

It had been quite some time since I’d made my last film—my undergraduate thesis short for film school—and I’d just been through a crushing breakup when I sat down to write the film. I needed direction and an outlet, and making a film seemed the best way to satisfy both. You go four years without doing something and you begin to doubt your abilities. For me, this film is as much a gut check as an artistic endeavor.

The entire crew, all seven of us including the editor and save the sound guy, are graduates of the film school at Florida State. We made this fast and I mean FAST: production ended November 15th and we were sending screeners to festivals by December 27th. Making a movie that quickly is like dancing to a kick ass song: sound coalesces to a hum, vision blurs, the slipping of time, and then…it’s done.

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