I’ve been holding this tab in my browser for awhile now, eagerly waiting the chance to share with you this great trailer for Attack The Block. Sharing creative DNA with films like Scott Pilgrim and Shaun of the Dead, it’s the feature debut of Joe Cornish, recent writing partner of Edgar Wright and tangential member of the Wright/Pegg/Frost crew (think Redman to their Wu-Tang*). The film is about a group of South London… well, hoodlums seems like the best word, and their adventures when their night of ultraviolence and carefree thuggery is interrupted by an alien invasion.
There are a lot of things I like in the trailer I’ve embedded below, but one of them has to be the brief glimpse of the truly unique alien beasty that is running amok in the gang’s block. From what I understand, much of the alien action was achieved with physical effects, so CGI should be minimal.
I love the unique texture of the film, and how it looks as competent and exciting as any normal blockbuster while focusing on characters, locations, and a sense of humor that you’d rarely ever see in a major motion picture. My allusion to Clockwork Orange above is not accidental by the way, as beyond the obvious tonal connection, there is shared linguistic heritage- these kids will be speaking in genuine South London slang, that at times will be as foreign to many of us as Alex’s nadsat speak in Clockwork.
The film will be premiering (with strong buzz, I have no doubt) at SXSW, and I can’t wait to see it. The guys at Empire magazine have seen it (and first provided the trailer) and they loved it, claiming that it will be among the most quotable of the year. I’m not sure what the full picture is for a US release, but as it gathers more buzz at festival showings, we’re sure to find out. You can keep an eye out here, as we’ll definitely be tracking it.
The film’s facebook page is right here, if you care to show some support.
DISCUSS THIS on the CHUD Message Board
&
Like / Share it on Facebook (above or below) if you think it’s great!
*Though that gets a little mixed up because I’d consider Edgar the parallel figure to the RZA, but he’d have to be Method Man for Cornish to be Redman and– fuck it, let’s move on.