This week’s new Blu-ray releases include a rather epic martial arts/action sequel (featuring a cover quote by Collider’s own Matt Goldberg), director Lars von Trier’s epic of a different sort, a documentary about a film that doesn’t exist, Jason Bateman’s directorial debut, and more.  Briefly:

• The Raid 2 [Blu-ray] – $19.99 (44% off)
• Bad Words (Blu-ray + DVD + DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet) – $22.99 (34% off)
• Nymphomanic Vol 1 & Vol 2 [Blu-ray] – $35.98 (10% off)
• Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 [Blu-ray] – $9.99 (57% off)
• Jodorowsky’s Dune [Blu-ray] – $24.96 (39% off)
• Le Week-End [Blu-ray] – $32.98 (6% off)
• Kid Cannabis [Blu-ray] – $9.96 (67% off)
• Lake Placid (Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] – $24.99 (17% off)

[Note: This review is of a censored, abridged version of Nymphomaniac: Vol. II.  Director Lars Von Trier gave this version his approval, but did not create this cut.]

In Nymphomaniac: Vol. II, Joe’s (Charlotte Gainsbourg) nymphomaniac has gone from a lilting, slightly melancholy, comically punctuated romp to a place of loss and ruin.  She has passed “innocent” discovery and, like any addict, needs a bigger fix.  She can’t help herself, and she becomes self-destructive as a result.  In this way, writer-director Lars Von Trier is the same as his protagonist.  He can’t get away from his greatest flaws no matter how hard he tries, and in Nymphomaniac: Vol. II, he tries pretty damned hard.  There are still bouts of silly melodrama and off-kilter jokes, but Vol. II is far more brutal than Vol. I [my review], and Von Trier (unsurprisingly) seems to feel more comfortable in an environment of pain and suffering.  Nevertheless, for all the stumbles and false notes, he builds to something emotionally impactful.  And then he fucks it up.

From filmmaker Lars von Trier, Nymphomaniac: Volume I tells the story of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a woman that considers herself to be a nymphomaniac, discovered badly beaten in an alley by Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an older bachelor who takes her into his home and listens to her recount various sexual encounters of her adolescence and young adulthood.  In Volume II, the story picks up with Joe’s adulthood and a journey that leads to darker complications.  Both films contain graphic depictions of sexuality, to a degree that’s uncommon for a mainstream feature.

During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Stellan Skarsgard talked about how Lars Von Trier presented this film to him by calling it a porno, that there’s nothing that would get him to turn down a Von Trier film, how the experience of working with the director has changed over the years, that it felt like he was making an entirely separate film with Charlotte Gainsbourg, having to shoot 90 pages of dialogue, why he enjoyed playing such a straightforward character, and how he feels about the 4-hour, two-part version of the film compared to the five-and-a-half-hour version.  He also talked about reuniting with director Kenneth Branagh for Cinderella, and what attracted him to the six-part BBC drama series River, which he’ll shoot later this year.  Check out our Stellan Skarsgard after the jump.

A new trailer for the second half of director Lars von Trier’s sexual epic Nymphomaniac has arrived.  Nymphomaniac: Volume II continues the story of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) as she recounts her life to an old bachelor (Stellan Skarsgard), this time focusing on her adulthood.  This trailer is certainly aggressive and quite weird, showcasing the further sexual exploits of Joe and giving us further looks at the characters played by Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, and Shia LaBeouf.  Volume I was only just made available VOD earlier this month, but Volume II hits the market in just a couple of days.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer and click here to read Matt’s review of Volume I.  The film also stars Stacy Martin, Mia Goth, and Jean-Marc Barr.  Nymphomaniac: Volume II will be available VOD on March 20th and opens in theaters on April 4th.

[Note: This review is of a censored, abridged version of Nymphomaniac: Vol. I.  Director Lars Von Trier gave this version his approval, but did not create this cut.]

Lars Von Trier clearly delights in messing with his audience.  His films are abrasive, but they carry an arthouse sheen and a thoughtfulness that makes them more than pretentious trolling.  But just because his movies aren’t empty-headed, that doesn’t mean they’re immune from being incredibly dumb.  Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 swerves wildly from a story that demands deep consideration about the relationship between lust and love, and an absurd comedy where characters try to top each other with hilariously idiotic dialogue.  It appears that Von Trier wants to have his cake and fuck it too, but with the exception of one terrific scene, the absurdity almost always derails the tenderness.

