Apparently in the earlier part of the last decade there was some anti-Ben-Affleck sentiment. He made some ill advised movie role choices and the market was suppossedly over-saturated with Ben Affleck starring movie vehicles. Audiences, theoretically,  rebelled against Ben Affleck’s projects and they began to tune him out.

Or so the story goes.

Granted, I’m not the biggest Gigli or Jersey Girl fan, but forgive me if I don’t feel any kind of resentment toward Ben Affleck. He was just playing the hand he was dealt. Sure he could have been more selective. But there are worst things in the world to be working too much. Personally, I’ve always found his performances affable and never had any problems with his character work. Except… perhaps… for his penchant to choose characters which tend to cry.

In any event, Ben Affleck has decided to make a pivot movie in his career. He has leaned towards taking supporting roles in quality projects and he has also started directing his own passion projects. His first two films were the award season favorites Gone Baby Gone and The Town. His latest directorial effort is the film Argo, which is based on a real-life hostage rescue  drama which used the cover of a fictional movie crew to smuggle U.S citizens out of Iran. The trailer looks intriguing and drama-filled, with a cast full of excellent character actors.  It also seems to have Award season consideration written all over it.  So whatever the case for the career pivot for Ben Affleck, it seems to be working out really well. For both him and audiences.

Argo stars Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Michael Parks and Taylor Schilling. Argo is written by Chris Terrio and Joshuah Bearman. The film is directed by Ben Affleck. Argo is scheduled for release October 12, 2012.

Official Synopsis:

Based on true events, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and GK Films’ dramatic thriller “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis–the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades.

Official Trailer:

Who doesn’t love period gangster films? Especially of The Untouchables movie variety. Ever since Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney were running around onscreen with fedoras on, Hollywood has been fascinated with the subject. The latest film based on period gangster- ism is the aptly titled Gangster Squad . Not only does the film have an entertaining subject matter, (crime and violence), it also features an all-star cast.  Tough guys Nick Nolte , Josh Brolin, Robert Patrick and Ryan Gosling headline the cast. If that isn’t enough testosterone than how about throwing Sean Penn into the mix as real life gangster Mickey Cohen.

Oh….do we have your attention now?

Based on the trailer for Gangster Squad the film doesn’t look like something that is going to be historically accurate. If anything it looks like a pure all-out action film, with some bigger-than-life performances.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But Gangster Squad is directed by Ruben Fleischer who directed the entertaining Zombieland. So at the very least we can expect the movie to be some fun. But when it comes to epic crime dramas with an A list cast, audiences want more than just fun.The presence of the notoriously selective Sean Penn also makes this movie an automatic award season candidate. Which automatically amps up expectations.

Let’s hope that Fleischer can deliver the dramatic goods.

Gangster Squad stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena, Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Nick Nolte and Sean Penn. The film is written by Will Beall and directed by Ruben Fleischer

Official Synopsis:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and–if he has his way–every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart. “Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time.

Official Trailer:

Hot Babe: Riley Reid

Occupation: Glamour Model / performer

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RileyReidx3

Vitals:

Measurements: 32A- 25- 36

Height: 5’3″

Weight: 110 lbs

Why She’s Poppin’ Hot:

All-natural beauty Riley Reid combines the sexy and affable sides of the fantasy girl next door. Riley Reid can effortlessly transition between naughty and nice. Although she may look sweet and innocent, she has a devilish sexual side that can be dangerously enticing. In short, she’s the best of both worlds. Best friend or heartbreaker. Take your pick!

Fun Facts:

Favorite Meal?

Riley Reid: Mmm… Vegan Falafel! (laughs)

Favorite Movie?

Riley Reid:  Pulp Fiction.

Favorite Television Show?

Riley Reid: That 70′s Show

Favorite actress?

Riley Reid: Angelina Jolie

Favorite Actor?

Riley Reid: I love Seth Green!

Pic Courtesy of Riley Reid

What three words would you say describe you best?

Riley Reid: Tidy, silly, cute.

What’s the last good pick-up line that worked on you?

Riley Reid: Oh man. There was a great one that I just fell for! Oh! I was asking this boy at a club / party how many girls he romanced that evening, and he said, (with a french accent), “You are the last.” (laughs)

If you could have dinner with ANY three people in the history of time who would they be and why?

