It’s an assault on the senses, and has its own narrative thrust (puns are inevitable), which has nothing to do with story, although you get snippets of it here and there. The snippets (“Let’s go compete in Florida” “Let’s get new routines”) are not the focus of the trailer. The focus is to overstimulate you through quick-flashing visual information. It creates a VIBE, in other words. So few trailers create a VIBE of any kind. Compare to most trailers: they obediently walk you through the plot (sometimes the entire plot), stringing together what are clearly the high points, all underscored with generic music. Unimaginative. Boring.
Magic Mike XXL may or may not be any good, but that is one hell of a compelling and sexy trailer. Trailers are interesting although I don’t put much stock in them (at least not in terms of what it might say about the actual movie). Trailers are launched and some critics pontificate, “Judging from the trailer, such-and-such looks like it’s going to be a huge disappointment/everything I’d hoped for/Meh.” Come on, people. You write about the industry. Don’t you know how advertising works? You should know better than that. Trailers are their own THING, and of course are meant to make you want to go see the movie. But so few trailers accomplish that. The ones that DO (like the Mad Max: Fury Road teaser trailer, for example – INSANE.) are fascinating works of art in and of themselves. One of the best trailers I’ve ever seen (both in terms of how it is put together AND in terms of how it worked on me, assaulted me, made me think: “I MUST SEE THAT MOVIE.”) was the first trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I wrote a whole thing about it. The beauty of it was that the film was just as good as the trailer promised. But the trailer was fascinating because – it told you everything, but it also told you nothing. It had its own style, and it used “Mr. Blue Sky” as its underlying soundtrack, and the images used were startling and strange, especially when seen out of context, before you had seen the movie. What was it about? What the hell?? There are other Eternal Sunshine trailers, more conventional ones, like this, but that first one … Wow.
But back to Magic Mike XXL, which I can’t wait to see:
Last year, I reviewed a movie directed by Joe Manganiello (an actor in the original Magic Mike), who became so fascinated by the male stripper scene through his role that he decided to do a documentary about La Bare, a high-end insanely elaborate male strip club in Dallas (if I ever visit Dallas, I am going! Like, I’ll get off the plane, catch a cab, and say, “Take me to La Bare.”). It was a very sweet movie, strangely enough, and I highly recommend it – it was called La Bare, and here’s my review.
In the meantime, let’s watch that insane trailer again. Hats off, ad-men. Ya done good.
What a fun trailer!! Puntastic.
I love trailers and it’s such a bummer when they are, as they are on the whole, terrible. My favourite kind of trailers are the kind that eschew basically everything except music and image and awesome editing. Two I have never forgotten seeing the first time are the teaser trailers for 300 (doesn’t hurt it’s one of my favourite NIN songs) and Watchmen which is probably no surprise considering Snyder’s major strengths basically are music and striking imagery. The one for A Single Man is also extraordinary.
Then of course you have the nutso comedic classics like Holy Grail and Dr Strangelove. Yes, I do love trailers!
// My favourite kind of trailers are the kind that eschew basically everything except music and image and awesome editing. //
Totally! Those trailers understand their purpose: provide a mood, an insistent mood that doesn’t let you go and makes you think Ehmagerd …. must see that movie.
Will watch both the 300 trailer and Watchmen right now – I know I saw them when they first launched – but let me revisit.
and Zack Snyder. Hm. I am absolutely in love with Sucker Punch – and have been sitting on a post I want to write about it for years. I should just get my shit together and write the damn thing. I love that movie.
Wow, yes, Watchmen and 300. YES. Sexy as hell. Evocative images. Unique music that blends with the images. Fantastic.
Yes, very sexy!!
Definitely write that Sucker Punch post. I was really surprised over the most dominant read of that film. I mean, you know I am not insensitive to feminist criticisms of representations of women. But Sucker Punch is so obviously about sexual exploitation, violence and trauma. I would love to read your thoughts and have an excuse to watch it again!
// Sucker Punch is so obviously about sexual exploitation, violence and trauma. //
That’s exactly right. It was about internalized patriarchy in a way that was so explicit and moving that it knocked my socks off. There were a couple of “defenses” of the film – written by men – but they were mainly “The women here are sexy AND empowered – go feminism” – which, forgive me, TOTALLY missed the point. And then many of the female critics were just pissed at the short skirts and the sexualization – which, again, missed the point. Showing something is not endorsement.
This was a movie about trauma – the trauma of living in a culture that completely de-values you as a human being. I thought it was fantastic.
It’s one of those movies I feel so strongly about I have almost resisted writing about it – but I promise I will eventually get to it. That should make for some great discussions!!
