E-MAIL THE AUTHOR | ARCHIVES TRAILER PARK
By Christopher Stipp
January 23, 2004
Trailer Nature
In AMC’s very informative weekly program, SUNDAY MORNING SHOOTOUT, which you all should be watching if you care at all for a weekly insiders peek at the business of moviemaking, hosts Peter Guber and Peter Bart recently dished for a bit on the cinematic value of movie trailers.
Old guard Peter Bart commented that recent movie trailers for him were “noisy,†“aggressive,†“they misrepresent the film,†and that they all “look alike.†Bart longed for the time when movies such as GONE WITH THE WIND had trailers that were artistic and “gave an honest taste†for the film you could expect.
The relatively young(er) Guber countered with the notion that trailers are designed to “get butts in seats,†are a “critical element for the whole campaign†for a film, and that effective movie trailers “connect, emotionally,†with an audience. He reiterated a few times, and it bears repeating here, that Hollywood is in the, “emotional transportation business, not the information business.â€
Being reminded that movie trailers have been around since 1912 is a nice way to segue into the idea that trailers serve a vital role in cinema. For better or worse, if you are a contemporary studio, you have exactly less than two minutes to either persuade or con an audience into seeing a movie that might have been in development for years.
Since I received a suffocating deluge of mail welcoming me to the Park here, all four of you, I open the floor for some feedback about what you think works better: slick and shiny or slow and substantial? Do you think trailers influence whether you see a film personally? Is it just the lemmings of the earth that are spellbound by a pound of dog crap wrapped in a cute box? This discussion, I’m sure, could go either way, but I’d like to see what’s on your minds. And yes, before you ask, I too was fooled into thinking THE JERKY BOYS was going to be a fun night out with my friends based on its trailer and, upon the movie’s completion, was barred from ever choosing a film again. I’m still bitter that I was duped by such a heartless, soulless, empty movie.
Drop me a line at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com.
P.S. The trailer for JERSEY GIRL hit last week and it is most definitely my pick of the week. Hop to it and read the review before you check out the trailer, unless you’re illiterate, in which case just click on all the blue things on this page. You’re bound to click the right one sooner or later.
SPARTAN (2004)
Director: David Mamet
Cast: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Johnny Messner, Alexandra Kerry, Tia Texada, Kristen Bell
Release: March 12, 2004
Synopsis: Robert Scott (Val Kilmer) is a career military officer working in a highly secretive special operations force. A man hardened by years of brutal service, he is respected by his peers and elders in the world of espionage. When Scott is recruited to find Laura Newton (Kristen Bell), the daughter of a high-ranking government official, he is paired with novice Curtis (Derek Luke), who becomes his protégé. Working with a special task force comprised of Presidential Advisors, the Secret Service, FBI and CIA, Scott and Derek stumble upon a white slavery ring, which may have some connection to Laura’s disappearance.
View Trailer:
• Large (QuickTime)
Progonosis: Positive. “You’re gonna leave your life or you’re gonna leave the information right in this room.”David Mamet’s double speak is in full swing in the trailer to his new movie SPARTAN. His signature dialogue is back and while some may find the language “odd” or somehow not natural, Mamet’s way of talking is really a litmus test: you either react to or repel away from it.Val Kilmer, a refreshing choice for a role like this, gets a lot of time in the two minutes that this movie sets itself up and it’s good to see that he seems to handle himself well with Mamet’s work. William H. Macy also gets a little play in the trailer (Is there anything that he isn’t in these days?) and it’s a comfort to see him here. Macy has proven himself more than able in STATE AND MAIN to use Mamet to his theatrical advantage, but I did ask myself why there is no sign of Mamet staples Ricky Jay or Rebecca Pidegon.
HEIST was the last film Mamet both wrote and directed. That movie, while masterfully executed, did not get the kind of fiscal reward it should have received. STATE AND MAIN, his movie before HEIST, only grossed around seven million dollars. While SPARTAN has a mainstream “thriller” feel, hopefully that will be enough to get people to see one of the best writers working in Hollywood, or theater, today. Knowing his earlier work and seeing the trailer, it’s certain that this film will have all of Mamet’s markings. What isn’t certain, though, is what Ma and Pa Moviegoer will think when they realize quickly that this movie isn’t going to be spoon-fed pap.
This is a good trailer with enough Mamet to whet a fan’s appetite and will be a welcome counter-programming diversion to AGENT CODY BANKS 2, which opens the same weekend.
STARSKY AND HUTCH (2004)
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dogg, Vince Vaughn, Carmen Electra, Molly Sims, Amy Smart, Juliette Lewis, Chris Penn, Fred Williamson, Brande Roderick, Jason Bateman
Release: March 5, 2004
Synopsis: In Starsky & Hutch, the origins of the charismatic crime-fighting duo David Starsky and Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson are explored when these undercover Bay City detectives are partnered for their very first assignment. Ben Stiller plays the tightly wound Detective David Starsky who is thrown together with Owen Wilson’s easygoing Detective Ken Hutchinson on a high-stakes case. Platinum-selling rapper and actor Snoop Dogg plays their savvy street informant Huggy Bear. Vince Vaughn also joins the cast as Reese Feldman, a smooth-talking entrepreneur with an eye towards the future.
