Yes, No, Maybe So: Maleficent

My favorite moment of the Grammys Sunday night was the premiere of the Maleficent trailer set to Lana Del Rey's hypnotically sinister version of Disney's "Once Upon a Dream"! Runner up was Imagine Dragons. Second Runner Up was Madonna resurrecting "Open Your Heart" briefly while people of all persuasions married (awwww) thereby rescuing me from that obnoxious if well-intentioned "Same Love" rap (Keith Urban with his new handsome-lady haircut was also happy to be rescued as he was totally crying. But where was Mrs. Keith Urban Whom We Worship?). Fourth runner up was a tie between Pink and Lorde... but I digress and am running way off track with the tracks.

MALEFICENT!

Well well."

Let's talk about that "Dream" trailer only we're doing things a smidge differently because we're in a mood. We're going to judge every shot of it with our Yes No Maybe So™ system.

Ready? Go!

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She's Finally Got It!

Congratulations to Angela Lansbury! Mrs Iselin is finally clutching her own deserved Oscar gold! You can see her acceptance speech if you haven't yet after the jump...

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Maleficent Teases...

We'll save the Yes No Maybe So-ing for a full trailer, but Disney is now teasing Maleficent, their Spring 2014 blockbuster hopeful, with a Pfeifferesque Pfirst Poster and a new teaser which gives us our first taste of...

Well, if not the movie itself than its...

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Starring Angelina Jolie as... Michelle Pfeiffer?

Glenn here. Tell me I am not the only one who looked at this poster for Maleficent featuring Angelina Jolie clad entirely in deep, dark black and saw, rather, Michelle Pfeiffer. Every time I glance at the poster I see Pfeiffer, not Jolie. Is my mind playing tricks on me since, duh, I want Michelle Pfeiffer in everything? Or have they deliberately made Jolie look like her? Or am I just insane?

No matter who it stars, I'm excited to see Maleficent in cinemas in 2014. Are you? Nothing about Jolie's uber-diva pose on this poster is making me question the quality. If anything, it's giving the film a reputation within me that it can't possibly reach. In other words: I'm loving the poster. If nothing else at least Angie will look fabulous, and maybe Anne B. Sheppard will get a third Oscar nomination she (surprisingly?) didn't get for Inglourious Basterds. We're keeping an eye out!

Unbroken Jolie

Did you ever see Angelina Jolie's directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey? I myself missed it, given it's blink and you'll miss it release (there are a handful of movies each year that feel like they didn't come out that, in fact, did.... Oscar qualifying shadiness is usually to blame). It received middling reviews but will she have more success with her follow up Unbroken? I hope so. I'm always wishing her well since she's one of the Earth's greatest celebrities.

The first photos from the set have emerged and in this one, it looks like she's remaking Kon-Tiki the water is so very blue and the man in the raft is so very blonde.

But actually the film is about  US airman and former Olympian Louis Zamperini (played by young Brit star Jack O'Connell with whom I am unfamiliar. Anyone?) and his World War II adventures in the Pacific where he crash-landed before eventually doing time as a prisoner of war. The film which could well serve as a breakthrough for its trio of young actors also features Domnhall Gleeson (you know him) and gorgeous soap star Finn Wittrock who will also be in Darren Aronofsky's Noah next year so he's going to be so soggy and pruney in 2014. Acting while wet!  The legendary Roger Deakins is behind the camera.

Empire promises...

it will also have sharks. Lots and lots of sharks. 

Hmmm.

I'd rather watch Angelina punch them than direct them. 

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