Movie News Musings: Jay Gatsby & the Avengers

I need a reassuring cuddle from Leo as well.

Still reeling from the news that 3D Art Deco Bootlegger Explosion Orgy is being pushed back to summer 2013. Apparently I was more reliant on the promise of a December spent watching both Les Miserables and The Great Gatsby than I should probably admit. Much has been made of the odd statements from the studio insisting that a story that ends with SPOILER ALERT a guy who's just turned thirty and seen the American Dream destroyed musing, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" is an obvious summer blockbuster. Yeah, it's Baz Luhrmann and flashy as fuck, but really? Is the car going to turn into an evil Transformer and battle Myrtle? Maybe Gatsby's swimming pool is full of gasoline and explodes? This is especially stunning since the movie has been so anticipated. Hello, this happened:




Now Great Gatsby will be battling more traditional blockbusters like Iron Man 3. At least that means that maybe in summer 2013 we'll be treated to a Tumblr cartoon of Gatsby and Stark having a rich man fight involving silk shirts. This hope will tide me over.

In better news, it was announced today that Joss Whedon will be doing the Avengers sequel when it films in 2067 or whenever. This is a huge relief for me, because after seeing how well Whedon handled the layered characters of Avengers, it made me wince to imagine someone else handling the next installment (yeah, it fails the Bechdel test, but Black Widow and Maria Hill are kickass and don't have to get naked). Plus, you know Loki fanboy/actor Tom Hiddleston would have been sad if Loki were written poorly, and a sad Tom Hiddleston would be like all the world's kittens and puppies crying.

But speaking of kittens and puppies crying, the one worry this gives me is...who's Whedon going to kill off, since he can't get through even a damn musical comedy web miniseries without that? Maybe Clint or Natasha after they declare their love for each other? Adorable Bruce? The most obvious choice is probably Loki with some sort of redemption death and Thor crying. I'll cry too if this happens, but I'll be consoled by the fact that to Loki, death ain't no thang and he can always come back as a plucky teen.

Loki does what he wants.

Loki image from Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself cover.

The Great Gatsby Trailer: 3D Art Deco Explosion Bootlegger Orgy!

THE TRAILER FOR BAZ LUHRMANN'S GREAT GATSBY IS HERE!!!

Whew. Now that that's out of my system (NO IT'S NOT - SQUEEEEE), let's take a look at it. I know the Jay-Z and Kanye West music in the opening is already controversial, with some finding it fresh and perfect for the happenin' New York setting (apparently it was important during filming) and some finding it indicative of a forthcoming trainwreck of a movie. I think it was risky, but does a good job getting the tone in the trailer. However, I hope the actual movie will have an equally striking but less gimmicky soundtrack. But while the music is an unusual choice for 1920s New York, the visuals - of opulence and too-cool art deco everything - are perfect. Gorgeous, gorgeous.

Scattered thoughts & notes, trailer below:

-The insanely opulent party at Gatsby's house is exactly how you'd imagine Baz Luhrmann imagining the insanely opulent party at Gatsby's house.

-I hate it when Luhrmann's party people look me in the eye, though. They do this in Moulin Rogue, too. I don't want to party with you; I'm very shy!

-LOL, Jordan. Barking up the wrong tree, girl.

-Meyer Wolfsheim is played by Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, and this cameo is his first Hollywood appearance.

-Leo! You look so pretty! Good job, hair & make-up team.

-Yes, everyone laughed at the tossing silk shirts scene + 3D technology implications, and guess what? We are going to have 3D silk shirts tossed in our faces.

-Still feeling Carey Mulligan's Daisy is a bit young.

-How Tom Buchanan is Tom Buchanan? So Tom Buchanan.

-Aw, yeah, check out that moral decay symbolized by that disgusting road!

-DOCTOR TJ ECKLEBURG! You look perfect.

-Nooooo, Myrtle. Just no. Text him later.