Good Trailer / Bad Film – FRC says NO MORE!!!
Sometimes the Trailer and expectation of a new Film turns out to be the best part of the experience. It is just wrong.
Now THIS is what you call a trailer….
I am having a bad year so far. I look at my most anticipated films and trailers that made me want to see them like NOW, and the actual form for the movies turns out to be utter rubbish.
As you all know I am a Home Cinema fan, I am not so fussed about going to the local Multiplex, which is probably one of the worst in the county, and sitting in a uncomfy chair for two hours with the sweaty unwashed. So I choose to wait for a film. Problem with this is that I am not a very good Ambassador of Patience. When a film is coming that I love the look of, rather than stay away from reviews and friends blogs that feature them. I get stuck in, hoping for some sort of confirmation that the wait will be worth it.
But, so far this year, only 1 film whose trailer I loved has actually turned out to be any good. That film is Thor. Here is the trailer, I think you will agree that it is pretty awesome…
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHBnrJowBZE]
Lots of my friends have seen it and I am so happy that at least this film has delivered on its trailer. Ruth at flixchatter gave it 4 reels, Lesya from Eternity of Dream gave it 3 stars, so my friends have enjoyed it and that’s enough for me.
The problem I have is when the Producers make a trailer that makes a film seem it is so much more than it is. Like a comedy that has all its best jokes in the trailer but nothing of substance in the film. Or a tense but slow drama that is cut so fast and with intense music over the top that it seems like an action film. This seems to happen too much in Hollywood. So often I feel cheated.
mar·ket·ing
[mahr-ki-ting] Show IPA
–noun
1. the act of buying or selling in a market.
2. the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.
Now I totally understand the role of the Marketing department. I realise that the sole purpose of a trailer is to get bums on seats. But when the film is totally misrepresented by one then I really think we have been cheated. I also believe that the industry has a moral responsibility to give a true representation of a film. Isn’t false advertising illegal? Some of these trailers make the film makers no better than those seedy internet marketeers that are offering you the next get rich quick system, or a hair growth product….
Snake Oil Anyone?
Lets look at a couple of example…
Battle : Los Angeles
What we were promised in the trailer? An epic Black Hawk Down meets Aliens
What we got? a 35% on RT and an Overlong and overly burdened film with war movie clichés, Battle: Los Angeles will entertain only the most ardent action junkies.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORb3zC8z94w]
Sucker Punch
What we were promised in the trailer? A visceral look into the mind of a teenager, intense fight scenes, and beautiful imagery
What we Got? a 22% on RT (ouchies) and a film technically impressive and loaded with eye-catching images, but without characters or a plot to support them, all of Sucker Punch’s visual thrills are for naught.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrIiYSdEe4E]
These are just two of the films that I myself was wishing to be good. That’s just this year too. It has been happening for years, Pineapple Express, Phantom Menace and the ultimate sin… Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5YFE_VZX9o]
That film was so bad, and totally different to the story that the trailer promised that it should be sued for libel. I mean its like buying the advertised Veggie Bacon and finding out it has been made from animal parts…Just wrong!!
One last example of a film from recent years is Pirates of the Caribbean: At worlds End. Marc over at Go,See,Talk does a great job of summing this up, you should check his review HERE
I realise that this is a bit of a rant, I apologise. But I am getting fed up with being cheated out of good cinema!!
Have you got any examples of films that have left you yearning for the experience that the trailer promised? Am I taking this the wrong way? Comment below.
Scott Lawlor
I was so hyped up to see Skyline. The previews looked amazing to me and I couldn't wait! Then the reviews started coming…
I passed on watching it, to the point where I simply read the spoilers to see how it ended.
Surely, there's some director out there who can give us a huge bad ass alien invasion movie. ID4 and WoTW were fun, but I don't think anyone's really nailed it. There were some breathtaking scenes in War of the Worlds, and the sounds those machines made were terrifying, but something original and huge is in order. I though Battle LA would be it, but no.
Liam Neeson and Battleship? Not holding my breath anymore.
You are so right about Skyline. The trailer looked very cool. I stand by my comment that it would have made a much cooler TV Show than a failed big screen affair.
I am yet to be wowed by any alien invasion film. Perhaps only District 9 and that was something slightly different.
Thanks for the comment Mr Moth
it is indeed a rant, C
but I like it.
I can't say anything about those3 movies you have mentioned because I haven't seen the movies yet. I do think Battle Los Angeles looks great (in trailer) but Sucker Punch is already sucker to me even from the trailer.
my rant will be over Clash of the Titans…promising trailer but not a good movie at all, plus terrible acting.
