One of the reasons movies disappoint audiences often is because of how good the trailers are. It is, admittedly, easier to cut 90-150 seconds of the finest, most tantalising footage from over a 100 minutes of film and look way cooler than the film itself, but the best trailers increase anticipation to almost unreal levels --- and the ensuing films seldom live up to that kind of hype.
Then again, there are trailers -- particularly for weak comedies -- that try and focus only on the best scenes there are, period. Which essentially means a trailer full of the only decently funny jokes in an also-ran teen comedy. Blargh.
Anyway, this is time not for negativity. It's a grey Tuesday afternoon, and time to spend some cheer by checking out the most engaging trailers for upcoming cinema. Here, then, is a quick, link-filled look at the most fascinating trailers out there today, and there are a lot of radically cool things on the horizon for sure.
First up just has to be W Oliver Stone's take on George Dubya Bush's rise to presidency looks insanely quirky, with No Country's Josh Brolin playing the much-reviled American head of state. This teaser trailer is crisp, funny -- George Sr, to a shamefaced Dubya: 'Who do you think you are, a Kennedy?' -- chooses just the right song, and, at least on a superficial level, shows off that it is phenomenally well cast.
While Brolin looks more like a Bush caricature -- and even more like Dennis Quaid -- Thandie Newton nails the Condy Rice look perfectly. And Toby Jones as Karl Rove? Nice. The director has always bastardised history to suit cinematic narrative, and this might just be the bizarrely great Stone film we never knew we needed.
The new Coen Brothers movie doesn't even really need a trailer. All you need to know is that the makers of The Big Lebowski are making 'a screwball comedy' and that it stars absolutely everyone you want to see in a Coen film. Yet, the Burn After Reading trailer (this is Red Band, by the way, which means it's a trailer for adults only) smells of surefire awesomeness -- and makes you feel glad for worshipping at the Church of Coen. Everything from Brad Pitt's atrocious hair to Tilda Swinton's ice-cold expressions look priceless, and George Clooney always hits peak when working with Joel and Ethan. And David Rasche's getting this much stuff to do? Ooh, the Sledgehammer-lovin' glee.
Fanboy thrill hits peak with Django. We were all chuffed to high heavens when we learnt that Takashi Miike, the wild Japanese genius behind Audition, was remaking that oh so fabulous western. And this magnificent trailer for Sukiyaki Western Django truly looks like the most exciting sword-filled film since, well, Kill Bill. True, there is a bit too much obeisance paid to that film's director -- who happened to have kinda borrowed the famous Reservoir Dogs ear-slicing scene from the original western -- but then, one rabid film-fan to another, if you were making a totally insane action movie, wouldn't you cast Quentin Tarantino as God too?
And finally, a look India-ward. I really wasn't expecting too much from Akshay Kumar's upcoming Chandni Chowk To China -- even though the poster rocks -- assuming it's going to be yet another film the star would have to carry on his shoulders. The trailer blew me away. Starting with the fact that it's kinda cool to see the Warner logo preface a desi trailer -- the last good trailer those guys made was The Dark Knight, heh -- we launch into a totally madcap promo dripping with attitude. And we're talking very neat and KungFuHustley attitude.
Heck, the Shaw Brothers legend Gordon Liu is giving martial arts lessons in a Hindi movie? Holy Kill Bill, this is unbelievably brilliant. Deepika Padukone looks stunning in geisha-garb, and Kumar -- with the reliably fun Ranvir Shorey by his side -- seems in fine fettle. It's hard to predict the tone of the film itself, but the trailer is very, very fun indeed.
And these are just some of the great trailers abounding right now. And there's Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, which I refuse to describe but will very gladly point you to right here, which could potentially be the funniest thing since Zoolander. Also, you might like to check out this ludicrous digital short Ben, Robert Downey Jr and Jack Black made to promote the film at the MTV Movie Awards.
Fanboys among you would ask about the really hyped ones, the Watchmen trailer -- I like the way the mask moves, but I still don't think anyone should try and adapt that masterpiece into anything as vulgar as a summer blockbuster, or even a movie of any kind -- and Terminator 4, which just looks painful, and Chris Bale should be content with resurrecting one great hero instead of trying to reboot another. What is interesting, though, is Hugh Jackman's Wolverine project, but you'll have to make do with these raw Comic-Con shots until the trailer is officially released.
Now, having bombarded you with links and making sure you realise Mr Fantastic is playing Tony Blair, I open the floor up to you.
What are your favourite trailers? Did you enjoy these? What new film are you totally rabid about? And what is your favourite trailer of all time?
Write in to me with anything -- trailer-related or not -- at senterfold@rediffmail.com. That's it for now, folks, have a good week and try not to have nightmares about the very realistic possibility of an upcoming Top Gun sequel.
