Warner Bros. recently released the first trailer for Inherent Vice, the long-awaited latest feature from celebrated filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.

You can watch the trailer here below.

Based on the best-selling 2009 novel by the elusive iconoclastic author Thomas Pynchon, Vice stars Joaquin Phoenix as a Los Angeles hippie private detective who uncovers a scheme to kidnap a billionaire land developer (Eric Roberts) who his ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterson) is in love with. His investigation brings him into the orbit of a star-studded cast of cops, criminals, and drugged-out California eccentrics in the early 1970s that also features Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, Maya Rudolph, and Martin Short.

Mud
Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson
Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions
Rated PG-13 | 130 Minutes
Released April 26, 2013 (Limited)

As we are about to begin the big summer movie season, I decided to head out to my local independent movie theater, and luckily for us folks in Milwaukee, we have two to choose from. I headed to the Downer and after hearing that they finally converted to digital projectors, I got my popcorn, frozen Junior Mints, and soda, then headed into the theater for Mud.

It seems there are a few movies coming out that deal with kids on their summer breaks or something along the lines of Stand By Me or Adventureland. And in Mud, which was written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, a movie worth checking out and I would suggest checking out the numerous episodes and discussions on the /Film podcast about it, after seeing it of course).

Mud
Director: Jeff Nichols
Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson
Lionsgate Films
Rated PG-13 | 131 Minutes
Release Date: April 26, 2013

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Mud stars Matthew McConaughey as the title character, a charismatic desperado on the run from ruthless bounty hunters.

“Galen said it’s been here awhile. He thinks the last flood did it.” Neckbone, an adolescent boy in camouflage pants and a Fugazi t-shirt, and his friend Ellis are exploring a small island on the Mississippi River where they discover a motorboat stuck in the branches of a twisted old tree.

Like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) and Ellis (Tye Sheridan) are two poor boys on a great adventure through the American South. After investigating the motorboat, the two encounter Mud, a drifter with a gun in his waistband and crosses in his heels – nails in the shape of crosses – that protect him from evil spirits.

Very few names pop up that are quite as harsh on the ears as one Tim Burton.

Over the past few years, Burton’s career has fallen on hard times, making a fine amount of money at the box office, but becoming something of a critical pariah. But now, as producer, things may be changing as he’s got one hell of a cast for his next flick.

THR is reporting that both Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds have joined the cast of his new project, a biopic entitled Big Eyes.

Just to get it out of the way early, Robert Pattinson does a decent enough job as the lead in the adaptation of the Sara Gruen bestseller Water for Elephants and provides some measure of hope that he may have a viable future once the Twilight series ends. Granted, the only non “vampire” related role I’ve seen Pattinson in without the words “Harry Potter” in the title was last year’s horrendous Remember Me, so seeing the WFE trailers with him in the lead alongside two Oscar winners led me to think he’d be the talent Black Hole in this trio. Again, he’s not, and there are times when his work is better than the film he’s in.

Just goes to show what you can do when you’re not playing a mopey little bitch in an inexplicably popular teeny serial.

Time for some SPOILER TALK! Below are SPOILERS for Water for Elephants. Free free to add your thoughts in the Comments section.