The Signal
This is a very interesting trailer, kind of lovely and intensely creepy. I could not at all tell you what the hell this movie is about based on the trailer alone — although if I had to guess, “a group of college students are lured to the desert by a hacker” would not have been the first or twentieth thing to come to mind — but I’m actually pretty intrigued, despite myself. Man. I always fall for the pretty, what-the-fuckery trailers, and then I get annoyed when they’re just too what-the-fuckery for my tastes.
The Maze Runner
I know this is another one of those YA post-apocalyptic things that everyone seems pretty tired of . . . but I don’t know, it looks kind of interesting. More as a rental than a theater film, admittedly, but — as regular readers will know — I’m a sucker for group amnesia stories. (Even if they always, always seem to suck.) And the lead guy is Dylan O’Brien, who easily plays the best character in Teen Wolf (the TV series), which I just became obsessed with started watching. Oh, and also Thomas Brodie-Sangster is in this, and I like him as well. So, you know. I don’t really expect much from this movie, but I’d check it out.
The Giver
I read this book a million years ago, and I liked it a lot, but . . . you know, a million years ago. I don’t remember almost any of it. In fact, about the only thing I do remember is that nobody can see color . . . so . . . I’ll admit, the only thing I was really expecting from this trailer was Pleasantville. Which apparently I won’t be getting because . . . the whole thing’s in color? Really? Okay.
I’m not wildly excited by this trailer. Because for what I (vaguely) remember being an original, complex, and extremely beloved book, this movie looks awfully generic.
Finally . . . Fargo
I am the incredibly rare bird who did not particularly care for the Coen brothers’ movie, Fargo. (Though I’ve always planned to give it a second go. I just keep . . . pushing it off.) Nevertheless, the little promos and snippets I’ve seen so far for the new FX show have . . . been interesting. I like Martin Freeman a lot, and watching him with that accent alone? Kind of hysterical. Plus, there’s a lot of talent in that one minute trailer. I’m sure a lot of those people are just quick guest roles, but still. I . . . might actually have to check this out.
My Geek Blasphemy 
I think The Maze Runner is most likely going to be another cheap, crappy cash-in on the whole Hunger Games thing. That being said, I find the premise interesting and I liked the actors I recognised, and I like the two actors you mentioned (from what I’ve seen of it, Dylan O’Brien definitely seems to be the standout actor of Teen Wolf) and Kaya Scodelario, so hopefully it’ll prove me wrong.
Why is Meryl Streep in The Giver?
I liked Fargo the movie okay, and I know I’m supposed to hate the show, but that was actually pretty funny.
I think you’re probably right about The Maze Runner, but I suspect I will eventually try it out anyway. Cause I’m a glutton for punishment, and anyway, reviews for the bad movies are so much easier — and tend to get better responses — than the reviews for the good movies.
I can actually see how Meryl Streep ended up in The Giver. When I first heard they were making it into a movie, and Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges were announced, I’m like, OH. This is going to be like a Big Deal Movie, and I feel like the story could potentially support that (from what little I remember of it). But the trailer did not all look like the movie I had imagined it being. In a way, The Giver trailer almost reminds me of a cash-in on The Hunger Games too, which . . . seems ridiculous. (Not that the plots are in any way the same, but like the movie appears to be shot as Generic Dystopian YA, and I’m like, you know, this book kind of predates the whole genre. Maybe we should approach this differently.)
I need to remember to proofread before I click the “Post Comment,” button so I don’t repeat myself so I don’t say the same thing twice.
That actually makes a lot of sense, if she joined up when it was apparently going to be a serious, hoping-for-all-the-awards adaptation. And then it slowly morphed into Generic Dystopian YA, as you say.
I like Martin Freeman a lot, and watching him with that accent alone? Kind of hysterical.
Oh, yeah, you betcha! I…too…might have to…check this…out.