Yeah, I am sorry about the ranting! It seems to have come out a bit stronger than it was meant to. But it is still very annoying
Good call Novia, Clash of the Titans was a shocker, compared to its trailer!!
love that first picture, didn’t know you hide such things in your garage, you Richard Benson, you
Sometimes you have trailers which look stunning because the producers have put all of the great scenes from the film in it, and then when you go to see the film you realize that the scenes from the trailer really were all of the exciting ones, and the rest is rubbish
Unlike most of you, naughty people, I didn’t hate CLASH OF THE TITANS nor PRINCE OF PERSIAN SANDS OF TIME. They weren’t the greatest of films, but they were billion times better than most average action and violent flicks that make teen audience drool.
HAHA I know right? That is one hell of a Motorhome. I bet it costs more than my whole house!!!
Thats exactly my point Dezzy, sometimes you think a film is going to be blooming awesome, only to find it has shot its load on the trailer….truly sucky.
You are on your own with Clash of the Titans, although we agree on lots of films, I am going to have to leave that out.
Thanks as ever for popping over
C
well, as long as I'm not pooping over instead of popping over, everything is alright
Phew, I got the email of your comment and I was very worried that my attempt to type fast had brought on an very naughty typo…it seems we are safe….
But yes no pooping please, were British…
I forgot to comment about that stunning picture.
A house compare to that trailer? pretty hard choice
hehe I know, its pretty awesome, I googled 'good trailer' and it popped up, I had to use it….
What’s started to bug me about trailers is that they all look the same, to the point that I’m sort of rolling my eyes at them. There seems to be three flavors of trailers:
-action movie, with things exploding, probably a line about it being “from the creators of 300″ or something, lots of snappy dialogue… they all look the same to me
-the indie movie that isn’t an indie movie. They all look like the trailer for “The Company Men” or maybe “Stranger than Fiction”.
-the family movie. CGI animation, maybe Jim Carrey’s voice somewhere, maybe Seth Rogen, people learning things…
There’s nothing wrong with any of those kinds of movies. It’s just that the trailers have the same checklist for all of ‘em. “It’s an action movie, so we have to include 3 explosions and four lines of witty dialogue and blah blah blah…”. Trailer makers have become unimaginative.
You are so right. It is like they all use the same Marketing company and advertising agency!! Really generic.
You also made a good point on another thing I loathe in the marketing of films and that is the reliance on previous films…'from the creators of 300' just bugs the hell out of me, can't these films stand on their own two legs?
Also Mash ups (you really got me going now) 'its shaun of the dead meets apocalypse now' meh, yawn!!
Thanks for the comment John
I agree, a few films I saw the last couple of years, the trailers were great but the actual films were pretty bad. Wolverine and Green Zone came to mind.
You know I have the opposite reaction to Thor's trailer, I thought it looked bad but I finally saw the movie and I thought it was great.
Yuck!! Green Zone was a shocker wasn't it? I expected so much…the next Bourne and so on, and yet the film was just super boring.
Its funny, because I love the humour and tongue and cheek in Thor's Trailer, and from the reviews I have seen that this is also present in the film. (no I haven't seen it yet) I am very much looking forward to seeing it though
Funny, I thought the Thor trailer was really mediocre and didn’t do anything for me. I was hence surprised when I saw Thor because I really liked the movie.
Maybe we have hit a nail on the head here… If a trailer is not great (even though this simple fool liked it) then our expectations are lower and the film receives a better response?
Better this than the false advertising that we get so often!!
Thanks for stopping by Castor
Thanks for the shout out! Trailers are deceitful. Besides, some trailers not just use the best scenes and lines, but also include those which are cut out from the movie itself! I think the one trailer that really made feel cheated was of The American. I expected an action-packed movie, but instead I got the film that I almost hated…
Hi Lesya, you are very welcome to the shout out. It was a great review that you wrote.
I have noticed that too. Using deleted scenes in the trailer is so wrong!!
Strange that you posted this now, I was just thinking about how much I hate trailers today.
I try to avoid watching them most of the time. They all seem the same to me and are often wildly misleading.
But they’ll do anything to get the people in the cinema I suppose…
Some trailers even reveal most of the films plot in an effort to get an audience.
great post Custard, I fully agree with you!
Thanks Jack. It seem that us Movie lovers all seem to have this distaste for the way the the Movie Makers fool us out of our cash!
Yeah, it is disappointing when movies don't live up to there trailers.
Also, i am going to be on vacation for 2 weeks after i graduate tomorrow. This means i won't be able to watch the next episode of The Killing until after that.
Congratulations on graduating my friend!! I will not do a post on the Killing until after the season has finished anyway. I am looking forward to a heated debate with you then!!
Have a good holiday Julian
Thanks. And i look forward to your finale post. I may just have to make my own post on it now
Cool matey, we just need a dedicated page to throw back some different ideas!!! How many episodes have we got left? 3?4? Its all good!!
Hello Custard!! Sorry for my tardiness in commenting… been nuts yesterday. THANK YOU for the link love to my THOR review btw, how kind of you.
