“Time to Vote Tuesday” is the session of fun weekly polls which spark thought, debate, and intrigue! Each poll closes in a week with results posted on the following ‘TVT’!

Last week’s poll: “The Hobbit in the Spotlights!“ has officially closed and the results are in with 30 total votes. Asking which 2 characters from Peter Jackson’s presentation of J.R.R. Tolkein’s classic works are your favorite? The competition was fierce and Sauron, without his ring, proved he had little power to control the voters as he ended with 0 votes! haha. Simply put…he didn’t pass!

Gandalf, of course, won the poll as your favorite character in the series, and you may or may not be surprised at how many votes the other options all received. Be sure to check out the rest of the results in last week’s poll HERE! Thanks to all that voted and made last week’s poll fun!

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This week’s edition of ‘TVT’ entitled “Solo Survivor Man” brings up a debate over movies that feature one character for the majority of the film. A one man show if you will. While technically the ones chosen to vote from are not complete solo films (like Secret Honor or The Noah), the ones chosen spend the majority of the film with a focus on just one character in semi/complete solitude facing some sort of peril or danger from without or within.

I’m sure that any of today’s contestants would’ve preferred to be alone as opposed to having Donkey as their companion!

In today’s poll, I’d like for you to consider a few things prior to voting. Consider the performance of the actor (especially given almost nothing or no one to actually interact with during filming), the peril faced, the way the film made you fear/feel and the movie’s rewatchability factor. Some pretty solid contenders in this category (sorry, there is no Wall-E in this poll for reason of the requested considerations and, out of the other options, Wall-E was the least “alone.”)

The poll is asking for the “Best” and not necessarily your “favorite”…which can be different from one another.

Today I ask you:

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Thanks for joining me today! Which one man show did you choose? and why? Let me know in the comment section below! Can’t wait to see the results next week. Be sure to vote before the polls close on 6-25-13. The results will post on next week’s “Time to Vote Tuesday!”

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

***Don’t forget: For regular updates on movie news, rumors, pictures, posters, and more, FOLLOW ME on Twitter and Facebook.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of “Movie News Monday!” (“MNM!”)!!

What is ‘MNM’ all about?

In case this is your first time here, “Movie News Monday!” (MNM) is the place to visit every Monday for a quick recap of trending entertainment news! I’ve collected info, rumors, etc from all over just for you to keep you updated on movies being released, actors/actresses in roles, dvd releases to keep a lookout for, which movie won in the box office over the weekend, etc! Are you ready for your weekly update? Here it is!

This Just In!!…

#1- “The Weekend Winner.”  Last weekend, 2 wide new releases entered the Top Ten of the box office arena. What a SUPER weekend it was as Man of Steel turned out to be Man of Gold and took the top spot (as expected)! In other box office news, Iron Man 3 is just shy of the $400M mark with approx $399,610,000 already. Wow! As predicted last week, The Purge was purged from the top spot as it dropped in earnings a whole 76% from its debut weekend and shortlived popularity.

Here are the weekend’s estimated results for Fri, June 14-Sun, June 16:

1. Man of Steel ~$113M
2. This is the End ~$20.5M
3. Now You See Me ~$10.3M
4. Fast & Furious 6 ~$9.4M
5. The Purge ~$8.2M
6. The Internship ~$7M
7. Epic ~$6M
8. Star Trek Into Darkness ~$5.7M
9. After Earth ~$3.8M
10. Iron Man 3 ~$2.9M

*Actuals may vary as earnings are updated much later on Monday afternoons. For updates, visit boxofficemojo.com.

Congratulations to Man of Steel (read my review).

What did YOU watch this weekend?

#2- “21 Despicable Photos” Here are some of the latest shots from Despicable Me 2 that is scheduled to hit theaters this summer. I am really looking forward to this one as I so loved the first one very much. Check out the gallery below: (To view fullscreen slideshow, click any photo and scroll with the arrow keys)

Official synopsis:

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster, Despicable Me, delighted audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. In Summer 2013, get ready for more minion madness in Despicable Me 2. Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions…and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.

Featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Benjamin Bratt, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, and many more. Despicable Me 2 opens on July 3rd in both 2D and 3D.

Did you like the first one? Are you ready for more Gru?

#3- “Schwarzenegger Comes Back to TWO Franchises.“ He always said he’d be back. This past week, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his expected return to not one, but TWO, action franchises.