Riley Reid: Oh man what a question. Jeeze… um… Albert Einstein, for sure because I’d love to hear about his perception of life and why he thinks the way he does, or at least how he thinks. Hunter S. Thompson, because I’m interested on some of his writings and views on life and drugs and etc.  Finally I think I’d want to talk to the teacher John Scopes, who was the first teacher in 1925 to teach about the evolutionary theory. I want to know what he thought about teaching that subject and how nervous and afraid he was to do it in the first place, and the troubles he faced fighting the supreme court for the rights to teach the subject. Reason being because I follow the scientific theory of evolution so I’m intrigued by his courage to teach past religion and faith and look at facts.

Pic Courtesy of Riley Reid

For MORE of Riley Reid check out the articles Riley Reid – 13 Fun Facts and Riley Reid – Favorite Things on our partner site SheNeedsIt.com!

The newest Xbox Live Arcade game, Bloodforge, was released this past Wednesday; it’s the second game in the Arcade NEXT campaign lineup. Still two more to go, which are Fable Heroes and the very anticipated Minecraft game.

Bloodforge is all about bloody combat, and bloody revenge. It offers a mix of weapon combos, rage kills, and using magical runes to tear your enemies apart, etc. Features a great blend of stylish art and cinematics, an original story about revenge, betrayer, destiny, and so fourth.

The game is definitely not for the faint of heart as the word Blood is in the title after all, so yes, it’s a very bloody and violent game.

 
It will set you back a whopping $15, but for action/fighting genre fans, that $15 will be turned into hours of bloody fun.

Here’s my video walkthrough of the Bloodforge trial to help you decide whether or not this game is up your blood-filled alley!

Download the trial now!!

The folks running the marketing campaign for the upcoming ensemble action film The Expendables 2 has done a fun promotional by releasing 12 different character posters on 12 different movie and entertainment sites.  They then encouraged fans to locate the 12 different posters by following the hashtag #Expendables2  on Twitter.

But, since I’m so nice,  I’ve done all the work for the reader. They can check out all 12 posters, as well as the sources for the posters down below. (The reader can thank me with a comment down below.)

I give the marketing department for The Expendables 2 kudos for creating a little buzz for the film. But to be honest, I don’t think the film needs to work too hard to generate excitement. With a star studded cast like this, I don’t see how an action movie fan can resist.  I was a fan of  The Expendables. Although I felt the writing and direction was a little uneven, (perhaps due to Sylvester Stallone being spread a little too thin in the making of the film), it was still fun seeing all these action stars come together.

Part 2 promises even more fun, with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger getting their hands dirty this time by participating in the action sequences as well as the additions of Jean Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris to the cast.

Obviously, this is going to be testosterone filled awesome sauce.

Now if we can get  a proper full-length trailer THAT would really ramp up the buzz for the film.

The Expendables 2 is scheduled for release August 17, 2012.  The film is directed by Simon West and the screenplay is written by Sylvester Stallone.

The Expendables 2 stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Official Synopsis:

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal… Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Lee Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard — are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother. That is done the Expendables way….

Official Teaser:

Sylvester Stallone (via AICN)

Arnold Schwarzenegger (via ComingSoon.net)

Bruce Willis (via Collider)

Jean-Claude Van Damme (via Yahoo! Movies)

Chuck Norris (via MTV)

Jason Statham (via Hitfix)

Jet Li (via CinemaBlend)

Dolph Lundgren (via JoBlo)

Terry Crews (via The Expendables 2 Facebook page)

Randy Couture (via Fandango)

Yu Nan (via IGN)

Liam Hemsworth (via Moviefone)

The Weinstein Company is currently in the midst of on an impressive awards season run. The last two years The Weinstein Company films The King’s Speech and The Artist have walked away with the Academy Award for Best picture. So when an Award season film submission from the company comes out, everyone in the industry sits up a little straighter and pays attention. Lawless directed by John Hillcoat not only has The Weinstein Company name behind it, it also has an impressive critically acclaimed cast.

The story aspires to be an epic gangster film. It tells the true story of the real life Boundurant Brothers, who were notorious Virginia bootleggers in prohibition era. Like most classic gangster films, the backbone of the story also involves  family politics and rivalry.

Judging from the trailer, the movie looks pretty intriguing. I am especially impressed by the presence of character actors Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce. Having rising star Tom Hardy in the cast doesn’t hurt either. As for the director John Hillcoat, I have been impressed with his films The Road and The Proposition. They have a distinct voice, as well as a bleak outlook which served the material well. As far as the subject matter, I’m all for epic gangster films. In my book, there couldn’t be enough of these films.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to this.

Lawless stars Shia LeBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke and Guy Pearce. The film is directed by  John Hillcoat, with a screenplay by Nick Cave and Matt Bondurant. Lawless is scheduled for release August 31, 2012.

Official Synopsis:

LAWLESS is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant’s family in his novel “The Wettest County in the World”, the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation’s most notorious crime wave.

