Director Robert Rodriguez‘s new feature Machete originated as a fake trailer packaged with Grindhouse. Now he has released an “illegal” trailer for the real movie “with a special Cinco de Mayo message for Arizona” courtesy of its star, Machete (Danny Trejo). From the looks of it, this is going to be a campy blast for B-movie fans; that said, its political message feels rather timely for something that was shot last year. The ensemble cast includes Robert De Niro, Cheech Marin, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Steven Seagal, and Don Johnson — which adds to the kitsch factor, but should help bring in mainstream audiences, too.
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An article in today’s New York Times explains that film studios usually reserve August for difficult movies that might not do so well if they were released, say, a week after Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Which makes sense. But because box office sales are down this summer, some of these tricky August releases are shouldering more weight than anyone — the studios, producers, or directors — expected or hoped. After the jump we preview five of the month’s biggest releases and rank them according to buzz and box-office potential. There may still be some surprises, a la The Hangover, in store for us this summer. Read More »
Rumor has it that Robert Rodriguez’s “fake” trailer for a fictional film, Machete, is getting the Hollywood treatment. Machete, which screened before Planet Terror in Grindhouse (a 2007 double feature with Quentin Tarantino), is set for a 2010 release date. Robert De Niro will play the corrupt, double-crossing Senator McLaughlin and Jonah Hill (Superbad, Funny People) will be starring curiously as “Julio.” And of course, Danny Trejo will be reprising his role as the revenge seeking ex-federale, Machete.
Bottom line: a blade-wielding badass who gets the ladies and can probably give a haircut with a butcher knife. Count us in. View the trailer that aired before Planet Terror after the jump. Read More »