Terminator 5 and The Expendables 3 will both star the iconic action hero.

In fact, I’m very happy that the studios want me to be in Terminator 5 and to star AS the Terminator, which we start shooting in January and I’m also going to do King Conan – to play that role and also to do another Twins movie. So I feel very proud of that. I feel very happy and I’m looking forward to doing those films.

As already reported earlier this year, Schwarzenegger is also set to return as Conan in an upcoming sequel AND to do another Twins movie as he just stated above. So the addition of Terminator 5 comes as no surprise. It is set to begin filming this January.

And when it comes to August 15, 2014′s The Expendables 3:

“Not only did Arnold confirm to TheArnoldFans that he will be in Expendables 3, he added that he’s going to start filming in August in Los Angeles!”

Are you happily welcoming the Terminator’s return?

#4- “Bullock to teach in the School of Hard Knocks” Remember the Annie remake that has been in the works? Director Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends with Benefits) already has Beasts of the Southern Wild star, Academy Award nominee Quvenzhane Wallis set to star as the lead (originally was to be Willow Smith), Jamie Foxx to star as Daddy Warbucks (recently renamed to “Benjamin Stacks”) and Will Smith and Jay-Z both sitting in the producer chairs.

Well now Sandra Bullock is in early negotiations to star as Miss Hannigan who is the rather mean woman who runs the orphanage and is the reason for the recognized song “It’s a Hard Knock Life” in the musical. After seeing Bullock act all tough in The Proposal, I’m sure that this role will be a shoe-in for her.

The remake of the 1982 classic is being retold for audiences and is currently scheduled for a December 25, 2014 release.

You can see Bullock next in The Heat with Melissa McCarthy and in Gravity with George Clooney.

Are you interested in this Annie remake?? 

#5- “This Week’s Blu-ray release.” This week, look for the following films on Blu-ray to possibly add to your collection:

Jack the Giant Slayer- This one wasn’t a big hit with me, but several others seemed to like it enough. Starring Nicolas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, Ian McShane, Stanley Tucci and more, this retelling of the classic tale of a boy and some beans is visual intriguing to say the least (or the most). Check out my full thoughts in my review for this film HERE and decide if it’s a tall tale you wish to watch.

Several other films also release this week. Check it out!

Also releasing:

• Movie 43 [the ONLY movie I've EVER walked out on] (read my REVIEW)
• Stoker (read Flixchatter’s REVIEW)
• Quartet (read Flixchatter’s REVIEW)
• The Brass Teapot (read Filmhipster’s REVIEW)
• …and more.

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Well, that’s it for this round of “Movie News Monday!”

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

up next: ”Time to Vote Tuesday!”

What are the “Happy-Haps?!”

…as in the happy happenings that are going on in the movie blogosphere! This is the day of link-love for several movie bloggers and sites that have written articles/reviews that I have not been able to bring to your immediate attention! Today is your day to catch up on many other stories and goings on that just might make you smile…hence the name “The Happy-Haps!” 

(keep in mind that every word highlighted below in gold is a clickable link!)

Happy-Hap #1- Dezzy at The Hollywood Spy shares a real nice spotlight on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. A look at the first trailer’s debut along with an “extenstive spotlight on all you need to know about the epic sequel to the Middle Earth adventures. Character info and backgrounds, locations and photos that any fan of the series cannot afford to miss. This Happy-Hap #1 begins our journey.

-Check it out here: Happy-Hap#1

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Happy-Hap #2- Horror fans don’t want to miss Tim from TimsFilmReviews’ thoughts on the anthology sequel V/H/S 2. The sequel that came out very quickly after the first is possibly better than the first according to him. A fan of V/H/S? Interested in the second one? Be sure to seek out Tim’s review of the sequel.

-Will the third one be called D/V/D? haha. Don’t run from this Happy Hap#2:

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Happy-Hap #3- My friend Nostra at MyFilmViews posts an actor spotlight every Friday in a series that I enjoy entitled “The Many Faces of…” One of his most recent installments paid homage to the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow. Did you know that she was in my favorite movie of all time? Hook! If you are a fan of Gwyneth’s you definitely don’t want to miss this spotlight. How many of her roles can you name? (Perhaps I should’ve made this one Happy-Hap #Se7en!)

