War Horse Trailer/Film4/Not Forgotten

"War Horse" first look below

THE WAR HORSE TEASER TRAILER

I mentioned in this space earlier this week that, if pressed, I could make a case for Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" as a possibility for Telluride.  Admittedly, I think it's a weak case, that's why it isn't remotely close to the top ten most likely films that I posted earlier this week as well. 

Nonetheless, yesterday the first teaser trailer for the intriguing film leaked online and in an effort to be a full service blog (and also because it's gorgeous) and seriously going to be all in for Oscar time), here's the link to a YouTube version of that trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRf3SfeMRD4

Here is the "War Horse" IMDB page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568911/

ANOTHER FILM COMPANY TO EVALUATE

I've been spending some time this week looking at some of the film production/distribution companies that seem to always have a presence at the Telluride Film Festival as a prism for trying to lay odds about what films could unspool (what an archaic term in a world of digital projection!) in the San Juans.  today let's take a gander at British film company Film4.

Here are the films over the past few years that Film4 has had a hand in that have played at Telluride:
2007: "When Did You Last See your Father?" "Brick Lane" and "Happy-Go-Lucky"
2008: "Hunger" and "Slumdog Millionaire"
2009: No Film4 at TFF
2010: "127 Hours," "Another Year" and "Never Let Me Go"

Film4 has 4 films that I feel might have some designs on a Telluride appearance: "The Iron Lady," "On the Road," "Wuthering Heights" and "Shame."  Of these four, I'd say that the greatest chances are "Shame" and "Wuthering Heights" as both films have directors that have appeared previously and recently with films at Telluride; Steve McQueen (Shame) with "Hunger" in 2008 and Andrea Arnold (Wuthering Heights) in 2009 with "Fish Tank"  I think there's a slight chance that we might see "The Iron Lady" (Streep is a past Telluride tributee, so it's not impossible that she might return) and I have the highest odds against "On the Road" which hasn't much Telluride pedigree.

Which leads me to today's final segment...

NOT FORGOTTEN

"On the Road" is an example of a film that sounds like it should have a profile for Telluride, bit on closer inspection, doesn't have many connections or clues that suggest it would actually be a part of the program or a sneak.  As a matter of fact, it's Film4 connection gives it more of a leg up than these other films that we expect to see released before the end of the year and which seem like Film Fest bait, but have very little Telluride "tells":
"The Rum Diary" Johnny Depp as a Hunter S. Thompson-like character base on the book by Hunter S. Thompson.
"The Help" Big cast dealing with race and class issues set decades ago.
The aforementioned "On the Road."
and I've added "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" to this "unlikely" list.  I had listed it earlier as a possible TFF film but it's generally the kind of BIG movie that doesn't play Telluride.

So, could any of these be at Telluride?  Sure.  But I don't think it's likely.