A few weeks ago we posted this trailer for Love Happens and cited it as a prime example of the 'trailer-that's-not-really-a-trailer-just-a-shortened-version-of-the-entire-film'. Unfortunately, this affliction of Hollywood marketing agencies doesn't appear to be slowing up, as this week, Best For Film alerted us to this feature length trailer of Letters To Juliet which similarly obliterates any ambiguity the plot of said film might contain in just two minutes and thirty-one seconds. Well done Hollywood, you're getting good at this.
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To be fair Hollywood has always been trying to show as much of a movie in the trailer for decades now. Watching some old trailers on TCM (though I know they make some of them themselves) you'd think they were just showing the entire thing.
ReplyDeleteRecently Moon's trailer for last year was just horrible. Basically taking all the thrills out of the movie (except for maybe the final 15 minutes) and showing it to the viewer.
An interesting point which I can well believe (that this isn't a new affliction) although rarely do I see trailers for 'old' films. I just think it's possible to do a really powerful trailer without ruining the whole film (see; The Thin Red Line, Sin City).
ReplyDeleteI've not seen the Moon trailer and am now glad that I didn't at the time but if that ruined a lot of the film for anyone then that's really a travesty.
Totally agree Sam. It's definitely possible to make a trailer intriguing without revealing 3/4 of the movie in 2 minutes! It's just that studios are not allowing, or simply are not creative enough in the matter and sticking to the same formula for nearly every trailer.
ReplyDeleteYes, absolutely agree with that. I'm not so bothered with something like LOVE HAPPENS (which you can predict anyway - on that thought process, perhaps the studios aren't actually bothered about ruining it, as you say?) I would have been very very annoyed though if a trailer had of ruined MOON for me. A film which I still think is the best of last year.
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