-See where Gwyneth began: Happy-Hap#3

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Happy-Hap #4- One of my favorite days is Monday because each Monday, MovieNewsMonday brings some updates on several bits of movie info. But not everything makes it into MNM. Morgan at MorganOnMedia posted his latest “News Bites” with several updates on some things going on from Muppets to Man of Steel to Guardians of the Galaxy and more. See what’s going on in the movie world in his informative update.

-Get your fill of news bites here: Happy-Hap#4

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Happy-Hap #5- Ruth over at Flixchatter.net wrote an article that highlights the gorgeous musical score for a magician movie that often gets overlooked. With Now You See Me still in theaters, you may want to give some love to the film that was dwarfed by Nolan’s The Prestige and watch The Illusionist. With the composed score by Phillip Glass, Ruth shares a part of the film that truly is spectacular. Don’t miss this magically musical Happy-Hap.

-Check it out here: Happy-Hap#5

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Happy-Hap#6- My friend Dan the Lammy Shepherd over at Fogsmoviereviews brings up a question of the ages in his “Great Debate” segment this week. Previous installments have asked which is better between King Kong and Godzilla, Han Solo and Indiana Jones, etc. This week he forces you to vote and debate over Batman and Superman. This is one great debate for the record books. (By the way, I thought I’d share that Dan here is the reason Mr. Happy Hap has some new threads at the top of this post! So, give him some love!)

-Be sure to speak up for your would be DC champion here: Happy-Hap#6

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Happy-Hap#7- Mark over at Marked Movies shares a highlight of several classic scenes in a regular segment of his and in this latest one he looks at the “Let Me See Your War Face!” scene from the Stanley Kubrick classic Full Metal Jacket. This segment is one I enjoy in that it pays attention to scenes that sometimes get forgotten or overlooked in classics. Watch it, read the dialogue and discuss your favorite moment in this Happy-Hap!

-Get your war face on here: Happy-Hap#7

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Happy-Hap #8- Keith over at Keith & The Movies posted a new “Phenomenal 5″ installment that is fitting in this season of summer. A look at 5 movie vacations that went phenomenally bad! Can you think of some already that come to mind? Like Taken? or National Lampoon’s A Christmas Vacation? See which ones made the list of the Top 5 over at this Happy-Hap that I enjoyed.

-Learn which vacation not to take here: Happy-Hap#8

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Happy-Hap #9- My friend Michael at It rains…you get wet shares his tremendous love and appreciation for the opening sequence of 1978′s Superman. With Man of Steel in theaters this weekend, this post is so fitting and a wonderful look at what made the opening sequence so great. Don’t miss this super Happy-Hap and hum along to the music you know so well.

-Fly over to this one here: Happy-Hap#9

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Happy-Hap #10- This Happy-Hap shares  Ian The Cool‘s spotlight and questioning of the movie collector’s philosophy. His confessions of a blu-ray collector begins the segment that asks to debate and question the numerous reasons or lack thereof that exist for people to continue spending money and collecting films (…and then putting them in alphabetical order in their shelves at home like I do! haha, I’m super OCD.) Visit and check out this Happy-Hap that we all can relate to.

-Speak up for movie collectors all over the world in this digital day and age here: Happy-Hap#10

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Well, those are the “Happy-Haps” of the day! Which “Hap” made you Happiest?! Leave a note, discuss and debate! Don’t just read and leave! Share the love!

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

(as usual, I’ve taken a break over the weekend. I appreciate all of the comments and “likes” over the weekend and will be sure to respond to each shortly!)

Up Next:

• “Movie News Monday!”
• “Time to Vote Tuesday 154″

As you know I love checking out and collecting movie posters! With teases of what to expect from the featured film, posters are one of my favorite parts of the whole cinematic experience. If you love movie posters like I do, then you are likely to enjoy the latest ones of the week!

It’s that time again, and, as usual my friend, Bubbawheat (from Flights, Tights and Movie Nights) and I both share our thoughts on the movie posters recently released. These silent movie promoters are the results of the creative brainstorming of some talented (most of them) artists and sometimes can be even more thrilling than the movie they are advertising.

Take a look at this week’s batch: (To view the fullscreen slideshow, click on any one of the posters below and scroll through with the arrow keys.)