View Trailer:
• Large (QuickTime)
• Medium (QuickTime)
• Small (QuickTime)
Progonosis: Positive. Word association time!Ben Stiller. Owen Wilson. Snoop Dogg. Vince Vaughn. Chris Penn. Amy Smart. Carmen Electra. Jason Bateman. Juliette Lewis. Todd Phillips.Hopefully all of these names will mean box office bling for Warner Bros.
Coming off his much deserved accolades for OLD SCHOOL, Todd Phillips is coming back with a remake of the 1975 classic series, Starsky and Hutch. Packed with enough talent, eye candy, and a great cameo from Will Ferrell, this could be a mainstream trifecta for the young director who seems to have a sharp knack for comedy.
The first third of the trailer sets up the relationship with Owen and Ben and establishes their characters very well. While it’s a good opening, and even elicits a few giggles, it only gets better from there.
With some “Sweet Emotion” playing in the background, all the other players are introduced with some funny send-ups of seventies style much to the thanks of Snoop.
The trailer captures the feel of the era with its hair, dress, and its cinematic funkiness. For all the right reasons, Ben and Owen’s dependability to be comedic when necessary, Phillips’ track record, and a good supporting cast, STARSKY AND HUTCH sells itself well by quickly setting itself up and then leaving you with the sense that this will be a film you will be making time to see. Ben and Owen have some great chemistry that exudes through the screen, but it’s Ben at the end of the trailer that, not since Shields and Yarnell, finally makes miming funny without an ounce of irony behind it.
Director: Brian Robbins
Cast: Erika Christensen, Chris Evans, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, Leonardo Nam, Tyra Ferrell
Release: January 30, 2004
Synopsis: Six high school students band together and develop a plan to heist the SAT exam in order to prevent the test from unfairly defining who they’ll become. Each in the group has his or her own set of circumstances that leads to the conclusion that the only way to truly decide one’s own fate is to beat the system.
View Trailer:
• Large (QuickTime)
• Medium (QuickTime)
• Small (QuickTime)
Progonosis: Negative. “No matter what happens, when you get outta that room you’re still gonna be you, man. No test is gonna change that.”Well, thank you MTV for saving me my $8.50.The creative brainiacs who cobbled together this trailer must have been so cognizant that a flick from a guy who was a producer on VARSITY BLUES and a writer who brought us OUT COLD (Yeah, me neither…) thought it wise to give us the whole movie from start to finish in two and a half minutes.
If you dare click on the link you will get, first, a rundown of all the players, their motivations, intentions and struggles as disenfranchised youths, and then, second, get a glimpse of how they are going to “stick it to the man” by stealing a copy of the SAT before realizing, in the end, that hey, it is just a test after all. You have six different students (a jock, a popular girl, a burnout…It’s almost too embarrassing to even write this with a straight face. Wasn’t this formula ditched at the same time New Coke was being called the first sign of the apocalypse?) who band together for a common goal: trying to explain to the audience why Scarlett Johansson is in this movie. Rent being due was all that I could think up. The trailer shows the standard aptitude for direction in a genre movie like this and, thanks to hearty dollops of dialogue, what kind of writing you can expect or be disappointed by.
On a positive tip, Scarlett Johansson is in it and that gives it some redemptive qualities for some of you younger folk looking for a great way to waste some time on a Friday night before heading to Craig’s place, ’cause his parents are out of town, and having a kegger with all your friends. The cast boasts some of the finest talent working in teen targeted movies today (VAN WILDER, NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE, SWIMFAN, SHE’S ALL THAT, SUMMER CATCH) and I seriously believe this will do well for itself in this niche.
Now, I could be wrong. It’s not likely, but I could be. If, after you see this movie being pimped heavily on MTV, especially TRL, and you decide it is worth a matinee or full-price admission, I’ll give it a go. Maybe it’ll change the face of teen comedy as we know it. It’s not likely, but I could be wrong.
Director: Stephen Sommers
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Will Kemp, Kevin J. O’Connor
Release: May 7, 2004
Synopsis: Stephen Sommers brings Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) to life, the legendary monster hunter born in the pages of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In his ongoing battle to rid the world of its fiendish creatures, Van Helsing, on order of a secret society, travels to Transylvania to bring down the lethally seductive, enigmatically powerful Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) and joins forces with the fearless Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale), out to rid her family of a generations-old curse by defeating the vampire.
