Shall we start with the bad news today?

World War Z

For those of you who haven’t read it, World War Z is a pretty awesome book that could also be an awesome film (if, admittedly, very challenging to make). I was tentatively hopeful.

Then I read the movie’s official plot synopsis from io9:

“The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.”

If you’re not familiar with the book, this might sound fine to you. If you are familiar with the book, then you know it’s exceptionally disappointing. One of the things I admire about the novel is that there’s really no one main character. And there certainly isn’t a main character in a frantic fucking race against time. World War Z is supposed to be a history of everything that’s happened before, during, and after the war. It is not supposed to be about how Brad Pitt Saves the World! Ugh.

Restless

For those of you who like your movies to be quirky, romantic, and almost certainly depressing, here is Restless! This is the kind of movie that I rent and watch by myself because I’m a sucker for indie movies like this, despite the fact that I’m only happy with them maybe three times out of ten.

I suspect that this movie is not going to be one of the few that I really like. (I’m big on quirky romances, but I’m far less interested in movies where one half of the couple is tragically dying.) But Mia Wasikowska is a very talented actress (see: In Treatment) and the boy is played by Henry Hopper, Dennis Hopper’s kid, so my interest level is at a, “Well, maybe.”

The Woman in Black

A new trailer for Daniel Radcliffe’s first “Post-Harry-Potter” movie. I know it’s easy to have a child recite something that rhymes, match it up with a few shots of old dolls, and call it creepy, but . . . hell with it, it works. I’m really into this movie right now. It looks like such a classic ghost story. I’m very hopeful.

Runaways

There’s been talk about making a Runaways movie for awhile now. (For those of you who don’t know, the graphic novel series is about a group of teenagers who find out that their parents are supervillains.) The news this week is that the movie’s been put on hold until after The Avengers movie comes out.

Sadness.

Finally . . .  Red State

I like Kevin Smith, and I like horror, but I’ll admit to being a bit concerned when I heard that two were coming together in Red State. Can this really work? I asked myself. I wasn’t sure. I decided to check out the trailer.

Dude. I am in love with this trailer. I don’t know if the film will be any good or not, but old school southern religious nutjob stereotypes headed up by the awesome Michael Parks and fucking Oscar winner Melissa Leo? Yeah, I’m in. Wait, there’s also torture, gunfire, and Snarky Kevin Pollack?

I’m in with bells on.