I also realized, maybe halfway through my first viewing, that it was practically a re-make of a movie from 1933 – but I don’t want to give it all away. I’ll save it for the post.
Thanks for the push!!
I remember having a feeling of great, pessimistic, jaundiced satisfaction at the conclusion of that movie — something about the way it all came together but I can’t remember the specifics — I mean it’s not a POSITIVE depiction or a HAPPY ending — we were just talking about Betty Draper in this regard. I look forward to reading your thoughts. Thanks for putting it back into the queue!
Yes, the ending was devastating. But warily hopeful too. Honestly, I thought it was some kind of bizarre masterpiece. I would bet that in years to come it will be “re-discovered” as the angry feminist classic that it always was.
Two trailers that really stood out for me were for The Sixth Sense–wherein I had no idea what to expect but I was absolutely compelled to see it. The other was for The Shining–which gives you the just the shot of the elevator with blood seeping out between the doors and eventually escalating to a torrential flood while main credits scroll up the frame–brilliant! Both of them are textbook examples of giving the viewer next to nothing but the intense desire to see them.
Scott – Thanks for these additions! I remember The Shining trailer (yes! awesome!) but don’t quite remember the one for Sixth Sense – will look it up. I know that the “secret” was kept totally under wraps – an amazing feat if you think about it.
I thought the trailer for the
Great Gatsby w DiCaprio was stunning. Best trailer I think I’ve seen.
The movie unfortunately was quite a letdown.
Sean – yes, I remember that trailer. It was phenomenal!!
I actually really dug the movie, insane Baz Luhrmann bombast and all. Loved Leo’s performance, in particular – he really captured Gatsby’s delusional under-developed psychology, I thought.
What about it did you find a letdown? (This isn’t a set-up or anything – just interested in your response.)
Hey Sheila,
I see that there were 3 trailers. The one that capture all my attention was the one w U2’s Love is Blindness in the later half of the trailer.
It was powerful, spellbinding and still is. I found the other trailers which I watched last nite much much less impressive.
Part of the problem was probably high expectation after seeing such grabbing trailer. I found the 3d type special effects distracting. But I thought the acting and storyline was uneven and disjointed. It left me flat when based on the trailer I thought it might be a masterpiece like the Godfather.
I thought portions of it were quite good. DiCaprio was a smart choice for Gatsby and Daisey was well played. But it just didn’t come together the way I anticipated after viewing that electric trailer.
Sorry if it’s a bit vague. It was a while since I saw the movie.
Cheers
—- Sean
Yes, I thought it was uneven too – but the power of DiCaprio’s delusion (the scene where he “courts” Daisy – in the room full of flowers was a masterpiece: like, that is exactly what Fitzgerald wrote – or, at least, the FEEL of it) helped carry it through.
Unlike the version with Redford, I felt that the recent Gatsby captured the energy of the America behind Gatsby – its optimism, but also its madness, its blindness – rushing towards the abyss.
I went and watched all three trailers – I agree that the one that caught your attention is amazing. I remember seeing that one, playing before some other movie in the theatre, and feeling all my nerve endings sizzling. Very exciting.
Sheila, I’m watching MAGIC MIKE XXL at work/for work right now. And I’m loving it so much. I loved the first movie, but this is just so damn fun. I love these dudes.
Yay!! Such a wonderful film – I’m still amazed that it works so well.
You’re watching it “for work”? Let me know if you have to write anything about it, or if you have anything to share in that regard. I am still not sick of discussing that film.
I just ordered my DVD copy. I need to have it close by so I can watch it whenever I want.
I want a boxset of both, if that doesn’t happen soon, I may have to just go ahead and get them separately. I had so much fun watching it. Was laughing out loud at my desk. And just grinning from ear to ear the whole way through. I’m just sad I was watching solo in an office with headphones on. Would have been such a great film to watch at the theatre with friends.
The company I work for does hearing impaired subtitles, so I was doing QC on the file made for it. :) I watch some very odd things at work occasionally. Feels weird to be watching sexy sexy stuff like this (or.. worse/better?) in an office where anybody can walk past and gape at what is happening on my computer screen.
I did talk about it with my friend who created the file and she also loved it. She hasn’t seen the first one, but she thought it was a lot of fun, too. She didn’t love the scenes in Rome’s house and all the “my queens” stuff. I kind of stole from you when I disagreed with her. I’m with you, I love how they film treated women and female sexuality, the guys’ relationships with each other. I LOVED their camaraderie and how they supported each. I loved how they loved women, but with that reverence and respect that I just hope is real and I can get a little of that up in my life.
Ugh, I literally feel like I can start at the beginning of the film and just carry on endlessly about what I loved and why.
Go, Channing Tatum!