1. Cloverfield (2008)
Initial reaction: The very first thing they teach you on the very first day of Trailer Craft 101 is ‘make it obvious that your teaser is for an actual movie.’
Evidently, nobody in the JJ Abrams camp bothered turning up that day, as we distinctly recall walking out of whatever lumbering Christmas turkey we’d been sitting through in late 2007, and thinking, “Er, what was that... thing that played before?
"Was it definitely a trailer, and not some overblown marketing joke? Did I fail to spot the latest Nokia one of them was waving about? Whatever it was, I want some!! Um...I think.”
Key oddity: The complete lack of voiceover, gravelly or otherwise.
Not unprecedented by any means, but when combined with the shaky hand-held camerawork, it really made this trailer stand out. Even if you weren’t quite sure what you were looking at.
2. The Room (2003)
Initial reaction: Hahaha, what?! HAHAHAHAHA!! (In other words, pretty much exactly the same reaction as the entire internet has been having for the last couple of years.
YouTube search ‘The Room – “hi Mark”’.
Do it now. You won’t be disappointed. Sick, maybe...but not disappointed.
Come ON now, this cannot be serious. Can it?
Key oddity: A quick-fire clips montage featuring some the most arse-bendingly atrocious acting ever committed to celluloid. Way to sell it to us, guys...
Its a genuine wonder that director (and hirsute “You’re tearing me apaaaart, Lisa!” bloke) Tommy Wiseau managed to fish a big enough fistful of cuttings out of his own backside to make a trailer at all, never mind a whole feature.
Comments
Buried At Sea
Apr 23rd 2009, 21:19
christ that godfather one was painful, it made me hate the movie a tiny bit!
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whateverman
Apr 23rd 2009, 23:29
I did not hit her I did NAART
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Goodland
Apr 24th 2009, 12:42
Good God. After watching those ads, I would prefer to watch Troll 2 than Godfather. The guy who made that advert is truly the Ed Wood of trailer-makers. I actually hate him. I am sitting here hating the guy who made that trailer. What was he thinking? Let's show, in stills, the entire movie - including major characters getting killed. I know I need to lay off the caffeine but this has actually ruined my day - maybe even the whole week. This is literally the worst thing to have ever happened in my life. And you should see my life. I'm angry.
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ReelAuteur
Apr 24th 2009, 14:23
surely you've used the wrong cloverfield trailer there! this one screams im a movie doesn't it? i think you meant to use the one that appeared beofre transformers right? were theres no title? just an observation
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Goodland
Apr 24th 2009, 21:14
I came back, thinking that it couldn't have been that bad. I watched it again and my eyes have been soiled. Literally. God, I'm angry. I haven't been so angry since the time I was flicking channels and came across "Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps" and my bloody sister made me watch it. Sure I could have got up and gone and done some work but then she woul have won. I think you'll all agree that I made the right choice. Send a signal. God, I'm angry.
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AlonseR
Oct 12th 2009, 23:12
Isn't 'The Room' that cult film that's soooo bad that it's good and loads of celebs have parties with plastic cutlery? 2003 must have been a slow year if that was the best movie of the year.
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littlebocuk
Jan 8th 2010, 23:14
What's up with the Godfather trailer??
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