As a special Valentine’s Day treat (?), Magnolia Pictures has released the official U.S. theatrical trailer for director Lars von Trier’s new film Nymphomaniac: Volume I.  The two-part epic tells the story of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her numerous sexual encounters to an old bachelor when he discovers her badley beaten in an alley.  Volume I looks to mainly take place in flashback, as the young Joe (Stacy Martin) begins her adventurous journey.  This trailer is devoid of any NSFW material from von Trier’s graphically explicit film, but there is quite a bit of Shia LaBeouf.  The tone is certainly aggressive, and it’ll be interesting to see how von Trier’s epic stands up as two separate films.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier.  Nymphomaniac: Volume I will be available VOD on March 6th followed by a theatrical release on March 21st, while Nymphomaniac: Volume II hits VOD on April 3rd and theaters on April 18th.

A new trailer for Lars von Trier‘s Nymphomaniac: Part Two has been released.  Unlike the NSFW trailer for Part One and Part Two, there’s no sex or nudity in this one, but there is plenty of weirdness.  That’s part and parcel of a Lars von Trier movie, and in addition to some bondage, painting over mirrors, and orgasmic visions, there’s also setting cars ablaze set to The Talking Heads‘ “Burning Down the House”.  The trailer also features Shia LaBeouf, who would like to remind you that he’s not famous anymore.

Hit the jump to check out.  The film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier.  Nymphomaniac: Part One  will be available on VOD on March 6th and in theaters on March 21st;  Nymphomaniac: Part Two will be released on VOD on April 3rd and in theaters on April 18th.

Sex sells, so perhaps it’s only natural that there’s been a ton of marketing for Lars von Trier‘s Nymphomaniac.  There have been monthly clips, a ridiculously NSFW trailer, character posters, and today we have a bunch of new images along with some more NSFW material.  It’s not as NSFW as the semen-dribbling trailer, but the collection of portraits does contain some topless photos of some of the movie’s characters.  We don’t know much about these characters since our knowledge of the plot extends to Charlotte Gainsbourg starring as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, who recounts her life story to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an old, charming bachelor who finds Joe beaten up in an alley.  I’m sure we’ll probably learn about about these topless ladies in between all the banging.

Hit the jump to check out the images and portraits.  The film also stars Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier.  Nymphomaniac: Part One  will be available on VOD on March 6th and in theaters on March 21st;  Nymphomaniac: Part Two will be released on VOD on April 3rd and in theaters on April 18th. [Update: We have removed the character portraits at the request of the studio]

We report on a lot of posters and trailers.  These little bits of advertising are crucial in steering fan anticipation for blockbusters or bringing attention to smaller movies.  Posters and trailers serve a purpose, and they’re not easy to make.  Dozens of posters and trailers are created for movies, and studios carefully select the ones they feel will work the best and have the broadest appeal.  Sadly, when it comes to posters, many of the designs are generic.  The recent trends are “Back to the Audience”, “Gigantic Tagline”, and “Sparks and Debris”.  I’ve chosen ten posters from 2013 that took a chance, broke the mold, and came away with something eye-catching and original.

Hit the jump for my top 10 posters of 2013, and come back tomorrow for the top 10 trailers of 2013.

We’ve got some saucy new images and a rather suggestive poster for writer-director Lars von Trier’s erotic drama, Nymphomaniac.  Charlotte Gainsbourg stars as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, who recounts her life story to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an old, charming bachelor who finds Joe beaten up in an alley.  Nymphomaniac: Part One  is available on VOD on March 6th and in theaters on March 21st;  Nymphomaniac: Part Two will be released on VOD on April 3rd and in theaters on April 18th.

Nymphomaniac also stars Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier.  Hit the jump to check out the new images and poster.

Yesterday, we reported that Magnolia Pictures would release Lars von Trier‘s erotic epic Nymphomaniac in two parts with Part One being released in theaters and VOD in March and Part Two being released in theaters and on VOD in April.  The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her life story to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an old, charming bachelor who finds Joe beaten up in an alley. Today, the studio has released two simple yet slightly disturbing posters for “Volume I” and “Volume II”.  The whip we knew about, but the lure?  Yikes.

