TerrificTrailers Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Terrific Trailers: The Third Man
Filed under: Classics », Trailers and Clips »
It's time for a little more The Third Man love. Elisabeth already shared one of the best scenes from the film, and now I've got to give love to the trailer. See, I hadn't seen the trailer until tonight, and once I did, it quickly became one of my favorite examples of cinematic spazziness ever. Yes, it's like a lot of other mid-20th century trailers in layout and execution, but this perspective on Carol Reed's film takes the cake.As we all know (or should -- if you haven't seen the movie rent it now), The Third Man follows an American pulp novelist named Holly Martins who moves to Vienna at the behest of old friend Harry Lime. But when he arrives, he discovers that his old friend has died under mysterious circumstances. Being a popular pen behind mystery fare, Holly decides to crack the secrets himself. Jazzed by a score by Anton Karas (which Roger Ebert perfectly described as "jaunty but without joy"), the film is dark without ever seeming thick and weighty, beautiful without ever being distractingly grandiose, and smart without ever getting preachy.
And then comes the trailer where everything is funneled into an only partially accurate romantic frame. The female voice breathes (as if she's about to pass out): "desired by one woman." The male voice claims that "hanging is too good for him," as if there's a moral judgment on punishment. And best of all: "He'll have you in a dither with his zither." It's a line that's both completely accurate in describing the score, yet utterly ridiculous and misleading.
Enjoy it for yourself after the jump!
Terrific Trailers: 9 to 5
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
If you are a regular around these parts, then you have probably noticed that I have a streak of feminism in me a mile wide, and while I've read all the great tomes on equality, most, if not all of my 'girl-power' tendencies can be traced back to Dolly Parton. So for today's installment of Terrific Trailers, I went back all the way to 1980 to bring you the trailer for the greatest feminist film ever made, 9 to 5. Colin Higgins' comedy was the story of three working women (played by Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda) as they banded together to bring down their pig of a boss, and was the first time the idea of a 'gender divide' made it's way into my kiddie consciousness...and I've been a card-carrying little feminist ever since.
It's strange to see a trailer that looks nothing like what passes for a quality trailer or teaser these days. There is no star power, no "In a world without...", in fact, we don't even glimpse the principal players until the end of the clip. But what is truly funny is that considering the huge social and political point the film is trying to make about women in the workplace, the trailer seems content to treat it all as a silly joke -- "Oh that wacky boss who steals your ideas and grabs your ass..." But, I'm realistic enough to know that if you aren't trying to scare people off, you have to make sure you don't use the dreaded "F" word -- which I guess means not much has changed since 1980, after all.
After the jump; the personal gets political...
Terrific Trailers: 'Happy-Go-Lucky'
Filed under: Comedy », Independent », Romance », Fandom », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
I have a theory that whether you find Poppy in Happy-Go-Lucky utterly annoying or a joy and an inspiration offers an interesting insight to your personality. I once declared in a fit of hyperbole that anyone who didn't love Happy-Go-Lucky or The Brothers Bloom was not anyone I wanted to associate with. I might have also insinuated such people didn't have a soul. And while those statements were rather hasty, I stand by my theory about Poppy, played by Sally Hawkins Maybe you sympathize with Eddie Marsan's angry and needy driving instructor character and think she should have done more to help him. Maybe you think Poppy is another insipid incarnation of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Or maybe you just like structured plots. Me, I was totally happy to trip along with Poppy on her adventures, no matter how nonsensical or ill-advised.
Terrific Trailers: Miami Vice
Filed under: Action », Drama », Universal », Fandom », Remakes and Sequels », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
Michael Mann's latest crime opus has already hit theaters, and like most of his devoted fans, I was there opening day. Granted, my desire to be first in line for Public Enemies mainly had to do with my preoccupation with pretty boys in nice suits, but trust me, there were some loftier ideals at work. One of the reasons I love Mann's films is that he finds new ways to tell relatively traditional stories...which brings me to Miami Vice. Vice definitely wasn't one of Mann's most popular films, but I always defend this flick, and here's why: growing up, I watched Miami Vice, and I might have loved it, but even at the tender age of 10 I knew it was kind of silly. I had always wondered what the series would have looked like if the show had a little less cheap humor about Crockett and his alligator and a little more 'dignity' -- fast forward to 2006, and that's exactly what Mann did.
