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(Page NIGHT & DAY-3 )
IT'S THAT COLUMN THING
Coming attractions may be enough to keep you from going
30-Sep-1999 Thursday
Movie-goer's nightmare No. 231: You are at a dinner party, a
brunch or -- if you are atoning for a particularly nasty past life -- a child's
birthday bash featuring clowns and a Teletubby pinata. Things are proceeding
nicely
enough, until your friends begin discussing a movie you haven't seen yet. Then
the dreaded exchange begins:
You: "Don't say anything! I haven't seen it yet!!"
Your (Former) Friend: "Don't worry, I won't give anything away."
This is your cue to run like hell, because once the cinematic freshness seal has
been cracked, spoilage is just seconds away. First come the little hints
("There's this great twist at the end!"). Then the disturbing
revelations ("The bad guy isn't who you think it is!). And before you know
it, the beans have been spilled ("It's Kevin Costner!").
Even if your friends have been trained to avoid mentioning any film newer than
"Gone With the Wind" ("Don't say anything! I haven't rented it
yet!"), you are not safe. Because if your loved ones don't blow it, some
stranger
will. And chances are, it will be the same strangers who made the movie in the
first place.
I am talking about the trailer-trashing of the movie experience.
Ideally, trailers (movie lingo for "coming-attractions clip") tell you
just enough about a film to make you want to see it. But more often than not,
the new breed of trailer tells you so much about a film, you feel like you've
seen it already. While more and more movie theaters are wooing us with better
sound and more comfortable seats, movie studios are making it more and more
difficult to see movies the way they should be seen: with the screen shrouded in
mystery and the viewer in the dark.
Sometimes, a little knowledge can be a wonderful thing. Say you are watching the
trailer for Adam Sandler's "Big Daddy." After careful consideration of
scenes featuring public urination, industrial-strength spit-wads and a shameless
plug for McDonald's Happy Meals, you think, "Hey, this looks like a total
laff riot!" Or, "I would rather have my eyebrows removed with a belt
sander than sit through this piece of adolescent swill."
When it comes to broad comedies or explosion-heavy action films, this
sledgehammer approach works as good as any. Because really, what has been given
away? Plot subtleties? Character revelations? Spit-wad nuances heretofore
unexplored in the history of cinema?
With the "Big Daddy" trailer, what you saw is what you got, and if
what you saw made you scream with laughter, then you got the comedy extravaganza
you deserved. If what you saw just made you scream, you got as far away from
"Big Daddy" as possible, secure in the knowledge that you weren't
missing a thing. Which brings us to the Tail of Two Trailers, and two films that
illustrate the fine art of keeping secrets, and the price you pay when you
give it all away.
A few weeks ago, I saw two fine films under near-perfect conditions: The movie
theaters were almost empty, and so was my head. First up was a preview screening
of "Mumford," a low-key dramatic comedy that I knew almost
nothing about and therefore enjoyed immensely. Blissfully
uninformed, I found Lawrence Kasden's quirky portrait of small-town life to be
sweet and charming. And thanks to some neat little plot twists (not the least of
which is an inspired cameo from Ted Danson), it actually
contained a surprise or two.
Two days later, I discovered the awful truth. While waiting in another theater
for a different movie, I saw the "Mumford" trailer for the first time,
watching in horror as its nifty plot twists and character revelations were
unceremoniously unveiled. Everything you needed to know about the film was right
there on the screen, along with stuff you had no business knowing until the
movie decided to reveal it.
Fast forward two weeks. "Mumford" has opened to mostly good reviews
(including a three-and-a-half star notice from Night&Day) and dismal
box-office returns. In spite of the critics, the film debuted at No. 9, behind
everything from the hot new "Double Jeopardy" to "Stir of
Echoes" and "Jakob the Liar."
Maybe "Mumford" was just too low-key. Or too adult. Or too devoid of
big stars or a major buzz. Or maybe it was sabotaged by a trailer that told
audiences so much, they didn't feel the need to stick around for the whole
movie.
Meanwhile, back at the multiplex, my faith in Hollywood was being
renewed. Thanks to a subtle, cryptic trailer, and the admirable restraint of my
better-informed friends, I went to "The Sixth Sense" knowing almost
nothing about the cinematic journey ahead. As it turned out, ignorance wasn't
bliss. It was a necessity.
Much to the surprise of media prognosticators, this somber thriller has become
one of this year's biggest hits. And while much credit goes to the quietly
affecting performances of Bruce Willis (as a child psychologist) and Haley Joel
Osment (as his troubled patient), you can't underestimate the startling power of
director-writer M. Night Shyamalan's thought-provoking script. And considering
the damage that could have been done, you can't overestimate the effects of a
trailer that piqued your curiosity without giving a single thing away.
When the wide-eyed Osment whispered, "I see dead people," we wanted to
know more. Fortunately, the powers that be knew better. When the trailer stopped
there, it allowed "The Sixth Sense" to be more than just another
creepy thriller. And it saved us from the kind of nightmare that gets scarier
the minute someone turns on the light.
Karla Peterson can be reached by phone, (619) 293-1275;fax, (619) 293-2436;
mail, PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191; and e-mail, karla.peterson@uniontrib.com
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