Amazing movie scenes ruined by spoliers in Trailers

[KenM]

I watched the fellowship extended with cast commerary, one of them was at another movie and one of the fellowship trailers came on, and they used the "no one else knows its here, do they? Do they gandalf?" and EVERYONE in the thearter said it at the same time because the used it in every trailer, and they were a little sick of it.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, this is one of my pet peeves. Frustrates me no end.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I understand why this would frustrate many. For me, I enjoy trailers just so I can sit and try to figure out the ending of the film based on what's in the trailer. It seems like trailers of today always give it away. I figured out the surprise of the Sixth Sense based on what was in the trailer.

What drives me nuts - or makes me laugh, depending - is when the trailer tries to squeeze every bit of action or T&A that is in the film into itself. The best is when a film like A Beautiful Mind shows a car flying into the water, or some period piece drama about, say, 18th century manners tries to show every low-cut gown in the flick. If a gun appears in a film, even for just a moment, you know it's gonna be in the trailer. Doesn't matter if it's On Golden Pond II, the gun'll be in the trailer.

Another thing that bugs me about trailers is when they include a song that never shows up in the movie. It's minor, but it grates on me, because a lot of times I've gone in humming a familiar tune only to be left feeling like something was missing when it never appears on the soundtrack. Perhaps even more grating, maybe not all the time, but much of the time, is when a familiar song of the past is on the soundtrack, but is a new version by the current flavor-of-the-month band; worst is when it is featured prominently in the trailer.

 

[stevelabny]

(spoilers for: Two Towers, Iron Giant and Phantom Menace and Unbreakable.)

I had been complaing to my friends all along that the Two Towers trailer should NOT have revealed that Gandalf was still alive. Sure MILLIONS of people have read the books, but the American movie audience? On average they can't read. I don't read "real" books a lot (too many comics,websites and rpg stuff) but I do read more than most people I know. I tried to read the LOTR a few times, never got through them. That Tolkein guy, great imagination but a very tedious writing-style. (But this is a convo for another thread)
The films that usually have the most problems are bad comedies. They give you all 3 funny jokes and there's nothing left. Plus, bad comedies suceed on the concept of "once someone starts laughing, they laugh easier at the next joke". And when you've already given away the best jokes, you've blown your chances at starting the laughter.
The worst offenders I've ever seen are Austin Powers 3 and Men in Black 2, which both had about seven different commercials that gave away almost every scene in the movies.
The absolute WORST scene giveaway was in the trailer for THE IRON GIANT where they showed that the giant robot that walks around for the first half of the movie can FLY. Try to watch that movie and imagine you DIDN'T already know that. That scene would've had tension, excitement and fun. Instead the movie stays dry and bland throughout.
Showing Darth Maul's double blade was a bad choice too, but they also released the soundtrack before the movie came out and it had the track "Death of Qui-Gon" on it.
Why people buy the movie soundtracks, adaption novels and comics BEFORE they see a movie, I'll never know.
I'd love to be suprised MORE often.
(that's why I watch Buffy, Angel, and Firefly every week)
Of course, on the other side of the coin...
I NEVER saw The Matrix in the theatre and will regret it until the sequel finally comes out next year.
I REFUSED to see Fight Club for the longest time because it had the WORST TRAILER EVER. Finally I relented and wondered "who chose that trailer? and did they get fired?"

The perfect trailer gets people to want to come without spoiling the suprise of the movie. I LOVE the Unbreakable trailer. Two actors and a director who most people were familiar with. The basic premise of the sole survivor of a train wreck. and the mysterious stranger who might know WHY. When I saw that trailer, my friends and I all immediately agreed we were going, and judging from their reaction so did the rest of the audience.
BUt I saw it on opening night, and the entire crowd was so annoyed at Samuel L Jackson's comic book speech mid-movie they grumbled and laughed the rest of the way. (while I sat on the edge of my seat saying "WOW")
I'm sure that those who didn't like Unbreakable felt "duped" by the trailer, but I'd still hold it to the best one I can remember.

steve

 

[Welverin]

I NEVER saw The Matrix in the theatre and will regret it until the sequel finally comes out next year.
I REFUSED to see Fight Club for the longest time because it had the WORST TRAILER EVER. Finally I relented and wondered "who chose that trailer? and did they get fired?"

Apply your Matrix experience to Fight Club and you get me. I saw the trailers which gave me zero interest in seeing the movie, this despite the fact a friend told me I should see and would like it (and he someone I almost always listen to in cases like this). I'm still annoyed with myself over it too.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

The thing I hate is when they show trailers that include CUT SCENES. Great scenes, but they ended up on the cutting room floor.

For instance, in Major League (the "no-name ball players come together and win" movie), they show three guys sitting at a table, giving a pep talk to the pitcher.

Catcher: "That ball wouldn't have made it out of most parks."
Pitcher: "Name one."
Catcher: "Yellowstone."

See? Funny scene. But they cut it. It made it into Major League 2 (but with the girlfriend saying it, instead...), but it would have been funny in the original.

 

[KenM]

The thing I hate is when they show trailers that include CUT SCENES. Great scenes, but they ended up on the cutting room floor.

The first trailer I saw for fellowship had the scene with Boraimir(sp?) looking out from behind a rock, watching Gollum on a log, was not in the theactical relase, it is in the extended DVD.

 

[KenM]

The WORST TRAILER EVAR was for _Titanic_, when they showed that the ship sank. Ruined the whole movie!

Also the trailer for Pearl Harbor showing it under attack.

 

[Gunslinger]

The Two Towers trailer also included some cut scenes. For instance, the very first thing on this list of scenes cut from the movie(which will hopefully be included in the extended DVD):

http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1040672176

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I hate trailers where they put stuff in that is not in the movie on purpose. One case I can clearly think of is the last Highlander movie. There were all these cool looking scenes that made it look like the villian was going to have lots of amazing abilities and lots of neat effects type stuff. None of them were in the movie and it was reported New Line (I think) or the director had those scenes put in just to make the film look more interesting to a wider audience.

Damn hollywood executives...