View Trailer:
• Large (QuickTime)
• Medium (QuickTime)
• Small (QuickTime)
Progonosis: Excited. Kate Beckinsale is a MILF on the loose in this new cinematic brouhaha about how great she looks even though it is only the late 19th century. Oh yeah, this film also gives Hugh Jackman a front-and-center role in a vehicle to star as the movie’s titular, brooding, yet dashingly good-looking, leading man who is out to kill some of Universal’s most highly trademarked characters.Right away, the trailer establishes the mood of the movie: dark, cold, and wet. There are sweeping views of some great sets and it has an overall muddied feel to the place in which all the events unfold. Jackman’s garb and Sommers’ cinematic style here is reminiscent of BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF and that’s not a bad thing. Sommers had a finger in the movie crapfest that was THE SCORPION KING, but he does get very high marks for following up here, directorially speaking, THE MUMMY RETURNS (which was quite enjoyable) with a movie that looks just plain fun from start to finish.There is usually some mystery involved when trailers present the object of desire for fanboys trying to gleam a look at the movie’s bad guys which here, collectively, are the Wolfman, Frakenstein, The Mummy, and even Dracula (All Rights Reserved). Summers wisely puts them all out on the table to see because that is what is going to put people in the seats. Not that Jackman and Beckinsale are a great draw, but you can’t help but be excited that all these characters are going to be sharing the same screen in an explosion of dumb fun.
And this is only the first few seconds of the trailer.
There are flourishes of gadgets, pomp and circumstance, and lots of Hugh getting grimy with monsters of all kinds. Sommers’ direction, at times, takes pages from the Bruckheimer playbook, but if it’s done well, and the snippets here do show promise, this could be a nice franchise for Universal. Honestly, Jackman has the kind of screen presence, as evidenced in X-MEN, X2, and even SWORDFISH, that begged for him to have a chance to carry a movie. Of a lot of newcomers to the screen, he has the chops, both acting and mutton, to do it.
The extended scene at the end of the trailer is a nice touch to add a little suspense of “what is going to happen to the busty and bad-ass Kate Beckinsale?†generating some interest in what, hopefully, could be another hit for Sommers. As long as The Rock stays hidden, and there aren’t too many numbing stretches of dialogue, there could be a couple good reasons to see this film.
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, Stephen Root, Raquel Castro
Release: March 19, 2004
Synopsis: Ollie Trinke (Affleck) is at the top of his game. A smooth Manhattan music publicist, Ollie has just married the love of his life (Lopez) and has a child on the way. It’s a perfect life that is tragically upended when he suddenly finds himself a single father unqualified for his new role. Before long, Ollie’s big city lifestyle clashes head on with fatherhood. After losing his job, he’s forced to move back in with his father (Carlin) in the New Jersey suburb where he was raised. With the help of a beautiful young friend (Tyler) who opens him up to love again, and the daughter (Castro) who gives him the courage to keep going, he begins to realize that sometimes, you have to forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you are.
View Trailer:
• Large (QuickTime)
• Medium (QuickTime)
• Small (QuickTime)
Progonosis: Positive. This movie just has to suck, right?How else can one think about a film that has seen its release date shift more often than a ballplayer’s cup infested with crabs?Movies are a strange thing and sometimes when things like a delayed release happen, it could mean that the studio is trying to find a date when they can, not unlike a hillbilly looking to unload an old couch on a highway overpass at three in the morning, bury a movie when no one else is watching and simply hope someone mistakes it for quality merchandise. It can also mean that there are just some unseen variables that happen along the way that makes a release date impossible to make.
After seeing the trailer I am confident, and hopeful, it was the latter. How else can you explain the charisma that Affleck has in this trailer? Unlike most of America that claims to be “up-to-here†with news and exposure to the man, I think he is still wonderful to look at when he is doing his thing. He has a genuine vulnerability that comes across as something endearing, not annoying or false.
Now, we barely get a look at J. Lo and we all get the point that something very tragic happens to the lady, probably much to the delight of her detractors. It almost feels like it’s a forced plot point given away needlessly simply because of outside goings-on that have nothing to do with the film as a whole. It’s unfortunate, but I digress.
George Carlin is back in a Smith flick starring as Ben’s dad and good for him. The movie is about Ben having to cope with life as a single dad and, dammit, why should he get any sympathy from his father? Because it’s George “Effin†Carlin, that’s why.
What’s interesting to note about this trailer is that while Ben is shown trying to cobble together a semblance of life as a single dad, trying to raise a spunky daughter, Kevin Smith is behind the lens orchestrating the tenuous ground of the rom-com battlefield, one hopes, without making it too saccharine sweet. With Liv Tyler in the mix, a wonderful foil for Affleck, it all cumulates in what looks like a solid film.
This could go down the road of your average chick flick, but Smith’s signature style of creating great dialogue around wonderfully fleshed out characters prove that the odds are in his favor to buck that notion. Why did the suits sit on this like some Willy Wonka golden egg? Judging by the trailer, I wouldn’t have the first idea on how to answer that question.
Comments: None
Leave a Reply |