Deliverance is one of the seminal films of the 70′s – though its influence seems mostly on the horror genre. It’s hard to imagine films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Wrong Turn without it. Four friends, played by Jon Voight, Ned Beatty, Burt Reynolds and Ronny Cox, head to a neighborhood in the south that’s about to be flooded. What they experience is something terrible. Directed by John Boorman, it’s a masterpiece of the tensions of masculinity. Warner Brother has put the film out on Blu-ray for its 40th anniversary, and our review of the Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Deliverance, John Boorman’s breathtaking exploration into the nature of man, is easily one of the most profoundly upsetting and nihilistic films ever made.  What on the outset appears to be a simple man vs. nature tale (four men on a weekend getaway attempt to conquer a soon-to-be-extinct river valley) reveals itself to be far more complex – for it isn’t so much men fighting the untamed natural world but a discovery that they are one and the same.  Stripped of their loved ones, their jobs and their material possessions, the quartet are forced to confront that deep down they are the beasts, no more civilized than the wild rapids they travel across.  Civilization: merely a mask to a hide their base amorality.

Forty years later, Deliverance is just as disturbing (and downright brilliant) as it was upon release.  It is the definition of timeless.  To celebrate the forty-year anniversary and in conjunction with the re-release of the film on Blu-ray, Warner Brothers invited us interview the primary cast (Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox).  In the following interview, Burt Reynolds discusses the ‘rape scene’ auditions, Jon Voight reenacts Boorman’s long one-shots and Ned Beatty & Ronny Cox weigh in on how their novice acting backgrounds affected the group dynamics in the film, among many other topics of conversation.  Hit the jump to watch.

I’ve been hearing about the cop drama Rampart for quite a while now, specifically Woody Harrelson’s performance in the film. The first trailer has now been released, and Harrelson does indeed look to be delivering one hell of a performance. The pic focuses on a Vietnam vet and cop who does his job a bit dirtier than most, unafraid to to blur the lines between right and wrong. Harrelson looks strong here, and I’m assuming the movie as a whole hinges on his character spinning out of control. Much has been said about the actor’s Oscar chances, so if he continues to pick up steam expect to hear a lot more about Rampart in the coming weeks.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also stars Ben Foster, Robin Wright, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Sigourney Weaver, Cynthia Nixon, Ned Beatty, and Steve Buscemi. Rampart opens November 23rd.

For years now, we’ve been hearing about two Marvel movies that (almost) never saw the light of day: The Fantastic Four and Captain America, two ill-conceived and terribly shot pieces of cinematic crap whose collective awfulness was so legendary, it put anyone off the idea of making their own film based around these superheroes for decades after.  While I’m still incapable of offering a decision on the former, I am proud to announce that—as of today—I am finally able to speak with authority about the latter.  Read on for my Captain America (1990) review, after the jump (and prepare yourselves, people: you’re about to witness a vicious beating).

New images have gone online for Rampart, the new drama from The Messenger director Oren Moverman.  The film stars Woody Harrelson as a corrupt cop and the story is set against the backdrop of the scandal involving the LAPD’s Rampart Division.  Moverman wrote the script with acclaimed crime novelist James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) The impressive cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Cynthia Nixon, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, and Ned Beatty.

Hit the jump to check out the images along with the first official synopsis for the film.

As a general rule, animated films are family films.  The cost of animation is simply too high for a studio to invest in anything other than the lowest-common denominator fare.  It’s rare that any studio other than Pixar will craft an animated feature that not only appeals to kids, but has the wits and edginess that will also charm adults.  Rango is one of those rarities.  Director Gore Verbinski skillfully blends the broad slapstick of animated creatures having goofy adventures with smart movie references, gorgeous visuals, and impressive animation.

Every filmmaker stumbles from time to time. Even the greats like Hitchcock and Kubrick have a few boners in their pantheon, along with other movies that do the job and not much more. Part of the ballyhoo over Pixar stems from the fact that they alone seem to have avoided that trap. Everything they produce stands head and shoulders above its competitors, throwing off the filmmaking curve like a genius in remedial English class. At worst, their efforts are pretty good, and at best? Well, at best they produce movies like Toy Story 3. Hit the jump for my full review.

Yesterday, we posted the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas inspired teaser poster for the Gore Verbinski animated-film Rango and Jake talked about his post-production tour. Today, we have more Rango news to bring you as the first full-length trailer has been released. When the teaser trailer for the films website appeared earlier this month, it showcased the film’s beautiful animation but did little in the way of discussing the plot (hence the name “teaser trailer”). The full trailer is still subtle in its delivery, however, it is safe to assume that Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp) is a “lizard out of water” of sorts and is struggling to adapt to life in the desert.