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Thoughts:

TheFocusedFilmographer- A few good ones this week. First, the bad: Justin and the Knights of Valour. Why? No one has heard of it and the fact that the poster tries to sell the movie by listing tons of actors, (that no one really knows for the most part) tends turns me away. Very weak poster. Also not a big fan of Passion or Big Star, and Blood makes me think of Inception and Lawless but will be nowhere near as good.

I do very much like 300: Rise of an Empire. The wave, red with blood, is graphically and visually telling. Wanted to point out that the “alien” in Stranded is wearing human clothes as the astronauts approach it. Not sure what’s going on there, but I’m intrigued by that. The To Do List isn’t a fave of mine but it reminds me of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. And, while I usually am not a big fan of the style Paranoia uses, I see Ford and Oldman as kings in Hollywood so I love that caption right under their images. I want to love the Elysium one but it reminds me of the Tom Cruise-centric Oblivion poster. (Ooh, don’t miss the new theatrical trailer for Elysium at the bottom of this post and share your thoughts!)

My faves of the week: 300: Rise of An Empire, Man of Tai Chi and, while The Hobbit one is beautiful, I really like the Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters more.

Bubbawheat-I gotta mention the To Do List, it’s like a complete high school trope microcosm in one poster, they even fit the token black guy in there. And for some reason I feel like they all have weird looks on their faces. I’m also think that “her first F” is a pretty weak double entendre that I wasn’t even sure about until I read the list on the notebook, the only kind of clever thing about the poster. I also wasn’t that fond of the Hobbit poster, for being a poster that focuses on the background, it’s just not that impressive of an image. And finally, I hate to say it, and I’d love to be proven wrong, but when sci-fi titles make themselves look sci-fi by removing parts of the letters like here in Stranded and previously in the R’s of After Earth, it just bugs me.

Enough of the bad ones, lets get to some of the good ones, and there are quite a few. I’m really excited about Percy Jackson, my wife and I love the first movie and can’t wait to see the sequel, and that is such a great image with the symbol of Poseidon in the foreground. I also really like the style of Forever even though I have no idea what that movie is about. The A List  is a neat concept, but I feel like they mimicked the style of Facebook a little to much in the design. And the Man of Tai Chi is absolutely gorgeous. I really love how they used the Yin Yang design, but made it more wild and natural looking rather than forcing it into much cleaner lines. I also really like the feel of Pawn Shop Chronicles, it’s simple, relaxed, but has an air of coolness around it.

My faves of the week: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Man of Tai Chi and Forever.

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Well, what do YOU think? Which ones are your favorites in this spotlight? Which ones do you like/hate and why? Leave a comment!

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As promised, check out the new theatrical trailer for Elysium starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley and more. Look for it in theaters on August 9.

To see past editions of this post (Spotlight on New Posters of the Week), click HERE.

Posters courtesy ImpAwards, Collider and additional sources (visit them to see more like these).

Special thanks to Bubbawheat of Flights, Tights and Movie Nights for joining me today in sharing the New Posters of the Week.

Have a great day!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

Man of Steel

• Starring: Henry Cavill (Immortals), Amy Adams (The Fighter), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) and more.
• Directed by: Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300)
• Synopsis: “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Cavill) is a young twenty-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.”
• Rated: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of destruction and some language
• Must-Watch Trailer:

• Review:

Finally! The wait for the promised Superman film is over. The “Last Son of Krypton” has finally descended to Earth and DC fans rejoice in knowing that they can now revel once again in another hero other than Batman (I mean, Green Lantern and Jonah Hex weren’t doing DC movies any favors. Come on!) Hit the jump to see my thoughts on the latest release from the pages of DC comics to the big screen: Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.

Fans felt neither excited nor disappointed in the choice of Zack Snyder as the director given the daunting challenge of reintroducing the world to Superman. Snyder, known for his stunning visuals that could be considered a character of the film on their own, sat in the director’s chair for films such as SuckerPunch, 300 and Watchmen…all which seemingly then paved the way for Man of Steel. What fans DID get excited over was the involvement of Christopher Nolan who I refer to as the “Godfather of DC.” While many expected a “rerun” of sorts of the Dark Knight Trilogy, Nolan diffused rumors of Man of Steel being “The Dark Knight Revisited.”

…a part of me wishes Man of Steel would have been.

