Unfortunately, I did not manage to catch this extended TV spot for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button during NBC's Olympic coverage, though, luckily, one person did. I imagine this will eventually become the film's second trailer, and it'll hopefully arrive online in a higher quality at some point this week, but for the time being you can scope out a somewhat decent (except for the annoying beeps here and there) video of the spot above (courtesy of The Tube).

Some of what's included here is also in the film's first trailer (catch that in HD on the flick's official website), but we also have a bunch more dialogue, tons of amazing visuals and .... well, watch for yourself. While you never know what the final product will deliver, I can say this film is showing some tremendous, buzz-worthy promise right now -- especially with a director like David Fincher and a cast that includes Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett (last time these two shared the screen, Babel was nominated for seven Oscars). Needless to say, I'm preemptively putting this on my top ten list for 2008 and crossing my fingers at the same time.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button arrives in theaters on December 19.

After enduring a moderate amount of fuss, our devoted readers can now click here for the Apple-exclusive English-language trailer for Brad Pitt and David Fincher's long-in-the-works The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Apparently made available only in the HD format to correspond with Fincher's expectedly demanding standards, the trailer is indeed that much more striking for it. To borrow my own words for it:

"...while the sparse dialogue clues us in on the surreal nature of the events unfolding, the bigger selling point is the scope with which director Fincher and star Brad Pitt find themselves working. It's as if Fincher tapped into his inner Jeunet, and as for Pitt... well, between this and that Burn After Reading trailer, the man's looking to have one hell of a year, and with any luck, so will audiences."

Benjamin Button is scheduled to hit theaters this Christmas, and when the next trailer for it comes around, we'll be sure to make mention of it once we're certain that everyone can actually watch the thing.

UPDATE: Scratch that, folks. According to JoBlo.com, the trailer has been taken down at the request of the studio and "Fincher himself." Paramount has then assured the site that the trailer will be officially posted - in all its HD glory - on Apple's trailer site in the very near future. Sorry about that, guys, but we'll keep you posted once they get it posted.

Previously available in either en Español or attached to prints of Indiana Jones..., we can now (cannot quite) bring you the English-language trailer for David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, courtesy of JoBlo.com.

Naturally, it still stands that, while the sparse dialogue clues us in on the surreal nature of the events unfolding, the bigger selling point is the scope with which director Fincher and star Brad Pitt find themselves working. It's as if Fincher tapped into his inner Jeunet, and as for Pitt... well, between this and that Burn After Reading trailer, the man's looking to have one hell of a year, and with any luck, so will audiences.

It 's also worth noting that adapting this F. Scott Fitzgerald story for the big screen is screenwriter Eric Roth, whose own Forrest Gump similarly chronicled the life of a man whose presence managed to manifest itself across several eras of American culture and history.

In what is perhaps a fitting sense of time, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button doesn't open until this Christmas, and yet it suddenly can't seem to get here soon enough.

Whether you liked or hated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, you now have to admit that it was good for something. Specifically, members of the Russian Communist Party have called for a nationwide boycott of the film, because it lies about history and aims to undermine Communism. They've objected that the Soviet Union in 1957 was launching satellites instead of "send[ing] terrorists to the States," and are wondering whether "talented directors want to provoke a new Cold War."

First, it's important to note that the Russian Communist Party isn't a tiny cabal of pamphleteering loonies à la the American Communist Party. The Russian Party got 11.6% of the vote in 2007's parliamentary elections (that's about 8 million votes), and its representatives actually hold seats in Parliament; it's the largest opposition party in the country, and the Communist presidential candidate tends to be competitive. Second: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. An Indiana Jones film is an attempt to provoke a new Cold War? Really? If anything, it's proof -- as if any were needed -- that America doesn't take Communists seriously as adversaries. And if anything else, it's flattering: I seriously doubt that the modern Communist Party has any leaders as brilliant and ambitious as Cate Blanchett's Irina Spalko.

Okay, I bought us a little bit of time with that title, but understand the video above won't be around that long. This is the first Spanish-language trailer for David Fincher's new flick The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, though I have a feeling it's just dubbed and not a completely different trailer from the one currently playing in front of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I've been hearing a lot about this trailer in the past 24 hours; so has Peter from Slashfilm, as his readers have been emailing him -- claiming this trailer is the greatest thing in the history of great things.

It certainly looks odd, wild and beautiful -- almost as if David Fincher and Tim Burton had a child; this is what it would look like. The clean, crisp full English-language trailer will probably debut within the next few days online, so feel free to wait for that one or snag a taste from the one above. In case you're wondering, Benjamin Button stars Brad Pitt as a man who was born in his eighties and starts aging backwards. That's all I'll say for now; oh, and it also stars Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Elle Fanning and Julia Ormond.

