Last weekend I finally had the chance to check out director Rodney Ascher's The Shining analysis doc Room 237 on Xbox Live. The film garnered a rave review from Matt when he screened it at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and for the most part I share his enthusiasm for the pic. On one hand, it's unlike anything I've ever seen and I admire it for that exact reason. The extensive scenic analysis Room 237 employs, the hypnotic score, and its refusal to show the faces of those presenting their theories makes it an absolutely captivating ride that never lets you come up for air. On the other hand, I now have to live the rest of my life looking for Stanley Kubrick's airbrushed face in the clouds during The Shining's opening scene. And when/if I ever find it, what am I supposed to do with that information? Sigh.
I could go on about the film's individual parts, but suffice to say that I consider it required viewing for anyone with even a fleeting interest in film analysis, Kubrick, and/or The Shining. And with that I'll move on to the reason we're all here. In this week's Top 5 you'll have the pleasure of checking out a stellar new trailer and a slew of other assets from Man of Steel, our set visit recap for The Hangover Part III, the first trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, more set visit goodness for Now You See Me, and all of our CinemaCon 2013 coverage. The "Continue Reading" button below is your ticket to a brief recap and link to each of the above.
1. New MAN OF STEEL Trailer, Images, and Viral Video
This past week was a busy one for The Big Blue Boy Scout around these parts. Not only did Warner Bros. release this 3-minute trailer that blew me away, but we also got a solid viral video warning from Michael Shannon's General Zod, and a slew of new images. At this point, my anticipation for Man of Steel is at a fever pitch and midnight on June 14th can't get here soon enough.
2. THE HANGOVER PART III Set Visit
Maybe it's just me but it seems like The Hangover Part III has been flying under the radar in comparison to its predecessor. The film opens in just over a month and I honestly haven't heard all that much about it. I'm not complaining; I'm actually a little refreshed. Whether you're like me and have a renewed excitement about the property or you never lost hope in it to begin with, may I recommend checking out Dave's set visit recap and on-set interviews with Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, director Todd Phillips, and writer Craig Mazin.
3. First Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
The first trailer for Francis Lawrence's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire landed online this week and as far as trailers go I'd say it's pretty solid. I enjoyed but wasn't in love with Gary Ross' first installment and, if nothing else, Catching Fire looks to at least carry on a shred of social consciousness. Which brings me to this soapbox: in spite of the fact that we're only one lukewarm entry in, I'm going to defend the franchise against some I've heard dismiss it as being as sterile as The Twilight Saga adaptations. Those films were lifeless from the word "Go" and never looked back. Even if The Hunger Games films end up being remembered as merely average that status alone means they are hand over fist better than anything Twilight could muster.
4. NOW YOU SEE ME Set Visit
I've been a shameless Jesse Eisenberg fanboy since his turn in the greatness that is Adventureland (granted, there are those whose love for the actor dates all the way back to The Squid and the Whale and to them I offer my congrats). As a result, I'm excited for director Louis Leterrier's magician-centric tale Now You See Me if for no other reason than Eisenberg being the lead (although having Michael Caine doesn't hurt either). If you're similarly excited for this one then be sure to check out Steve's set visit recap and video blog not too mention his on-set interviews with Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, and the aforementioned Louis Leterrier.
5. Our CinemaCon 2013 Coverage
On location in Las Vegas, Steve did a bang-up job of covering CinemaCon 2013 with a slew of interviews (including Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto) and a particularly interesting talk with Michael Bay regarding the use of the new, smaller IMAX 3D digital camera in some of the showcase scenes from Transformers 4. Now that I've teased you with some of the highlights of our coverage, you can click here for all of it to see if there's anything you missed.