First off, let me tell you that I did still enjoy this long, bombastic, somewhat all over the place superhero film that is a nice tribute to the comicbook superhero known as Superman. The casting worked so well on so many levels. Henry Cavill looks great in the suit (Man, he sure bulked up for the role!), Michael Shannon was what I wanted from Zod, his sidekicks were equally just as ominous and threatening (more villains in movies need credible henchmen/sidekicks like Zod’s. Wow!), and Russell Crowe as Jor-el was perfect (although I couldn’t help but laugh as I found him highdiving into water once again and talking about stars and man…those of you that watched Les Misérables might see the fun similarities to his character Javert.)

It’s funny to think that both of Clark/Kal-el’s fathers were Robin Hood once upon a time…Crowe and Costner (Did you realize that?). Several castmembers played their roles well and their roles were given plenty of purpose. I very much loved Cavill as Superman. I also liked Amy Adams as the relentless, yet less than playfully romantic Lois Lane, but something from her seemed missing.

In Man of Steel, Zack Snyder gives us a great look at Superman as has never been seen before. The suit looks great, his background is given a fresh facelift, the main characters are well-rounded (not so for the secondary characters, however) and the action is pretty on point, albeit a bit repetitive. The problem with superhero movies is that ultimately there isn’t any true danger to fear, only the thrill of the journey to the triumphant ending…so, that being the case, I expected the music to bring emotional highs where the story wouldn’t. But it does not.

Headphones of the future?

Perhaps the most disappointing exclusion is that of an epic musical score. Mr. Hans Zimmer, I sadly say that for the first time you have let me down. Lacking a true theme for Superman, I kept waiting for my spirit to soar watching scenes of Superman take flight alongside an appropriate and powerful theme…but it never really came. Instead, Zimmer’s incessant score takes turns contributing to/distracting from the movie itself. While some may not consider the music as being a part of a film, I find it to be a BIG part of a movie and this one disappointed me.

Snyder’s film eloquently pays attention to some of the greatness of Krypton (so great to see the planet for longer than a few minutes) but loses some of the charm of Superman by not playing into his humanity as much as expected. Part of the appeal of Superman is the struggles he faced as the quirky Clark Kent. Snyder puts that to the side and gives us less “Clark Kent” and more “Superman.” The intermittent look back on Clark’s history is sadly lost among the exciting action.

Man of Steel resembles films such as Avatar, The Dark Knight Rises, Spider-Man, SuckerPunch and Transformers, but it still stands on its own feet and manages to impress despite all of my disappoints. Too much action (I can’t believe that’s a complaint, but there was a bit much), but Man of Steel is gorgeous (Snyder’s fingerprint), long in storytelling at 143 minutes (Nolan’s fingerprint) and pretty thorough when it wants to be (screenwriter David Goyer’s fingerprint).

Ultimately, Man of Steel will soar past the expectations of many fans after the disappointing Superman Returns that was overloaded with character development and too little action. Almost the complete reverse…I said “almost”… this refreshing reboot, loaded with tons of Easter Eggs (see HERE for a few spoiler-filled ones. I particular enjoyed #3, #9, and #17.) is powerful, but lacks an equivalent story, set of sequences and soundtrack to boot as all three are lost amid the distracting long fight scenes. Definitely worth a watch as it is the best representation of the Last Son of Krypton in a long long time. We just need Batman to show up and the Justice League can begin!

Hey Supes, does your “S” mean you hope we will make a movie together?

On a fun note: You will remember that the damage in that The Avengers caused in New York City prompted a news reporter montage calling out the heroes for all of the damage. Well, with all of the damage caused in both Metropolis and that one street in Smallville that resembled a similar street in Thor, I expect there to be a full-length special feature report edition of 20/20 from the Daily Planet as the total dollar amount of damage surely cost three to ten MILLION times more! haha

My Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars for Man of Steel

(Remember, to read this review of mine and over 250 more, check out THE ARCHIVE of movies I have reviewed anytime. Know before you go…or rent…or buy!)

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Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

Up Next:

• “New Posters of the Week!”
• Checking out the Happy-Haps

Here is your weekly fix of “Triple-T” (aka: “Trailer Time Thursday!”)!!

In case this is your first visit to “Triple-T,” here’s what it’s all about:

Seeing as how everyone loves movie previews, “Trailer Time Thursday!” was created to bring all of the trending trailers that you may have missed in theaters, or just need to see, all in one convenient place! It makes Thursdays so great! Get ready! Your Preview Pandemonium awaits!

