Trailer round-up: Rain of Madness, Burn After Reading, College

Rain of Madness

Just as Tropic Thunder looks like it’s going to admirably take the piss out of Apocalypse Now, so this mockumentary making-of trailer does the same to the documentary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Oscar-winning effort, Hearts of Darkness.

Starring all the cast from Tropic Thunder, including Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr and, most notably Steve Coogan, the Rain of Madness trailer somehow manages to be even funnier than ‘Thunder’s efforts. Lines like ‘The only difference between this and Vietnam is that with this film, we’re gonna win’ are brilliantly spun and Downey Jr seems to be carrying on his recent run of winning performances. The scene where his method acting appears to go a bit too far is especially funny.

Is it a trailer for a real film, or just a very clever promotional bit for ‘Thunder? Hunting round on the web, it’s something of a mystery. Maybe it will be released as a DVD extra. Either way, it’s got more laugh out loud moments than any trailer I’ve seen so far this year, with Coogan in particular on fine form as Director Damien Cockburn. Wait until the last ten seconds and behold his comic genius.

Watch it at www.rainofmadness.com, along with posters and info on fictional filmmaker Jan Jürgen.

Burn After Reading

The Coens’ latest effort is due out in September and the trailer for this tale of what happens when a data disc belonging to the CIA get in the wrong hands, looks promising.

Sticking with a couple of cast members they know well, the Cloondog and Frances McDormand turn out to star for the directing duo and added to the mix are messers Pitt and Malkovic; Malkovic the mean, no nonsense bad guy, Pitt appearing to opt for his crazy, wacky shtick, coming across as a total buffoon in pretty much every scene he’s in.

There’s enough black humour and action in the trailer to suggest it’s going to be more than just an off-the-wall comedy though. A scene towards the end appears to show Malkovic smashing ten bells out of one of Pitt’s colleagues.

Looks like it should be up to the Coens’ usual high standards.

You can watch it for yourself here.

College

This week’s dud is a comedy with a plot that treads absolutely no fresh ground whatsoever. Ignoring the fact that cinematic history is littered with teen comedies about young guys just out to get laid/have a whole lot of fun/save their relationship, first-time Director Deb Hagan has put her hat in the ring with College.

With a cast most notable for starring Drake Bell, of kids’ TV show Drake and Josh, this one’s going to rely on great comic set pieces and quality ensemble performances. Unfortunately, the trailer suggests neither. If the scene where the three protagonists try to get in to a house party on the basis that the obligatory chubby one shows off his man boobs is typical of the jokes on show, this is going to be one long night at the cinema.

Even Voiceover Guy has taken a break from this one, leaving it up to some impostor to take care of lines like, ‘From the Producers of Waiting’ and ‘The visit may last a weekend, but the memories will last a lifetime’. Quite.

Watch it unfold here.