While the plot itself seems to have plenty of potential, the real crutch of the trailer is the animation. The desert landscape is rendered beautifully and is reason enough to hit the jump and check it out for yourself.  Rango features the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Stephen Root, Ray Winstone, Beth Grant, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, and Alfred Molina.  Rango is set to hit theaters on March 4^th, 2011.

After the more outside-the-box family films of Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up, Pixar is going back inside the toy box with Toy Story 3.  There’s nothing wrong with being inside the box when there are lots of toys, loads of fun, and plenty of jokes.  It’s wonderful to see Woody, Buzz, and the gang team up for another adventure (even if it’s the same rescue/escape narrative structure of the first two films).  But Toy Story 3 is so eager to entertain, that it almost never takes a moment to breathe.  Instead, it’s a movie that’s a roller coaster in the best sense of the term.  Set in the mold of a prison break movie, Toy Story 3 may not break with convention or out from under the shadow of the first two films, but it’s a welcome break from this dreary summer.

With Toy Story 3 getting released next weekend, we’ve been given 5 clips and 18 high resolution images from the film.  Also, Matt was just at Pixar to do interviews with the voice cast and the filmmakers, so you can expect a lot more Toy Story 3 coverage next week.  Until then, check out the clips and images after the jump.

Paramount has just debuted an enigmatic first teaser trailer/announcement piece for Rango, an animated feature which tells “the story of a chameleon with an identity crisis.”  The voice cast is comprised of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone, and Timothy Olyphant as The Spirit of the West.  Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) directs from a script he co-wrote with James Byrkit and John Logan (The Aviator).

The clip is rather beautiful in its simplicity, and really must be seen to be believed.  Check it out after the jump.

Icon Pictures has released the UK teaser trailer for Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me.  It’s one of the best trailers you’ll see this year as it makes the film look mean, nasty, and utterly compelling.  Casey Affleck looks amazing as the lead character, a sheriff who pretends he’s a charming rube when in actuality he’s murderous sociopath.  Unlike the promo trailer that showed up last November, you don’t have to worry about being spoiled.

The film played at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to widespread controversy, particularly relating to questions about whether or not the film was misogynistic due to its portrayal of brutal violence against women.  UK audiences can judge for themselves when the film hits theaters on June 4th.  US audiences will have to wait until June 18th for the flick’s limited release.  The film co-stars Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty, Simon Baker, and Elias Koteas.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer from The Guardian [via The Playlist] along with the official plot synopsis.

A new trailer for Toy Story 3 has been released and as you might expect from the company that only makes amazing movies (Pixar), the trailer makes me wish TS3 was in theaters this weekend.  Loaded with funny scenes and action, the trailer is a perfectly cut piece of awesome.

And unlike the first clips that have been released from Toy Story 3, this one starts to show what the movie is really about and how some of the new toys are not so friendly.  I promise you want to watch this trailer.  Also, I’ve posted 10 new high resolution images that show the new characters in greater detail.

Pixar will be unveiling a new trailer for Toy Story 3 tomorrow.  But if you can’t wait till then, 30 seconds of the trailer has already hit the net and it’s after the jump.  Featuring some of the new characters in the film, the spot is definitely worth watching.  Also, points to Disney/Pixar for finding a way to make us cover the movie twice.  After all, we’re posting the full trailer tomorrow as soon as it’s online.  Toy Story 3 gets released June 18 and the official website has been updated.

Hit the jump for the full synopsis and the 30 second clip:

On New Year’s Eve, before the clock struck midnight, director Lee Unkrich tweeted, “Enjoying the last day I can say ‘Toy Story 3′ doesn’t come out next year’”.  Indeed we have entered 2010, the year of the latest update in the Toy Story franchise, and today a clip that introduces a crucial new character, pretentious thespian hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants, has hit the net.  The sequel will follow the toys we know and love (Buzz, Woody, Hamm, Rex, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, and more) plus a few new playthings (Lotso and Mr. Pricklepants) when they head to a daycare center as owner Andy heads off to college.  Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, and Estelle Harris will reprise their roles, while Ned Beatty and Timothy Dalton will voice new the aforementioned new toys.

Look for the clip of Unkrich talking about Toy Story 3 and Mr. Pricklepants after the jump.