Trailer Alert: Black Swan

After his passion project The Fountain turned out to be confusing metaphysical slop, Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) returned with the tight and affecting The Wrestler in 2008, known more as a comeback piece for Mickey Rourke than for its searing portrayal of a lost man. Aronofsky is back with Black Swan, a psychological thriller set in the world of New York's ballet. The script has been buzzed about for a while, and Natalie Portman (who trained for months before the film to learn proper ballet technique) already has whisperings of a possible Oscar nomination. The trailer is stunning, and the film looks like the kind of twisted erotic thriller Hollywood forgot how to make after Basic Instinct. Aronofsky has tackled a vast number of genres; we'll see if he can pull off this high-concept adult thriller without delving into laughable plot turns. The trailer is filled with arresting visuals, and glimpses of Aronofsky's raw directorial style; it also looks like Mila Kunis (an early casting decision I was incredibly worried about) might just hold her own in one of her first big dramatic roles. Black Swan's release date is December 1st, 2010.

Trailer Alert: Let Me In

One of the greatest foreign films in recent memory is the Swedish Let the Right One In. Released in 2008, it's a vampire fable based on a best-selling novel. Check out the DVD; this is an art-house twist on the vampire craze, with some wonderfully deep and bizarre moments. When Hollywood announced plans for an adaptation, I was more than worried; there are edgy, original elements that I see Hollywood shying away from, or simply cutting, to ensure a PG-13 rating and a teenage girl audience... Then, the trailer came out. Despite the butchered title (resulting in the loss of central thematic allusions), Let Me In seems to have captured the haunting atmosphere and grizzly tension of the original. Let's hope it also captures an R rating. With Cloverfield's Matt Reeves directing the project, the perfect casting of Richard Jenkins as The Father, and featuring Chloe Mortez (one of my favorite current child actresses, brilliant as Hit-Girl in Kiss-Ass), I'm officially excited. Let Me In hits US theaters October 1st, 2010.