Let us know what you think -- the film comes out December 19th.

In the Carlton Hotel at Cannes, a small group of journalists have navigated the maze-like hallways, made it through a series of security checkpoints and eventually brought to a suite to sit in rows and hear Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf and George Lucas talk about the making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Despite the bizarre timing of the interviews -- Paramount scheduled the press day before the press screening of the film -- rendering the experience slghtly awkward, LaBeouf, Blanchett and Lucas were relaxed and charming as they took hypothetical questions, general inquiries and wild guesses about the film. Cinematical was there to hear George Lucas talk about the politics of Indy, LaBeouf explain why his switchblade skills needed work and Blanchett talk about being directed by her children, and much more; Cinematical's questions are indicated.

George, was it really important to have the space alien element to the story? The legend about this movie is that it was held up because you wanted to have the Area 51 segment in there. Is that true, and why is it so important to have the aliens in there?

George Lucas: Well, these movies don't work without an object that they're going after that is supernatural and that is a real object that people believe in – whether it's actually true or not true – whether it's the Ark of the Covenant, whether it's the Holy Grail, these are things that are mythological artifacts that have real mythology. It's not made-up Hollywood, by me or by anyone else, it's the real deal. So I had to have something that would be the real deal. When we finished the third film, we didn't know if we were gonna make (a next) movie. ...

After a 19-year sabbatical, the Doctor will see you now. Or, rather, you will see the doctor; after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade put Harrison Ford's fedora-wearing rogue academic into the pop culture pantheon of greats, expectations are at a fever pitch for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Today's Cannes press screening feels like a courtesy at best; no critic's negative review will keep people from seeing this film -- and yet, at the same time, no amount of enthusiasm or expectation or nostalgia can make up for the things that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gets wrong in its strained effort to throw Indiana Jones back up on the big screen.

Crystal Skull begins in 1957, as the Cold War is getting warmer; we're plunged into the thick of things, with Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) dragooned into helping a group of Soviet interlopers ransack the secret storage depot at Area 51 for a lost artifact of great power. The Commie bad guys are lead by the raven-haired razor-banged Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), whose early declaration " ... three times have I received the Order of Lenin ..." tells you a lot of what you need to know about her, and also serves as about all you're going to get. Spalko's hunting for the storyline-starting MacGuffin; Dr. Jones gets away, but the Soviets get the thingamabob; the chase is on.

I just walked out of the completely packed press screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. James will have his review up shortly, but before the press conference begins, I wanted to give you my quick initial impression of the film, which is: Indy 4 is a nicely satisfying continuation of the franchise, and will please most Indy fans.

Though the first act drags a bit, the latter two-thirds of the film pick up the pace, and the film is packed with all the familiar elements fans have come to expect from Indiana Jones. John Williams's classic score still thrills, and the film, for the most part, meets the expectations set when you hear those familiar first bars of the theme song. Harrison Ford is older, of course (aren't we all), but still brings the role all the charm, daring and humor Indy should have. Shia LaBeouf holds his own alongside Ford, bringing to his role a combination of swaggering bravado and hidden vulnerability that mirrors the younger Ford in the earlier films. And it's great to see Karen Allen back on the screen for the sequel, still full of sass; although she is saddled with a couple of lines of fairly cringe-worthy dialog, you just can't help but like Marion.

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Above you will find the latest Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer. While it looks kinda like the last one, it's easy to spot a whole bunch of new scenes and dialogue. Anyone else notice how all these trailers and TV spots have been very light on Marion Ravenwood's scenes? They've included her in this jungle car chase scene, and she's had a line or two, but that's it. Part of me wonders how much she's in the actually movie? Then again, perhaps they'd rather play up the Shia LeBeouf and Cate Blanchett roles over Karen Allen, who, while very well known to all of us movie buffs, isn't exactly a household name across the globe. Kinda diggin' LaBeouf's character more and more each day; he's a fun guy to watch on screen and my fingers are crossed he does a good job here. Reviews thus far have been iffy ... but I'd rather wait to see for myself.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives on May 22. Check out our enormous (and fairly awesome) gallery of images from the film below.

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Catching an afternoon screening of Iron Man last weekend, the questionably denigrating representations of Afghani villains bugged me less than the bizarre cultural references in the trailers preceding it -- especially when it came to accents. Three previews in a row contained characters speaking intentionally mangled English, a fact all the more recognizable because all of them were played by well-known actors. You Don't Mess With Zohan showed Adam Sandler as a tough Israeli hair stylist. The Love Guru preview found Mike Myers blabbering on with South Asian inflections. Rounding things out in perhaps the most innocuous case, Cate Blanchett popped up as a Communist baddie in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Are these gross caricatures or fair play?