Gone were the over the top white suits and wise cracks (I mean, thank god I didn't have to watch Colin Farrell yucking it up with 'Elvis'), and instead, Mann replaced them with a darker, meaner, and (dare I say it?) more realistic Miami Vice. But just because Mann brought Vice into the present, didn't mean that those traditional touches were gone, and the teaser was proof. That first trailer had it all -- the music perfectly timed with every shotgun pump, speedboats, helicopters, guns and hot girls...and you can't get more Miami Vice than that.
After the jump; the teaser and a reminder of Vice on the small screen..
Terrific Trailers: This Is Spinal Tap
Filed under: Comedy », Trailers and Clips », Stars in Rewind », Scenes We Love »
I had completely forgotten about this trailer of brilliance until I caught Unwigged and Unplugged Thursday night -- the excellent acoustic tour that has Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer playing tunes from their days as Spinal Tap and The Folksmen. (Go see it if you have a chance!)In the middle of the show, they aired the trailer below. Shot by Shearer, it's not like any other trailer, and not at all like This is Spinal Tap. But it does tap into the excellence that would make them wacky comedic icons. Rather than show clips of the film and how they take it up to 11, the trailer features Rob Reiner talking about the film, and how he's still editing. Since he isn't ready to show a clip, he has something else to share -- footage of a Scandanavian Cheese festival. Oh yes, Shearer, McKean, and Guest pop up in parts, and you're sure to recognize the King of Cheese. But do you also recognize the little tyke in the middle? They say it's a young Jake Gyllenhaal.
Not every movie could pull it off, in fact, most couldn't. But for these guys, and this film, it's absolutely perfect. I'm just glad I was too young to catch this trailer when it first aired. I can't imagine waiting twelve years until Waiting for Guffman.
Note: This is the super-long and complete version. There was also a shorter version.
Terrific Trailers: A L I E N
Filed under: Classics », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », 20th Century Fox », Scenes We Love »
It was only a matter of time before I pulled this one out, if only because Ridley Scott's A L I E N is my favorite film of all time and it has been for pretty much the whole of my life thus far. I could spend hours explaining why I love the film so much (as my close friends can no doubt attest), but a large portion of my favorite aspects are covered in this rather creepy trailer. Packed with pressured silences, bizarre sounds, flashing lights, and a mysteriously ferocious sense of menace, this trailer captures a lot of what makes the film work -- and there's no monster to be found anywhere in the clip, which I love.Apparently the trailer did its job more than well enough. According to BOM, the film made just under $80 million in the summer of 1979. And I pity the man who decides it's time to remake this film. I will not be held responsible for my actions.
Terrific Trailers: The Fugitive
Filed under: Summer Movies », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
Taking a trip down the memory lane of 1993 led me to hit up YouTube for trailers. Movie marketing wasn't nearly as pervasive as it was today, and so I often find myself trying to remember when exactly I heard about this movie, or that one. I've always envied friends who remember when they saw the trailer for The Empire Strikes Back and how they felt, and I can't even remember how the hell I knew I wanted to see Braveheart. I have no memory for movie marketing prior to 1999, it seems, which why I started looking up the trailers for 1993. I only got as far as The Fugitive and decided it had to be shared as a Terrific Trailer.
Most trailers of the '80s and '90s were pretty cheesy, despite the sultry tones of Don LaFontaine. They're edited badly, they give too much away, and are the wrong tone for the fillm. The Fugitive could have fallen prey to all of that, but it's tight and mysterious. I like how it doesn't even tell you whether Harrison Ford is innocent or not. Of course they were working from a very well known television series, Ford was never a bad guy, and it would be rather difficult to sympathize with a fugitive who was guilty. But if all you saw was this trailer today, you would be forgiven for wondering exactly who the good guy would be. Would it be Ford, or Tommy Lee Jones?
