Okay, moviegoers… today’s questions are: Which trailer is most effective? Which one makes you say, “I’m going to see that!” And why?
1.
The one with Jake Gyllenhaal?
2.
The one with Benedict Cumberbatch?
3.
The one with Elisabeth Moss?
4.
The one with Simon Pegg?
As a film, I think The One I Love may have the most potential. I’m at least slightly intrigued, but more along the lines of Discount Tuesday at the cheap seats and not full price, first run. I don’t feel as though I need to see The Imitation Game or Hector and the Search for Happiness because the trailer gave us the whole story. As much as I like Benedict Cumberbatch, that movie looks bad enough that Ron Howard could have directed it. Hard Worker Seeking Employment looks like a rather thin concept that’s likely stretched too far, but I could be wrong. Not much to go on with that teaser. So is Simon Pegg simply remaking The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
#3, The One I Love… All of the elements in the trailer seem completely normal/ordinary yet they’re woven together to tell you that you don’t know what any of them mean. Especially the emphasis on doors – like the characters get to make choice after choice – until the door is locked toward the end. I get the feeling that all the spoilers are already in the trailer but only those who watch the film would recognize them in retrospect. This trailer doesn’t let me think (like most trailers do): “I know what this film is about” – therefore I want to see it!
The Jake Gyllenhaal trailer looks the most interesting to me. I see in this short trailer the personification of the modern American man. It is a man I am interested in getting to know. He seems to be the man raised with self-help books as his scripture and who bases his self worth on his capacity to produce. I’m curious to see how he acts outside of his interview with me. The speech, as trailer, was very creative and compelling.
The first trailer is effective because it shows the genre and hints at the style of the movie — a witty comedy about someone who wants to find work — and doesn’t tell me everything that happens in the movie. I wouldn’t go see it (but I might get it from the library when it’s out) because it’s a movie I wouldn’t normally go see.
The second trailer is effective for the wrong reasons in a misleading (and yet showing everything) way. I’m guessing (and I’m probably correct) that the music that is playing in the background isn’t the actual soundtrack that will be played during the movie, and is only used here to get up our excitement. In that way, it works in making people excited (a friend shared the trailer and was very excited about it). It’s very flashy and shows us lots of clips from the whole movie without much organization or meaning to them. It’s similar to lots of trailers out there in that it’s shouting we should be excited about it, that we’re going to feel emotions watching it. But the movie is one that I would consider going to see because the setting/cinematography intrigues me, and… Benedict Cumberbatch. But I’m already planning on seeing Into the Woods (which doesn’t have a trailer yet but I’ve seen the original musical) and we don’t normally go see a lot of movies every year unless they go to the dollar theater.
The third trailer is a mystery because it shows me random clips, but each one seems confident in itself, and as I neared the end of it, I began to see that there’s something important about it. Then I wonder what genre it is, if it’s horror or thriller or what. And then I add in the title of the movie and it makes me more confused and /curious/. In that way, it is effective. However, I wouldn’t go see the movie, because it’s rated R.
The fourth one makes me think of Walter Mitty. Probably because of the similar style and the music. But it looks funnier. And perhaps a little thought-provoking. But I wouldn’t go see it. I ran out of thoughts about the trailer.
I want to see the second one, because of Cumberbatch and the story. I’m willing to see all of these (on DVD or Netflix), but I will make a point to see “The Imitation Game.” I like the trailer somewhat. It appears to show too much, and with this being the second time I watched it, I will remember it better. But this is a movie I would want to see even if I had only read a couple sentence description and seen the actor list.
I like the look of #4, even though it appears to give us the moral of the story. I don’t know what I’m getting into with #1. Jake is angry at the end. Would I think that’s funny in context or does it show this to be a movie about handling that anger? #3 is confusing, because the brief description I’ve already read about the movie doesn’t quite jive with the trailer. Like a few movies I’ve seen, I think this one might work best for me if I knew almost nothing about it, which somehow is not where #1 leaves me.
I saw another trailer for #1. Wow. I didn’t know that’s what the movie was. I’m much more interested now.
I meant to say earlier that #3 doesn’t impress me with big letter quotes from critics. Maybe movie aficionados are more likely to be impressed by quotes like that, but I’m an outsider.
In this order – #2, #4, #3, #1. Love WWII movies – don’t ask me why. Love British films because – well, just because. That’s about it.
1. Because of the editing, specifically the use of repetition, and the chance to see Gyllenhaal, who is or is becoming a very solid actor, stretch himself further, and just because I’m a sucker for thrillers where a down-on-his-luck everyman gets sucked into something dangerous that threatens to spiral out of control.
3. Because it didn’t spoil the twist, and I’m a fan of Moss, and I tend to love weird little sci-fi/fantasy dramas, and it looks vaguely reminiscent works of one Mr. Carruth, he of the hypnotic Primer and the glorious Upstream Color.
EDIT: I saw a different trailer than the one posted here for the Gyllenhaal film. Most of what I said applies to this trailer too though.