We've touched on this issue before, but it looks like each month the trend gets a little stronger. There's edgy and there's a line: Borat may or may not send the wrong message, but the character's faux Kazakh accent tells you a lot about the way Americans tend to judge foreigners on the basis of their less-than-perfect English. The specific nature of the satire gives Cohen's performance an underlying purpose -- unlike, say, Love Guru, which seems more like a chance to ignorantly marvel at Myers' ability to turn Indians into a continuous punchline. Recently, a few Hindu groups launched protests against the film. This could mark uncharted terrain for Myers, who did not, as far as I know, get lambasted by any hippies after the first Austin Powers.

A brand new trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has arrived online in pretty good form. It's quite obviously leaked, though it doesn't look all that bad -- and it features a ton of new, familiar dialogue as well as new scenes mixed with ones we've already seen. The trailer opens up with Indy talking about the Crystal Skull, how it's guarded by the living dead and that whoever finds it will gain its powers. Cut to the devilish Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) who tells Indy that he is to help her (and a bunch of other evil Russians) find it. Thus begins another Indiana Jones adventure ... and there's even a quick glimpse of a messy old John Hurt in there too. Only one we haven't seen yet is Jim Broadbent, though maybe I missed a flash of his character (there to replace Marcus Brody) in one of the trailers. Watch the new one above while it's still around, and let us know what you think.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives on May 22. And for more on all things summer-related, be sure to check out Moviefone's massive summer movies hub.

Why We Can't Wait to See It: Well, it's Indy. That alone is pretty much all you have to say, isn't it? Harrison Ford is back as Dr. Jones, and while some of the folks around for the ride are new (Cate Blanchett, Shia LeBouf and others), the return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood is reason enough for old-school fans to be excited.

Why It Might Do Well: Again, it's Indy -- and a long-anticipated return to the big screen for one of the most beloved movie franchises of modern times. Plus, the only big opener the week before is Prince Caspian -- which, while anticipated, probably won't pull people from the ticket lines opening week.

Why It Might Not Do Well: The question's less if it will do well than if it will be good; interviews have suggested that George Lucas has taken a heavy hand in the writing this time around -- which, frankly, hasn't been a good sign in recent years. Plus there's that disturbing gimmick in the trailer with Indy saying "I thought that was closer ..."; back in the day, Spielberg, Lucas and Ford would have let that go unsaid. ...

Fun Fact: Crystal Skull takes place 19 years after the events of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- the same amount of time it's been since we've seen Indy on-screen.

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With a little over a month left before Indiana Jones hits theaters for a fourth time, it's time to hear from its creators. First up, USA Today revealed a new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull photo (see above) along with their interview with Harrison Ford. An interesting note from that interview is Ford does not rule out an Indiana Jones 5, except he'd prefer that it not take another 20 years to come together. On the character, Ford says, "He's a guy who is pretty clear from the beginning. He has not changed so much between films. But we've learned more about him, through various plot devices, such as the introduction of his father. And we'll learn something more about him in this film. I think it's required. If you're going to bring back a character, you'll have to supply the audience with something more and different. The adventure is very, very important. But it's interesting to discover a facet of the character that perhaps you hadn't explored before."

Additionally, Entertainment Weekly sat down for a very informative interview with both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Their talk is extensive and very fun to read (if you're a fan of either man or both); topics covered include, of course, the entire Indiana Jones series. On the Russian villainess Irina Spalko (as played by Cate Blanchett), Lucas calls her an "uber-villain," while Spielberg says, "Of all the villains I've been able to work with in the Indiana Jones movies, I can say she's my favorite. And I think Cate made her that way."

Check out a brand new wonderful-looking Quicktime TV spot for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. (There's also a chintzy flash version here, if that's your thing.) It's snappier than the trailer we got earlier in the month, with the humor excised to make room for the action (they cut away just before our hero crashes ass-first into the windshield of that truck). There's also more Shia LaBoeuf and Cate Blanchett, plenty of those absurd off-road vehicles they drive, and a stronger classic Indiana Jones feel -- I love that sandtrap and retracting spiral staircase.

I actually quite admire Paramount's marketing of their big summer tentpole: it's been funny, classy, and appropriately reverent of the beloved franchise. They're clearly confident about the film's box-office prospects, as evidenced by the fact that we didn't get a trailer until just over two months before release, and this seems to have led to an advertising campaign that's more relaxed and less overbearing than we're used to. There's only a bit of new footage in this spot, but it's exciting, and its tone recalls the series at its best. Those eager to devour every scrap the studio throws us before May 22nd -- and I know there are plenty of you -- ought to check it out.