Check them out and ENJOY!!! 

FYI- A TON of new trailers hit the web this week. I had to split them up, so today, there are TWO (2) parts to “Trailer Time Thursday!” Enjoy Part 2 below. Don’t miss Part 1′s set of trailers HERE.

Trailers:

Blue Jasmine. Another Woody Allen film. This one takes us to San Francisco as opposed to his previous two which took us to Rome and Paris. Cate Blanchatt stars as a woman who somewhat reluctantly reconnects with her sister while in need after life has sent her a curveball of curveballs. Co-starring Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard and more, look for Blue Jasmine to release July 26.

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Snowpiercer. Here is the first international trailer for Snowpiercer. This futuristic post-apocalyptic film is set in 2031 and the world’s last survivors exist only on a train where the control of the powerful causes several passengers to rise up and fight the power. Directed by critically acclaimed director Joon-ho Bong, this one stars Chris Evans, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer and many more. All aboard Snowpiercer when it theaters later this year.

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The To-Do List. Safety Not Guaranteed‘s Aubrey Plaza stars in this American Pie-ish tale of a highschool senior on a goal of sexual awakening through a list of accomplishments to achieve prior to her college freshman  year. The peer-pressure is on in this highschool comedy that looks to be full of several expected characters and plot points. Come on. You already know how it will end. Will you sit through the same story again? Is this July 26 release on YOUR to-do list?

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Pawn Shop Chronicles. I have little words for this dark comedy that I knew nothing of prior to today. Here’s the cast: Paul Walker, Brendan Fraser, Norman Reedus, Elijah Wood, Vincent D’Onofrio, Thomas Jane, Lukas Haas, Matt Dillon, Chi McBride and more!  And here’s the synopsis from IMDB: “A missing wedding ring leads to a wild-goose chase involving meth addicts, skinheads and an Elvis impersonator.” This is a 2013 release.

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Man of Tai Chi. Keanu Reeves stars and directs this martial arts film in which an enthusiast/investor in martial arts finds and employs a young martial artist with an opportunity unlike any other. Perhaps this is The Matrix meets Enter the Dragon? This one looks rather promising. Actor Tiger Hu Chen is an accomplished martial artist himself and starred in or completed stunts in films such as Kung Fu Hustle, Matrix Reloaded, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, House of Fury and more.

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Magic Magic. Michael Cera, Juno Temple and Emily Browning star in this dark psychological thriller in which a young woman, while vacationing in remote areas of Chile isolated from her friends and family, ends up in the company of strangers with seemingly insidious intentions. Are things all they seem? Watch this dark trailer that shows Michael Cera in a different light (or shall I say, shadow). This 2013 release may be more than smoke and mirrors afterall.

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Spotlight Video of the Week:

Featurette for Rush

Check out this behind the scenes featurette for Ron Howard’s next film about Formula One racing champion Niki Lauda. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Rush has had a few trailers featured on TrailerTimeThursday before but this behind the scenes featurette is pretty neat. Ron Howard seem rather passionate about this project and I am looking forward to seeing Thor in a different type of role as Lauda’s challenging opponent James Hunt. The video is not one I could embed so you must click the link below to view it.

Video: Click HERE to watch it.

Look for Rush to start on September 20, 2013.

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Well, that’s it for this round of ‘Triple-T’!

My favorite trailers from today: Thanks for watching today’s trailers. Hopefully plenty were new to you. Today, my favorite trailers from this round of “Triple-T” are- Man of Tai Chi, Snowpiercer and Magic Magic. Which ones are your favorites?? (Don’t forget to see the trailers from Round 1 of Triple-T HERE)

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This Weekend’s Theatrical Releases:

Are you ready for the weekend in theaters? Here’s what releases this weekend, June 14, 2013:

• Wide Release: This Is The End (my review HERE) and Man of Steel 
  
• Limited Release: 20 Feet From Stardom, Beberian Sound Studio and more.

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

Up Next:

• Review for Man of Steel
• “New Posters of the Week!”
• Checking out the Happy-Haps

Here is your weekly fix of “Triple-T” (aka: “Trailer Time Thursday!”)!!

