This Week In Trailers: Come On Feel The Noize, Ip Man 4: The Finale, Afterward, The Extraordinary, Magic For Humans: Season 2
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they're seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising?
This week we catch up with Vincent Cassel, get worked up over our intolerance of fascists, celebrate one more Ip Man, luxuriate in some glam rock, and do some magic tricks.
Ip Man 4: The Finale
Wilson Yip, director of all previous Ip Man installments, is back to (possibly) close this series out.
Ip Man's life remains unchanged after his wife's death, but he and his son are slowly drifting apart. To seek a better future for his son, Ip Man decides to travel to the U.S. only to find the stable, peaceful life abroad is only skin deep. Underneath lies a deep rooted racial discrimination that is far worse than he has expected. Ip Man re-examines his position and ponders on the reason he took up martial arts in the beginning.
There are teasers and then there are teasers. I like the tempo, the build-up, and what the trailer ultimately promises this movie will be. There's nothing to divine in the footage, but that's not really necessary. It's the fourth installment, and as long as we get a heavy dose of Donnie Yen we need not worry about anything else.
Come On Feel The Noize: The Story Of How Rock Became Metal
Director Jorg Sonntag is just doing yeoman's work here, as this documentary all about the entertainers.
Exclusive, long-lost live material from rock's most iconic bands &artists, as well as all-new original interviews with the living legends themselves: This film is your access-all-areas backstage pass to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock history.
This is not heavy material as this is more Behind The Music than anything else, but there are some good gets in terms of talking heads. James Hetfield of Metallica, Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister, could make this a fun watch for anyone with a little more than a passing interest in the genre.
Afterward
Written and directed by Ofra Bloch, this is intense viewing.
Jerusalem-born trauma expert Ofra Bloch forces herself to confront her personal demons in a journey that takes her to Germany, Israel and Palestine. Set against the current wave of fascism and anti-Semitism sweeping the globe, AFTERWARD delves into the secret wounds carried by victims as well as victimizers, through testimonies ranging from the horrifying to the hopeful.
This does not appear to have re-watch potential, however, there is an inherent necessity in this documentary's message, and it's more relevant now than it ever has been. The present is a manifestation of the past and this trailer sets that narrative up nicely.
The Extraordinary
Directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, the duo who brought us The Intouchables, decimating the French box office, are back with something that looks just as emotionally resonant.
The story of two men, educators of children and adolescents with autism.
When you've made the second largest grossing French movie of all time, you could take on any number of different projects. Good on the directorial duo for choosing something that has the heft this does. The subject of people who care and look after those with autism does not ensure box office success. But no matter, because this seems to be a movie made with empathy and an eye towards spotlighting those who look after these vulnerable members of our society. French or English, there are universal commonalities that shine straight through this trailer.
Magic for Humans: Season 2
When it comes to magicians, illusionists, and sleight-of-hand artists like Justin Willman, this is the entertainment I'm here for. I am hesitant to compare Willman to someone like Michael Carbonaro, but doing magic in the open, in public, is charming. It's an easy putt, for sure, when you consider the plethora of entertainment options there are at the moment. Something like this, though, is like a nice digestif after a day of hearty bingeing.
Nota bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers for possible inclusion in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com or look me up via Twitter at @Stipp
In case you missed them, here are the other trailers we covered at /Film this week: