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Trespass or the Straw Dogs Remake? Which In-Home Hostage Thriller Will You See? We Break It Down

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (15)

nicolas-cage-and-nicole-kidm.jpg

There are two films coming out in the next few months that bear a lot of similarities: Joel Schumacher’s Trespass, starring Nic Cage and Nicole Kidman, and Rod Lurie’s Straw Dogs remake, starring James Marsden and Kate Bosworth.

Which will be better? Let’s break it down:

Director: Joel Schumacher vs. Rod Lurie. Schumacher is a hack, but a hack with some early career winners (Flatliners, The Lost Boys) and a mid-career gem, Tigerland. But he’s coming off the dreadful Twelve and hasn’t made anything worthwhile in over a decade. Rod Lurie, meanwhile, is mostly known as the screenwriter behind Joan Allen’s phenomenal Contender, though he did direct the well-received but little seen Nothing But the Truth, with Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon.

Advantage: A slight advantage to Straw Dogs

The Married Coupe: Nic Cage and Nicole Kidman vs. James Marsden and Kate Bosworth: Nicole Kidman is barely recognizable as herself anymore, and the same goes for Nic Cage in the trailer, despite the fact that he’s had no plastic surgery. But, there are multiple Oscar nominations (and a couple of wins) between them. Meanwhile, both James Marsden and Kate Bosworth are good actors that have never really landed the right part, especially Marsden, who is a regular scene-stealer in otherwise forgettable films (Sex Drive, 27 Dresses, Enchanted and especially the Death at a Funeral remake). Neither couple has much box-office clout, but at least Marsden and Bosworth aren’t overexposed. What I don’t get, however, is why James Marsden is made to look like a guy from the 1970s when the Straw Dogs remake is set in modern day?

Advantage: Straw Dogs

Villain: Alexander Skarsgard vs. Cam Gigandet. Do we even have to debate this one?

Advantage: Straw Dogs

Plot: Trespass is about robbers who hold a weak man and his wife hostage while attempting to pull off a robbery. The weak husband has to find the Man inside him to fend off the bad guys. There are also suggestions that the main villain had a fling with the wife. Straw Dogs is about roofers who hold a weak man and his wife hostage. The weak husband has to find the Man inside him to fend off the bad guys. There are also suggestions that the main villain had a fling with the wife.

Advantage: Even.

Intangibles: Straw Dogs loses a point for being a remake; it loses a second point for being a remake of a classic. On the other hand, Trespass has been sitting on the shelf for a few years for unexplained reasons. Those explanations usually have to do with the movie sucking.

Advantage: Even.

Winner: Straw Dogs by a wide margin.

Here are the two trailers, starting with Trespass:

And here’s the trailer for the Straw Dogs remake:










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Comments

Trespass was actually shot last fall, so hasn't been sitting on the shelf too long. I also saw the Straw Dogs remake, it is a decent beat-for-beat carbon copy of the original, but half as effective.

Posted by: Jordan Raup at August 18, 2011 11:21 AM

Neither, I fucking HATE the home-invasion genre.

Posted by: TylerDFC at August 18, 2011 11:21 AM

Thanks Straw Dogs trailer for giving away every plot turn and removing all suspense.

(I thought that, too, Kitty, and I went back and watched the trailer for the original Straw Dogs. Somehow, it gives away even more. -- DR)

Posted by: Kitty at August 18, 2011 11:24 AM

Straw Dogs, by a wide margin I'd say. The other is a bit too hysterical looking. Plus Kate Bosworth.

Posted by: Max at August 18, 2011 11:56 AM

Not to be a jerk but, really, how suspenseful can a remake be?

Posted by: logan at August 18, 2011 12:10 PM

Kate Bosworth versus Nicole Kidman. Geez just kill me now. Why don't you just throw Catherine Zeta Jones in there and make it a Hat Trick of Heinousness.

Also, Straw Dogs was the only Peckinpah Film I can honestly say I HATED. Hard to believe its the same guy who made The Wild Bunch.

Bottom line: I'll do my laundry that night, thank you very much.

Posted by: klingonfree at August 18, 2011 12:35 PM

James Marsden was in Sex Drive? How am I not remembering this? Was I too distracted by Amish Seth Green?

I mean I kind of like that guy (Marsden), so I'm a little distressed that I could forget that.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at August 18, 2011 1:17 PM

You probably don't remember him because he was playing so against type....the A**hole big brother. His is the car they stole.

Posted by: phase10 at August 18, 2011 2:24 PM

Maybe it has something to do with the length of the trailers but if I had to choose, I'd go see Trespass only because it's not trying to confuse anyone. Everyone invloved knows how the movie will perform and how much it will ultimately make at the box office, especially if they choose a good release date.

Straw Dogs' trailer suggests that the producers actually think in their minds that they've made some kind of high art movie. They are confusing themselves and thus, wind up boring me.

Posted by: Candy at August 18, 2011 3:22 PM

neither one of these movies are worth my movie ticket coupon and gift card. Pass. But these are 2 great movies to add to the tbs rainy saturday list!

Posted by: blacksred at August 18, 2011 7:22 PM

I misread this title and assumed "Trespass" was being remade... The !992 film starring Ices T and Cube as well as Bill Paxton... So color me a little confused when I read Joel Schumacher in the opening sentence.

Then the kaleidoscope shifted to a darker shade of befuddlement... James Marsden and Kate Bosworth... Did we skip over the fact that Cyclops was married to Lois Lane in Superman Returns? A small footnote in the Married Couple paragraph perhaps?... No, its cool, I don't mind. I mean it was Superman Returns, I won't put up a fight.

Posted by: protoformX at August 18, 2011 11:08 PM

There's a plot to Straw Dogs? It's not just constant borderline-uncomfortable attempted rape scenes starring Alexander Skarsgaard? Well, then I say good day, sir.

I SAY GOOD DAY.

Also, for sheer and blissful immature reason, I recommend the unrated version of Sex Drive. I laughed so hard when Rex (James Marsden) broke down the motel door and Ian (Josh Zuckerman) goes, "Cyclops!" and runs out of the frame.

Posted by: duckandcover at August 19, 2011 4:47 PM

Nice Fez reference D&C.

Now I say GOOD DAY

Posted by: kirbyjay at August 21, 2011 8:29 PM

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Posted by: closet organization at September 29, 2011 8:40 PM

The hype behind both of these films have driven me to keep up on the current news on them, and recently Trespass has been looking better and better. In my opinion, I cannot wait for the film to come out Friday. I will most definitely be seeing it in theaters.

Posted by: JCase at October 12, 2011 7:36 PM