Saturday, September 04, 2010

Context Creates Meaning: The Art of the Film Trailer (Mashup)

(My favorite example was a cowboy I met on my brother's farm out in Eastern Oregon who, when he found out I was a film studies professor, complained about being misled by the trailer for Brokeback Mountain. He thought it was going to be a traditional Western tale and didn't figure it out until about 20 minutes into the film. Have you ever felt you were misled by a film trailer? I once picked up the film "Happiness" to bring back for a friend who was suffering after a break-up. It was advertised as a "comedy" and was in the comedy section of the DVD store! Totally inappropriate for that situation.)



Also:

Scary Mary Poppins



Zombie West Side Story



And so wrong, but so good:

Toy Story Requiem

Glengary Glen Ross Romance

Sleepless in Seattle Horror

Courtesy of Alex Needham and his readers

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To end this list. I must add my alltime favorite film trailer (it helps that it is easily one of my top ten films). I remember sitting in the front row of the opening night for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and this trailer was shown and I was very intrigued, I knew I had to see it, even though I had no idea what the film was about:

Can You Guess the Film Trailer

and of course, even this masterpiece of a trailer, has been recut

and recut

and again

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