I LOVE this post and oh how I so totally agree! Fortunately I haven't seen any of the bad movies you mentioned here, but man I've been burned many times before by great trailers that promised us the moon… Clash of the Titans, Public Enemies, and who knows how many others. Now, I'm not saying that the studios should stop churning out good trailers, I mean they are created to entice us after all, but it'd be nice if the movie live up to them, too!
Yes Ruth, you should be sorry. It was very rude……!! HAHAHA Joke!! Matey we all have real life stuff going on. Just because I am having a quiet time at the moment enabling me to over load my blog with content, doesn’t mean that everyone has the same time as me. I know that next week its back to busy Custard!!
I really am thankful for any comments I get on here. Traffic is like drink to me, comments are like food….
I am sorry that this post is a bit of a rant. But I really feel that sometimes we get totally cheated out into thinking a film is going to be cool. Lets hope The Immortals doesn’t go the same way!!
For me, the worst is when there are scenes in the trailers that aren't even in the movie. Second worst is when they put scenes in a different order than in the movie.
Yeah that is pretty awful Elizabeth, almost like totally spoiling the story for us all.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate it!!
Recently,the trailer for The Last Airbender really hyped me for the movie…and then boom,one of the worst movies ever made.I was cringing while watching it,so embarrassed because I chose to see such a piece of shit.
Yes the Last Airbender is a definite contender for the Good Trailer bad Film award!!
Thanks for the comment
We have a reviewer in OZ that refuses to view trailers. I can understand why. Marketing execs have no idea of subtlety. You’re supposed to sell the sizzle not the steak!
The problem is that these days the trailers are made a long time before the film is even finished.
Trailers are used to try and fix a bad film.
Trailers put all the best bits in.
Try viewing some trailers from the BBC in the UK. They show you a lot but tell you little – a perfect sizzle.
I love that statement….Selling the Sizzle not The Steak…I am going to use that in the future, if thats ok?
Trailers do a very good job of polishing a t*rd, shame its still one of those when we get to see it.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
C
I saw Pineapple Express because I thought the trailer was great (and James Franco was in it). So I annoy my sister to come (she loves comedies) and turns out the whole movie sucked and she just kept looking at me and say “seriously you dragged me into seeing this?”.
The same happened with “Knocked up” so I’m staying away from any Seth Rogen movie now.
Oh Ines, That really is a sucky moment for you. Its harsh for your sister to blame you for an awful film. I feel your pain.
Thanks for stopping by, and for the comment
C
Honestly i found Knocked Up hilarious. It has stayed as the only Katharine Heigl movie i like.
Pineapple i enjoyed also, although i don't remember finding that one as funny
Hey thanks for the shout out:) and really great post C!
I never got past how misleading the trailers for Man of the Year and Burn After Reading were. It’s not even like those were cherry picked to show the best jokes. No they just made the movie seem like something completely different from the final product.
Like the inclusion of Revenge of the Fallen. Watching that time and again I ask myself…where’s THAT movie?? It’s not the DVD on my shelf that’s for sure:P
Also just saw Thor this weekend (review coming today) and really enjoyed it. I for one thought the trailer underplayed the film and as such I underestimated it much to my overall enjoyment.
Hey Marc, you are more than welcome for the shout out!
I think with Thor most people went in the same. Not expecting much and getting loads out.
Thanks for stopping by, I always like a comment!
I liked Sucker Punch *blush* but I agree with your other points.
The only one I can think of off the top of my head that hasn’t already been mentioned is the movie The Beach with Leonardo Di Caprio. It’s from a few years ago. I thought the trailer was pretty good but i hated the movie. I don’t even really like Leo, I think it was the music in the trailer that did it for me.
Hi Apathygrrl, Thanks for stopping by.
I am glad to find someone that actually likes Sucker Punch. Shouldn’t feel any shame in liking it. Thats the beauty of film.
I am with you on Leo (looks over shoulder) I don’t really like him on the whole, but I must say he has given some very good performances, notably Aviator.
Thanks for taking time to comment, It really means a lot.
C
Flame trailers all you want, but they’re still way better than the old ones.
Yes, you are right of course. The trailers of the 70s 80s and even 90s were not as flash as todays ones. BUt don't you feel a little short changed when you see a film that has all its best bits aired in the trailer? There are some really good ones out there you are right
Thanks for the comment though, you made a good point!!
Its really kind of you to take the time to do this!
What about the second Matrix film?
Yep Second Matrix film can definitely go on the list!!
Thanks for popping in!!
Glad to see you’re back Custard! I’m so sorry to hear about the hosting fiasco… I truly feel for you man. Well no worries, IMDb will feature your post again one day and now that you’ve got a new host it surely won’t happen again. Just think of it… at least we all still have a roof over our head right, there are people who lost their homes in parts of the Midwest because of the crazy tornadoes here.
Cheers matey!