All Articles by John Rico

A-TEAM Trailer Leaked

Posted: January 8th, 2010 at 10:38 am

I just got a nostalgia head rush.  It’s an approximate feeling to the “brain freeze” that occurs when you eat ice cream too fast, only difference being that it’s accompanied by an excitable feeling of youthful exuberance and a slightly tingly feeling in your gut.  That’s the feeling I got from the first trailer for the upcoming A-Team. Leaked online at a Canadian newspaper site, it was first noticed by The Film Stage who then uploaded it to their Vimeo site so that it could be viewed by U.S. readers.

And it’s all there:  The opening narrative (if you can find them, then maybe you can hire…), the swelling music, the oh-so-familiar theme song, and yes, they even have the black van.  While I wasn’t a huge fan of the show when it was first on, I must confess that half-way through the trailer I was humming along with the theme song.

Directed by Joe Carnahan (Smokin Aces, Narc), the film stars Liam Neeson (Taken) as Col. John ‘Hannibal’ Smith, Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) as Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck, and Sharlto Copley (District 9) as Capt. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock, and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson as Sgt. Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The A-Team hits theaters on June 11th.

Should Will Smith Play Captain America?

Posted: January 6th, 2010 at 9:21 pm

It‘s a rumor that’s been circulating within the back channels and undertows of the internet for a couple of years now.  Discussed and endlessly debated on message boards, argued back and forth by comic book fans, it’s caused so much distress and excitement within fan circles that you’d think they were arguing about a film that had already been shot and released into theaters.  And the rumor is this:  That Captain America, Marvel’s iconoclastic leader of the Avengers whose due for his own film in 2011 by director Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3, The Rocketeer) is going to be played by none other than Will Smith.

In some circles, Smith is believed to have been at least offered the title role in The First Avenger: Captain America.  If true, it’d be one of the most bold and daring casting decisions undertaken by Hollywood in recent years.  And also, by the sound of the voluminous fits being thrown by fan-boys all across the country, one of the most contentious.

And with the film set to go into production this summer, we can expect casting announcements any day now.  While I have no idea about the veracity of this rumor, of whether there’s even a hint of truth to it or an entirely fabricated suggestion which curiously gained traction within the echo chamber of the internet, I do have an opinion about the matter.  And the opinion is this:  Will Smith would make an incredibly awesome Captain America. To find out why, read on after the jump.

The 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2010

Posted: December 31st, 2009 at 9:38 am

For many people, a new year means a time for new habits, resolutions, and fresh starts.  For myself though, it’s always been about one thing and one thing only:  365 days of brand-new films!

And of course, Hollywood being Hollywood, there’s the usual litany of sequels, super-hero spectacle, remakes, and state-of-the-art Hollywood summer craziness filled with all manner of digital monsters and explosions.  But there’s also new films from Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and – most intriguing of all – a ballet thriller from Darren Aronofsky.  Come on, admit it – you know you got excited when you heard the words “ballet thriller!”  All that, and we also see the return of Michael Douglas in his seminal role as Gordon Gecko.

Read on after the jump for my list of the ten films that – for reasons both good and bad – I’m most looking forward to seeing in the new year.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design