Brilliant Trailers for Less Than Stellar Movies

Even before I was making trailers for a living, I had the uncanny ability of being able to gauge when a movie was going to be a stinker just by watching the previews. But once in a while I get duped into paying to see a movie because of an exceptionally kick ass trailer. I have the utmost respect for the trailer editors who weave feature length crap into 2 1/2 minutes (or less) of pure gold. Here are a few examples of this phenomenon.

#1) Pearl Harbor (2001)



Here is a perfect example of how choosing the right music cue can take visuals to the next level. Hans Zimmer's "Journey To The Line" from The Thin Red Line is one of the best pieces of film score ever. If hearing it doesn't move you, check your pulse because I think you might be deceased. Anyways, I was so blown away by this teaser and the subsequent full length trailer, that upon seeing it in the theater I said, "just give them the Oscar® now." I was so convinced that Pearl Harbor was going to be a masterpiece. Obviously, this turned out not to be the case and immediately after the credits started rolling in the theater I felt like I'd been mugged.

#2) Minority Report (2002)



As a child of the 80's I grew up worshiping Steve Spielberg. There's no doubt his movies are responsible for my love of all things cinema. When I heard Spielberg was teaming up with Tom Cruise for a new sci-fi film based on a Philip K. Dick story to say I was psyched would be a gross understatement. The teaser for Minority Report is short, but it has great copy and enough exciting imagery for a proper tease, but again I was hugely let down with the end result. It's ok, Steven, you're still my hebrew homeboy.

#3 & 4)Pineapple Express (2008) & Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)



There was serious web buzz for Pineapple Express well over a year before it was released. The Apatow train was blazing at an unstoppable rate and I was all aboard. The use of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" in this trailer was a stroke of genius. It did everything a song should for a campaign. It was catchy, fresh and created an identity for the film. I just wish the film could have lived up to the hype. This movie was especially disappointing due to the talent involved, James Franco, Seth Rogan, Danny McBride and director David Gordon Green. I believe the problem lies in the film's inability to find an identity, and the fact that its just too long. See also: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (which I did NOT pay to see in theaters). Another overly-long comedy in need of editorial trimming. Although I think it might be John C. Reilly's best performance after Boogie Nights.



#5) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)



There are probably bigger Star Wars nerds than me, but I'm pretty smitten with the series. So much so that I bought tickets for Meet Joe Black just to catch a first glimpse of this teaser on the big screen. Great copy, dialogue bites and John Williams' exceptional score drive this one home and it made fanboys everywhere giddy with anticipation. I am sure the sparse use Jar Jar Binks helped keep expectations in check. While Episode I is pretty terrible, it is not without its cool moments, such as the podrace scene and final lightsabre duel featured here. The Star Wars prequels had some of my favorite advertising materials, which I will be sure to talk about in future posts.