Official Trailer:

By Lon Harris

During the climactic battle scene in “The Avengers,” I was more than once reminded of a moment from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Legolas is running beside a galloping horse, and using just one arm, flings himself gracefully on top of the animal. It happens very quickly and it’s shot from a distance, yet it’s kind of remarkable in a way. Here’s a purely visual moment that gives the audience so much insight and information about the experience of being an elf. Peter Jackson doesn’t just suggest but shows us how different this race is from our own.

Writer/director Joss Whedon has this same kind of insight, but about a muscular, angry green behemoth.

I know, I know, it’s a long-anticipated movie about a legendary superhero TEAM, not just The Hulk. Fine, fair enough. But it has to be said that Whedon is the first filmmaker who has successfully realized Hulk in live action (and many have tried.) I’d suggest it’s because he’s NOT really reaching for the Hulk-as-metaphor-for-inner-turmoil angle, Ang Lee-style, but instead just making him work as a character in his own right, an extension of Bruce Banner rather than a CG villain. This Hulk has inner life and personality. He’s not just a disaster movie in purple pants like his prior incarnations.

In a larger sense, what works about the Hulk in “The Avengers” is what works about the entire movie. Whedon had no easy task ahead of him meeting the insane expectations for this movie, but he did have something of a leg up on other filmmakers who have tackled iconic comic book properties.

He and his audience both have a bit of history with these characters. Not having to develop endless backstory EXPLAINING such-and-such about gamma radiation or this-and-that about rainbow bridges means more time for things like action and comedy and fun little character moments, which is pretty much what audiences want out of these movies in the first place.

He wisely capitalizes on this opportunity, making a first “Avengers” movie that’s generally light on plot. We spend more time catching us up with all of our heroes than establishing the threat against humanity they’ll be battling. This is a good thing. Even so, and despite an exciting pre-credit sequence set at SHIELD HQ, the movie takes about 20 minutes to click into place. Once the entire cast is present, things get moving.

The story in short:

Thor’s villainous (adopted) brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has made a deal with a powerful villain from deep space. (It’s so much fun to have comic book movies finally dealing with the really far-out fantasy elements of their universes, by the way, not feeling tethered to Earth and everyday “realism” any longer. Marvel’s off to a far better start at introducing their cosmos than DC in the largely-reprehensible “Green Lantern.”)

Anyway, Loki says he will provide this alien overlord with the artifact known as The Tesseract, which was introduced in the films “Thor” and “Captain America,” and in return, he wants to be granted dominion over Earth and its human residents. (This is explained by Loki’s rivalry with Thor, who has sort of adopted Earth as a second home, but also because Loki’s just kind of a dick.) The alien also provides Loki with an army of aliens known as the Chitauri.

Back on Earth, Loki steals the Tesseract from SHIELD headquarters, alerting Nick Fury (Sam Jackson) that something is deeply wrong. And Fury then assembles the Avengers.

That’s… basically… it. At least as far as the story goes. Much more focus is put on the characters all, well, assembling, having interpersonal conflicts and basically refusing to work as a team. In particular, there’s much concern over bringing in the unpredictable and largely unstoppable-when-angry Dr. Bruce Banner (played by Mark Ruffalo, because no one likes Ed Norton.)

Certainly, some complaints could be registered, were I feeling curmudgeonly. Though I come largely to praise Mr. Whedon here, there are some moments here reminiscent of his less-successful work on, say, “Serenity.” Conversations that feel a bit overly blustery and theatrical. Obvious sitcom-style setup-punchline jokiness. There’s one scene in particular, where Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) interrogates Loki, that seems sort of endless and winds up not serving much of a purpose aside from getting ScarJo’s backside an extra 4 minutes or so of screen time. Don’t get me wrong… it’s a nice backside… but in a movie so packed with character and incident, you’d think Whedon would be keen to push things forward.

But let’s not nitpick. There’s a lot to love in “The Avengers” for action movie fans – face-offs and throw downs between iconic superheroes, narrow escapes from collapsing buildings, assaults on invisible flying aircraft carriers. But few effects-driven sequences in ANY superhero or comic book film to date can stand toe-to-toe with the Manhattan-set battle sequence that finishes off this film.

Whedon’s never really worked in full-on effects-heavy action mode before, but he out-Bays Bay with this one. This sequence is massive, bringing all of the characters together in a dramatic, complicated and, as I said, extended alien attack on NYC. Yet we’re never confused about who’s doing what, or lost in the swirling digital chaos that tends to define the 2012 action movie experience. (I saw the film in 3D, and though I doubt it would lose too much in the standard 2D format, I was delighted to find that the picture wasn’t dark or blurry as I’ve come to expect. The 3D is largely used in a subtle fashion, save for one goofy shot of alien guts flying at the camera.)

