Actually, that’s not entirely true. I used to really enjoy movie trailers. That is, until failed film students (or overachieving marketing grads) took over making them and are apparently under the misapprehension that it’s their job to tell you the whole damn story in their freaking trailer!
I bitched about this a while back with The Italian Job, when it was clear that every major plot twist was shown in the trailer. And it’s pathetically obvious with nearly every comedy that comes out these days… there are more laughs packed into one trailer than there are most movies, simply because the fools making the trailers seem determined to show you every punch line to every joke in the movie.
The latest, most egregious examples, though, aren’t in the comedy realm. No, it’s the trailers for Secondhand Lions and Veronica Guerin.
The Secondhand Lions trailer is, arguably, the worst (although, with that movie, watching the trailer might be a better option than seeing the film). But towards the end of the trailer, they have actually stuck a section of the “emotional payoff” scene from the end of the movie. Sure, it’s not exactly a surprise when you get to it, but hey, I’d have kind of liked to save that moment for when I saw the damn film, and not have it etched in my memory from countless viewings of the damn trailer before I’ve even set foot in the theatre.
As for Veronica Guerin, I haven’t seen the movie yet, but it’s pretty freaking obvious how the damn thing's going to end! I know, I know, it's based on a true story. So I guess they figured it’s not like they’re giving anything away. But I’m kind of thinking I might have liked to see how the film makers were going to handle that ending, after you get all emotionally wrapped up in the film. Not stuck between trailers for the Cat in the Hat and Texas Chainsaw Massacre or whatever other dreck they’re pushing this week.
I bitched about this a while back with The Italian Job, when it was clear that every major plot twist was shown in the trailer. And it’s pathetically obvious with nearly every comedy that comes out these days… there are more laughs packed into one trailer than there are most movies, simply because the fools making the trailers seem determined to show you every punch line to every joke in the movie.
The latest, most egregious examples, though, aren’t in the comedy realm. No, it’s the trailers for Secondhand Lions and Veronica Guerin.
The Secondhand Lions trailer is, arguably, the worst (although, with that movie, watching the trailer might be a better option than seeing the film). But towards the end of the trailer, they have actually stuck a section of the “emotional payoff” scene from the end of the movie. Sure, it’s not exactly a surprise when you get to it, but hey, I’d have kind of liked to save that moment for when I saw the damn film, and not have it etched in my memory from countless viewings of the damn trailer before I’ve even set foot in the theatre.
As for Veronica Guerin, I haven’t seen the movie yet, but it’s pretty freaking obvious how the damn thing's going to end! I know, I know, it's based on a true story. So I guess they figured it’s not like they’re giving anything away. But I’m kind of thinking I might have liked to see how the film makers were going to handle that ending, after you get all emotionally wrapped up in the film. Not stuck between trailers for the Cat in the Hat and Texas Chainsaw Massacre or whatever other dreck they’re pushing this week.
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