Most trailers of the '80s and '90s were pretty cheesy, despite the sultry tones of Don LaFontaine. They're edited badly, they give too much away, and are the wrong tone for the fillm. The Fugitive could have fallen prey to all of that, but it's tight and mysterious. I like how it doesn't even tell you whether Harrison Ford is innocent or not. Of course they were working from a very well known television series, Ford was never a bad guy, and it would be rather difficult to sympathize with a fugitive who was guilty. But if all you saw was this trailer today, you would be forgiven for wondering exactly who the good guy would be. Would it be Ford, or Tommy Lee Jones?
Terrific Trailers: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Johnny Depp », Remakes and Sequels », Summer Movies », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is still in that so-popular-its-annoying stage, which is why I wince at bringing it up in our summer appreciation. Believe me, nobody can be more worn out on all things piratical than this humble writer. After all, my sister dates a professional Jack Sparrow, and this is the time of year when we dust off our tricorns, polish off our swords, and contemplate another summer of going "Avast, ye scurvy dogs!" up at the local Ren Faire. I'm pretty sure I only just put away the puffy shirt.
But in spite of this, I maintain that Pirates was one of the best things to happen to summer flicks in a long, long time. It was that rare thing in a summer blockbuster: a surprise. Of course it had a lot of press and buzz but few expected it to be any good, even with the likes of Johnny Depp and Geoffery Rush. What a rare treat it is to be collectively wrong. Of course, then the sequels started and what started out as something fun and original became bloated summer fare.
While I liked Dead Man's Chest, I can't muster up much of a defense for At World's End. Yet today's summer Terrific Trailer is At World's End because there's nothing more depressing than a crappy film with a fantastic trailer. The film promised here is ten times better than the one shoved into theaters. You watch it and wonder "How the hell did they screw that up?" because it hints at exactly what should have followed Dead Man's Chest. Remember this trailer as you line up for this summer's movies, because five seconds of coolness (like that brilliant swords-and-music moment of 1:58, or the introduction of the pirate lords) can result in 2 1/2 hours of total disappointment.
But in spite of this, I maintain that Pirates was one of the best things to happen to summer flicks in a long, long time. It was that rare thing in a summer blockbuster: a surprise. Of course it had a lot of press and buzz but few expected it to be any good, even with the likes of Johnny Depp and Geoffery Rush. What a rare treat it is to be collectively wrong. Of course, then the sequels started and what started out as something fun and original became bloated summer fare.
While I liked Dead Man's Chest, I can't muster up much of a defense for At World's End. Yet today's summer Terrific Trailer is At World's End because there's nothing more depressing than a crappy film with a fantastic trailer. The film promised here is ten times better than the one shoved into theaters. You watch it and wonder "How the hell did they screw that up?" because it hints at exactly what should have followed Dead Man's Chest. Remember this trailer as you line up for this summer's movies, because five seconds of coolness (like that brilliant swords-and-music moment of 1:58, or the introduction of the pirate lords) can result in 2 1/2 hours of total disappointment.
Terrific Trailers: Miller's Crossing
Filed under: Action », Drama », Noir », Scenes We Love »
You know how sometimes we post those nifty little 'Scenes We Love' articles? The ones with a handily embedded YouTube clip of a film we really love? That come complete with brilliantly insightful commentary from one of the superlative Cine-staff? Yeah, those are awesome. So here's a new wrinkle: same thing, only with trailers instead of actual movie scenes. Frankly I think there's an artistry to 'trailering' that often gets overlooked. A person needs a composer's ear, an editor's eye, and a director's enthusiasm to bang out an effective trailer -- and since these promotional clips are usually our very FIRST introduction to an upcoming film, well, you know what they say about first impressions, right?For example number one, I humbly offer the truly terrific theatrical trailer for Joel and Ethan Coen's Miller's Crossing, which is far and away one of the finest films I've ever seen. And this trailer whittles the beauty down by focusing on the characters, the music, the style, and the pitch-perfect pulpy-yet-pithy dialog. We also get a few enticing moments from a few key scenes ... but nothing too spoilery or specific. It's like the Coens actually cut this trailer themselves, which for all I know ... they did! Anyway, enjoy the trailer, and please consider tossing Miller's Crossing into your Netflix queue for a second visit. This film is so damn good it makes me wish we could take some of its leftover awesomeness and donate it to other (very needy) films.
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