In case this is your first visit to “Triple-T,” here’s what it’s all about:

Seeing as how everyone loves movie previews, “Trailer Time Thursday!” was created to bring all of the trending trailers that you may have missed in theaters, or just need to see, all in one convenient place! It makes Thursdays so great! Get ready! Your Preview Pandemonium awaits!

Check them out and ENJOY!!! 

FYI- A TON of new trailers hit the web this week. I had to split them up, so today, there are TWO (2) parts to “Trailer Time Thursday!” Enjoy Part 1 below now, Part 2 will post at 12:30pm MST. Don’t miss the rest of the trailers!

Trailers:

The Frozen Ground. In this trailer, Nicolas Cage reminds me of the roles he had when I enjoyed more of his movies. He stars alongside John Cusack and Vanessa Hudgens in this thriller that is based on actual events. An Alaskan state trooper is on the trail of a suspected alleged serial kidnapper/murderer with the help of the only young woman victim to ever escape his grasp. Look for things to heat up as The Frozen Ground releases on August 23.

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Runner Runner. Directed by Brad Furman (who directed The Lincoln Lawyer), this crime drama stars Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton. In it, a young college student faces high tuition and higher stakes after trying to go head to head against on online poker game manipulator who he thinks cheated him out of his money. Once in Costa Rica, the allure and the opportunity for more money makes him decide to partner with his opponent and find a way to enjoy a winner-takes-all bounty as the FBI also is pressing him for help. Prepare to crawl, walk and run to Runner Runner in theaters on September 27.

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300: Rise of an Empire. After being pushed back from an original release date of August 2013, the outlook of this sequel looked as bleak as the Battle of Thermopylae did to Leonidas and his army of Spartans. This first trailer attempts to change our minds. Watch the visually impressive trailer for the continued battle against Xerxes in this exciting sequel produced by Zack Snyder (300) and starring Eva Green, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro and more. Now scheduled for a March 7, 2014 release date.

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Diana. Naomi Watts looks to possibly attain yet another Oscar nomination as she honors the late Princess Diana in the biopic about the famous and beloved royalty member of the United Kingdom. This film centers around Diana in the last two years of her life and the efforts she made in helping the world, helping her family and helping herself. This one releases in the UK on September 20, 2013.

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Drift. I scoffed at this when I first saw the poster…but then I watched this trailer and…I haven’t changed my mind. Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) stars in this film based in the 70′s that follows a group of surfers/brothers who face adversity in trying to promote and excel in their trendsetting surf business. Things get a bit rough when some “ruthless” bikers threaten them and their industry. Don’t look for this one to make any waves when it finally surfaces in the US sometime this year.

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The journey continues! Here is the first “teaser” trailer for the next installment of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein’s work. Bilbo, Gandalf, Legolas and more show up and the hope for this installment to be better than the last grows. Get ready to join in on the adventure on December 13, 2013. (And don’t forget to vote for your favorite Tolkein character in this week’s Time to Vote Tuesday.)

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Spotlight Video of the Week:

4-min trailer for White House Down

Have you seen this 4-Minute trailer for White House Down? Plenty of people, including Yours Truly, have expressed little chagrin over referring to this one as “Die Hard in DC 2″ (of course, referencing Gerard Butler’s 2013 release Olympus Has Fallen). I actually think this film centered around an aspiring Secret Service Agent applicant and the U.S. President fighting against terrorists and would-be usurpers won’t be too bad. Ironically, it’s not Channing Tatum, but Jamie Foxx that takes away from the film so far for me. How about you?

What do you think of this one? Look for it in theaters on June 28, 2013.

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Well, that’s it for this round of ‘Triple-T’!

My favorite trailers from today: Thanks for watching today’s trailers. Hopefully plenty were new to you. Today, my favorite trailers from this round of “Triple-T” are- 300: Rise of an Empire, Runner Runner and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Which ones are your favorites??

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This Weekend’s Theatrical Releases:

Are you ready for the weekend in theaters? Here’s what releases this weekend, June 14, 2013:

• Wide Release: This Is The End (my review HERE) and Man of Steel 
  
• Limited Release: 20 Feet From Stardom, Beberian Sound Studio and more.

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-T, The Focused Filmographer

Up Next:

• Part 2 of “Trailer Time Thursday!”
• Review for Man of Steel
• “New Posters of the Week!”
• Checking out the Happy-Haps