Best of all, the scene isn’t just cutting between different Avengers heroes in different scenarios all happening simultaneously, which we’ve become kind of trained to expect from these kinds of big ensemble pieces. The whole climax establishes the notion that these characters are now a TEAM of soldiers under the command of Captain America, using their individual talents to function as a single unit. (One long take in particular whizzes around the New York skyline showing us each Avenger playing his or her part in the war effort, and it’s as close as films will likely get to a comic book “splash page.” It’s awesome.)

And yes, finally, we’re back to The Hulk, the purest embodiment of “The Avengers” sense of fun, and ability to ground these far-out fantastical goings-on by sprinkling in dashes of humanity here and there. Watching him fling himself between buildings and smash flying alien jet skis is alone worth the price of admission.

By Ray Manukay

Today I saw Marvel’s The Avengers.

The movie is great and all… and I’ll write more about that later. (As well as, post an enthusiastic review from PassMeThePopcorn.com contributor Lon Harris.)  But this particular post is more about the experience of the screening organized by the Facebook social media department  for The Avengers.

The event was excellently done and I came away extremely impressed.

Obviously, Marvel Studios is investing a lot on The Avengers and it’s clear they are pulling out all the stops. To be honest, I’m still in a daze about having the opportunity to see this film 3 weeks early. While in line, I found myself wondering why even bother for a screening like this. It’s not like this movie needed even more buzz.

The Avengers is the undisputed biggest film of the summer of 2012.

Although, Warner Bros might make a reasonable argument for The Dark Knight Rises for being the biggest film of the summer, it’s really not a strong case. Marvel Studios has built a story arc, which has stretched over five films. Five films of what is essentially exposition for about 8 different characters. The films also established a universe which they all inhabit. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America, are five films that have all culminated in the creation of this all-out action adventure film.

So why do a screening event like this?

The only thing I can come up with is that they wanted to thank the fans.

It’s a novel concept, especially in this age. But then again, the whole idea of The Avengers is in a way a reward for the fans.  It’s sort of a big Thank You for supporting the five films that came before this one.

But I digress.

First I want to share how I even came to receive passes for this screening. It all started with a Facebook LIKE. A simple LIKE for The Avengers movie page on Facebook.  Then on the morning of April 2nd The Avengers movie fan page released this link. Which announced that Los Angeles would receive a FREE movie screening of The Avengers simply because it was one of four cities to have the most fans of the film on Facebook. The link led to a short sign-up sheet. Which I quickly filled out.

And….that was it.  I had an opportunity for an exclusive screening of the biggest movie of the Summer of 2012…because… I was a fan of the page on Facebook.

This BLEW MY MIND.

In all honesty, I half expected my sign-up form would lead to a spam-filled discounted offer reply to watch The Avengers on May 3rd at some remote location.

Instead…minutes later, I received a clean, clear, confirmation e-mail to view the film 3 WEEKS ahead of the official release date, not only view the film but watch it in IMAX 3D  at the AMC Century City 15.

Fast forward to today. I decided, wisely to show up early to the screening. I anticipated a long line. Which there was. Of course, the line was filled with passionate comic book fans. Which, to be honest,  is socially,  a bit awkward for someone my age…but it was well worth the bit of awkwardness I endured.

While in line, news agencies had arrived to cover the event. They encouraged the crowd to show their enthusiasm.

They gladly obliged.

Also while in line the organizers began to distribute free Marvel hero memorabilia. They passed out costume items such as Thor’s helmet, Captain America’s mask, an Iron Man helmet, Hulk hands and my favorite …the Captain America shield.

Why?

Seemingly… just because. I expected an organized photo op or some kind of staged event to feature the swag. But that never came up.

They apparently gave them out as gifts.

Gifts for coming to a free screening of the most anticipated film of the summer. When the time came to pass out wristbands for the screening, everything went smoothly. Our names were on the master list. The line moved briskly, everything came off surprisingly smoothly. Although, we did notice one late comer who begged to be allowed to come in, but was rightfully turned away. The audience was also previously asked to leave cellphones in our cars. If not they’d be checked in at the door to be picked up later. Obviously, pirating concerns were rightfully on their mind.

Once inside the theater. We were greeted by KROQ’s  Ralph Garman, who kept the surprises coming. Since we were in the theater an hour early, they’d be passing the time with a trivia contest. The reward being even more The Avengers memorabilia such as Hats, T-shirts and buttons.