Hit the jump to check out the posters. The film also stars Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier.

Lars Von Trier‘s two-part erotic epic Nymphomaniac is slated to be released in Denmark on Christmas, but we’ve been waiting to find out when we would get a release in the U.S.  The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her life story to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an old, charming bachelor who finds Joe beaten up in an alley.  U.S. distributor Magnolia Pictures announced today that it will release Nymphomaniac: Part One on VOD on March 6th and in theaters on March 21st.  Nymphomaniac: Part Two will be released on VOD on April 3rd and in theaters on April 18th.

The films are still unrated, and it will be interesting to see if they could get different cuts based on release platform.  That is to say, would Magnolia put an unrated cut on VOD, and then release an R-rated version to theaters since most movie theaters won’t show a film if it’s NC-17 or NR (Not-Rated).  Either way, the flick is still going to be ridiculously graphic.  Click here to check out the super NSFW trailer.  Hit the jump to read the full press release, which includes the synopsis for each part of the film.

Last week, we got the first trailer for Lars Von Trier’s two-part erotic epic Nymphomaniac.  The trailer was about as sexually explicit as you’d expect from a movie called “Nymphomaniac” and now a new NSFW clip has gone online.  The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her life story to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an old, charming bachelor who finds Joe beaten up in an alley.  The new clip, entitled “The Eastern and the Western Church (The Silent Duck)” has Jamie Bell’s character giving Joe a unique holiday gift—a whip with the word “Fido” inscribed on it.  Presumably, he got it at Walmart on a good Black Friday deal.  Also, when I woke up this morning, I didn’t expect to see Charlotte Gainsbourg’s vagina, but life is full of surprises.

Hit the jump to check out the clip.  The film also stars Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier.  Nymphomaniac will be released in Denmark and Norway on Christmas Day, and in France in January.  It will be released in the U.S. in early 2014.

Like many others I presume, I can reduce my yesterday down to one common denominator: waiting. Waiting for my Xbox One to arrive in the mail, waiting for the “Day One” update to wrap-up, waiting for Call of Duty: Ghosts to install to my hard drive, waiting for Ghosts‘ mandatory 1Gb update to complete. All told, it was about a two and a half hour process from the time my console arrived at my door until I was able to fire my first virtual shot. Although I’d be lying if I said the delays weren’t tedious, at the end of the day it was absolutely worth it. Microsoft’s next-gen console isn’t perfect, but its ambition and by-and-large its initial execution are pretty damn impressive. Controlling the console via voice commands with Kinect is way smoother than I expected it to be. Directing my satellite television via the console is a feature that I believe, when mastered, I’ll wonder how I ever lived without. And that seems to be the general idea of the Xbox One: to make you reconsider what a video game console can and should do. Even if all of the pieces aren’t in place yet to make it a “must have” (I expect a steady barrage of software updates in the coming days, weeks, months, etc.), I’m having too much fun with it right now to care.

My initial Xbox One impressions aside, this week’s Top 5 includes The Hunger Games: Catching Fire interviews with Jennifer Lawrence and more, Dave’s Out of the Furnace set visit recap, Christopher Nolan strapping an IMAX camera to a Learjet for Interstellar, Delivery Man interviews with Vince Vaughn and more, and a new trailer for Lars Von Trier‘s Nymphomaniac that you’ll likely only feel halfway guilty for watching. Per the drill, a brief recap and link to each of the above rests after the jump.

Over the past few months, we’ve been getting brief clips from Lars Von Trier‘s two-part, five-and-a-half hour erotic epic, Nymphomaniac.  The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her life story to Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), an old, charming bachelor who finds Joe beaten up in an alley.  Today, we have the first trailer, and in addition to being seriously NSFW (unless your workplace is cool with shots of blowjobs and a character accidentally drooling semen) the movie looks aggressive, dark, and twisted.  In other words, it looks like a Lars Von Trier film.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Uma Thurman, Stacy Martin, Jamie Bell, Connie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, Nicolas Bro, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, and Udo Kier. Nymphomaniac will be released in Denmark and Norway on Christmas Day, and in France in January.  Magnolia has U.S. distribution rights, but no release date has been announced yet.