Why?

Again…just because. It’s at this point that the cynic in me started to become suspicious of the studio’s motives. I mean… they are essentially preaching to the choir here. There’s no way that this movie is going to suck. EVERYONE knows that it’s coming out. There’s not really an incentive to create this kind of good will or a positive buzz for the community.

Again. The idea of gratitude just seemed to be a constant theme in the atmosphere.  Marvel Studios just seemed intent on thanking the fans.  After a fun and entertaining trivia session from a  knowledgeable Ralph Garman  he brought out a special guest.

Director Joss Whedon.

I’ve actually had the chance to interact with Joss Whedon several times. Back when I worked at Laser Blazer he was a loyal customer. From my experience of dealing with him a bit, I could tell he was extremely appreciative for the hearty welcome and he came off as sincerely, grateful for the opportunity to screen the film for a loyal audience. He genuinely seemed humbled by the entire experience.  He also made some witty, sarcastic remarks about looking forward to screening ”The Justice League” for us, which brought about several laughs. Then he gave one last sincere thank you to the audience and  to Marvel Studios for the opportunity to direct the film.  He than gave way to Marvel Chief Kevin Feige who…again… thanked the fans… for our support. (As if a free screening wasn’t enough.) After the short, sincere, speech he said he wanted to introduce even more guests.

Some of the cast.

First Clark Gregg was introduced, followed by Colbie Smulders, than Tom Hiddleston than finally Chris Hemsworth.

Needless to say the audience was whipped into a frenzy by then. Even a cynic like me came away excited and impressed by this experience. The cast gave a quick wave and and shared some shouts of thanks out to us, then some quick bows of appreciation, as they quickly walked away. Which left one last  ”Thank You” to the assembled fans.

The Avengers would now be screened for us, the audience in IMAX 3D.

Which was the best thank you of all.

As far as the premise for a film goes, I don’t think it can get any more intriguing than the plot for Rian Johnson’s Looper. In the universe of the film, time travel becomes possible in the future. Not only is it possible, time travel is also being used by the criminal underground to wipe out enemies. A client sends a victim back in time to a set location, and a hitman in the past kills the enemy and disposes of the body. Which leaves no trace of the victim in the future.

As convoluted as that sounds, things get even more complicated when a hitman from the future, played by Bruce Willis, is sent back to the past to be killed by his younger self, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Obviously, this opens thing up to some symbolic, as well as metaphorical themes.

The trailer for the film not only reveals the plot nicely, but  the clips also shows off a fun energy, and  some exciting, action filled stunts.

Rian Johnson previously directed the stylized, high school film noir Brick. Although I wasn’t a fan of that particular movie, I admired what Johnson was going for there, and appreciated his vision and ambition for that project.

Looper stars Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Piper Perabo and Jeff Daniels. Looper is written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is scheduled for release in theatres on September 28th, 2012.

Official Synopsis:

In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson and also stars Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Jeff Daniels. Ram Bergman and James D. Stern produce.

Official Trailer:

Ted is a comedy film about a stuffed teddy bear that comes to life.

Sure, I admit the premise doesn’t sound very promising, but did I mention that the movie is written and directed by Seth MacFarlane? The film also features Mark Wahlberg as an adult male with maturity issues. But the real selling point is the vocal talents of Seth MacFarlane, as the vulgar talking bear. Things get complicated when Wahlberg’s character, John,  falls in love with the affable and beautiful Lori, played by Mila Kunis.

I think what’s most interesting about the ad campaign for Ted is how drastically different in tone the two released trailers are. The green band trailer advertises a version of the movie that comes off as a family film parody. The results are mildly amusing and shall we say… cute…and not in a good way. The red band restricted trailer, however,  is arguably one of the funniest trailers I’ve seen so far this year. I found myself laughing out loud, hysterically at the inappropriate jokes and witty, profane dialogue.

The question I ask myself is what version will the final product be. The forgettable family film parody or the hysterical,  inappropriate, hard R comedy. Common wisdom would indicate that it would be a bit of both. But based on Seth McFarlane’s creative vision I’m willing to bet that it’s the hard R comedy we’ll be seeing this July.

Thankfully.

Ted stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis. Giovanni Ribisi, Laura Vandervoort, Patrick Warburton  and Seth Macfarlane. The film is is scheduled for release July 13,2012. Ted is written by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. It is directed by Seth MacFarlane. Ted is rated Restricted (R).

Official Synopsis:

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Ted. In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish…and has refused to leave his side ever since.

Official Trailer:

Red-Band Trailer: