When the trailer is actually better than the movie...

Here is a trailer for a movie that, unfortunately, was never filmed—and likely never will be.
What a waste...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8cCzltPD6Y

ugh, please, no way... I heard some rumor that if they did a Grindhouse DVD set with both movies together, they’d have to include that other flick too—the whole thing. But man, who’s actually gonna blow cash on DVDs if they pull that off? uuuuuhhh!!!!!! Honestly, I’ve been thinking there might actually be a chance for that movie to happen... 🙂

First off, I checked to see if there was already a thread like this going, but came up empty. So, if this topic already exists somewhere else, my bad.

Back at work again... how many times have you guys watched a killer movie trailer only to realize the actual film was a total disaster? Man, this looks like it’s gonna be a good one. Definitely adding it to my watchlist.So, basically, has anyone else ever been totally baited by a killer trailer only to sit through a complete disaster? That feeling of being straight-up scammed is the worst. I mean, sure, sometimes a shitty trailer hides a gem, but honestly, that feels pretty rare to me. If anyone’s got examples of either side, lay them on me.
Alright, let's hear it: which trailers actually tricked you into watching or anticipating a movie, only to realize the editing was doing all the heavy lifting while the actual film flopped?

Here's my take on this...

Alone in the DarkEven though the game was directed by that butcher Uwe Boll—who, let’s be honest, wasn't even that notorious back then (or at least I didn't realize it)—the trailer actually looked pretty decent. It felt dark, high-energy, and had some solid action. But man, the actual movie? A total disaster. The acting was trash, the tiny bit of action they did include was just a dull, repetitive rip-off of stuff you've seen a thousand times, and there was zero atmosphere. I almost fell asleep halfway through, but I kept pushing because I kept thinking things would somehow turn around. Spoiler alert: they didn't.

Elektra trailerThe trailer actually looked pretty decent—promising some solid action and cool stunts. For a superhero flick, it seemed okay, and honestly, Jennifer Garner looked adorable in that red suit. But man, once you actually watch it, it’s just a total mess. The action is incredibly generic, stuff you've already seen a hundred times in other movies, and the whole plot is packed with filler and mindless villains. There's nothing smart about the story either. All in all, it's absolute garbage.

The Bulletproof MonkThe Bulletproof Monk promised some decent action, blending that effortless East Coast cool from Chow Yun-fat with Seann William Scott’s goofy energy... but man, what a letdown. It wasn't even fun, and it definitely didn't live up to the hype from the trailer. A few cheap jokes here and there, but honestly? The whole thing is more irritating than entertaining. Just a straight-up garbage movie.

Blade: TrinityHonestly, I didn't even need to see the trailer to know I was going to catch this one. I'm a huge fan of the Blade films—the first two were absolute bangers, especially the second one—so I was hyped for the third installment. Every bit of hype I found only fueled my expectations. The trailer looked killer, too; seeing Blade tearing it up in those 16-second clips had me ready. But man, after that promising start, everything just falls off a cliff. I kept waiting for some cool sequence or a solid fight scene, but it’s just not the Blade I grew up with. I kept hoping the ending would actually kill it, but god, it was awful. Total letdown. I mean, a second viewing helped a little, but it still doesn't change much.

Get CarterMan, that trailer looked killer. You had a gritty, high-octane Stallone decked out in a gray suit, covered in tattoos, rocking a beard that actually looked good while he was absolutely wrecking people. Plus, having a beast like Mickey Rourke in the mix didn't hurt, and the soundtrack was spot on—they used that Fluke track "Absurd," which is the same song from when Bruce enters the club in Sin City. It promised non-stop, hardcore action with Stallone being more ruthless than we've ever seen him. But honestly? Once the actual movie starts, there’s barely any action compared to the trailer. It gets pretty boring at times, and Stallone isn't even half as tough as the teaser made him out to be. Truth is, he actually takes more of a beating than he gives. Total disappointment.

LadykillersThat trailer actually looked like a blast. Tom Hanks playing a Southern guy directed by the Coen brothers? Hard to beat that combo. Honestly, the movie wasn't a total train wreck, but it didn't live up to the hype from the trailer either. It was just a few cheap jokes here and there, most of which you already saw in the preview anyway.

Terminator 3 was a total mess.I was hyped for this one too, and when that first trailer dropped, I was floored. It felt like "He's back... big time." But honestly? The whole movie just boiled down to Arnold finding a car, smashing it, finding another car, smashing that one, and repeating the cycle until the credits rolled. I wasn't totally crushed by it—it was actually pretty fun and wrapped things up well enough—but I definitely expected more.

Speed 2? Please. Total waste of time.I personally loved the first one—it was a total rush. So naturally, my expectations for the sequel were sky-high, especially since the trailer actually looked pretty decent. It felt high-energy and solid, though I guess if you're a kid, it looks amazing. But man, what a massive letdown. Dafoe goes way too hard on the villain role, and that initial excitement? Completely gone. It just got more pathetic as the movie dragged toward the end.

Basic.The trailer looked intense and actually pretty interesting—gave off those dark vibes like John McTiernan finally bounced back after that disaster *Rollerball*. Honestly, the movie wasn't a complete train wreck; it had its moments, but man, it was just plain confusing. Like, who is doing what to whom and why? You’d probably need to watch it two or three times just to make sense of the plot, but after one viewing, I honestly don't have the willpower to go back for more, let alone a second or third round.

AlexandarOliver Stone directing some epic spectacle... honestly, what more could you ask for? The trailer looks gritty, bloody, and actually pretty promising. But then you get the actual movie: three hours of nothingness punctuated by two mediocre 15-minute fight scenes, while everything else just boils down to endless making out between Colin and Jared Leto. It was stomach-turning, though I did manage to laugh through most of it.

Taking LivesThe trailer looked killer... like a legit, gritty, dark thriller along the lines of Seven with a heavy-hitting cast. Then the movie actually drops and it’s a complete letdown. Just cliché after cliché—everything we've seen before, only done better by someone else. It’ll probably just be remembered for that one scene where Jennifer Garner shows some skin.😁

That's all I got for now. I'll probably think of more later, but for now, let's hear what you guys have to say.👍👍

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYg2EJLJids

Pineapple Express. Awesome trailer if you're into that kind of comedy. Honestly, those jokes were some of the best parts of the movie, which felt a bit dragged out and empty at times. It wasn't a total disaster, but it definitely didn't live up to everything the trailer promised.

While I personally find this franchise endlessly entertaining, I am fully aware that the movies themselves aren't exactly high-quality cinema. However, one thing remains constant: the trailers were always exceptionally well-made:

Resident Evil

Resident Evil Apocalypse

Resident Evil Extinction

The last time I actually sat through a trailer—meaning, when watching them was a somewhat standard activity—was five years ago in a theater, or occasionally when they popped up on TV. Nowadays, if I flip through the channels and one comes on, I just close my eyes if I’m at the cinema.

The most recent trailer I even bothered to start watching was Spider-Man 3, played back on an MP4 player just to check the video quality. Even then, the film struck me as poor, though I already knew that well before the trailer even started. 🙂

Frankly, I find the entire concept of a trailer distasteful. It's a calculated attempt to feed the audience a few highlight reels just to lure them into paying for a movie that is complete garbage. Every time I encounter a comment along the lines of 'I saw a trailer online, liked it, and the next day I wasted ten bucks seeing this piece of shit movie 😠', I can't help but feel a certain sense of triumph. 😁

Long live torrents. Just killing some time.

goldenhound32 said:The last time I actually sat through a trailer was like five years ago in a theater, or maybe when they randomly pop up on TV. Nowadays, if I see one while channel surfing, I just change it. If I'm stuck in a theater, I just close my eyes.

The last trailer I actually bothered watching was Spider-Man 3 on an old MP4 player, just to check the video quality. I already knew the movie sucked before I even finished the clip.🙂

Honestly, I hate the whole concept of trailers. They just pick the best three seconds of a garbage movie to trick you into buying a ticket. And every time I read a comment like 'I saw a trailer online, liked it and the next day spent 10 dollars to see this piece of shit movie 😠', I feel like I won.😁

Maybe you shouldn't... lol. For example, I’ve actually discovered some great movies thanks to trailers. Take
In Bruges, which we're talking about in another thread. I knew about it 6 or 7 months before it even hit theaters because the trailer looked killer, and in that case, it didn't let me down.👍
Sure, good reviews came out later, but those don't mean much to me until I can decide for myself if a movie is worth my time. Same thing happened with The Matador starring Pierce Brosnan. I heard about it, saw some decent reviews, but I wasn't sold because people tend to hype things up too much, especially with those festival flicks. But then I saw the trailer, got hooked, and it turned out to be a great movie.👍

Well, damn... there’s actually... a thread for this... fuck me🤷

Max Payne - the trailer looked promising, but the movie was absolute trash

Anthony Smith3 said:Maybe I shouldn't, haha...

But what can I do when I'm feeling particularly cranky? 🙂

Quote : e.g. In Bruges, which we're discussing in a separate thread... I actually knew about that one nearly six or seven months before it even hit theaters.

Frankly, it makes no difference to me whether I watch a movie—or even decide to be interested in it—right now or a year from now. When In Bruges came out, I saw it. No regrets there; I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10. 🙂

As far as The Matador is concerned, I don't particularly trust your take on it 🙂 (not that I think the film is bad, but if I never end up seeing it, I won't feel like I missed out).
On this forum, and across the internet in general, I tend to seek out people who look for the same artistic qualities in cinema that I do. It’s rare that I find myself at odds with them. To me, that seems to be the most effective way to ensure I catch a higher percentage of truly good films. So far, the strategy is holding up.

goldenhound32 said:Well, what can I say? I'm just a bit cranky, I guess.🙂

It doesn't really matter to me whether I watch a movie now or a year from now. I happened to come across In Bruges and watched it. I don't regret it; I actually gave it a solid 7 out of 10.🙂

As for The Matador, I don't quite trust your take on it.🙂 (I'm not saying the movie is bad, per se, but if I never end up seeing it, I won't feel like I missed out.)
On this forum, and on the internet in general, I try to find people who look for the exact same things in cinema as an art form. It's rare that we disagree. I think that's probably the best way to discover a higher percentage of great films. So far, it seems to be working for me.

I used to think that way too, but since I have a pretty good sense of whether I'll enjoy a film or not, I rarely get it wrong. This time, however, I missed the mark—so, it happens, I suppose...😛
You might not be pleasantly surprised, but I still give it a warm recommendation.😉

Kenneth Williams60 said:That was my assumption as well. Given that I tend to be quite accurate when predicting whether a film will resonate with me—I rarely miss—it seems I’ve miscalculated this time. So, here we are... 😛
You might not find this particularly surprising, but I still suggest giving it a shot. 😉

As I have already stated, I am not suggesting the film is inherently bad. If I happen to come across it—should it land on my screen in any format—I will certainly watch it.

goldenhound32 said:What am I supposed to do when I'm already in a bad mood? 🙂

I don't really care if I watch a movie now or in a year. I found In Bruges and watched it. No regrets, I still gave it a solid 7/10. 🙂

As for The Matador, I'm not buying your take. 🙂(Not saying the movie is trash, just that if I never see it, it won't be my loss).
On this forum and online in general, I try to find people who look for the same artistic qualities in films as I do. I rarely clash with them. Honestly, it's the best way to find more good movies. So far, it works.

Look... you don't have to trust my opinion, but personally, The Matador was one of the best films of 2005. And yeah, here’s something you usually look for... it has a 7/10 rating... so it fits right into that category of movies you actually watch. 😉😁

Anthony Smith3 said:And yes, here is something that usually fits your criteria... it holds a 7/10 rating, which places it right in that category of films you typically deign to watch—anything scoring above a 7. 😉😁

I mean, I'm well aware of all that. 🙂

The Cottage 👎
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1DIFtBcozI

Midnight Meat Train 👎
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pifkqLq6c0

Right now, those two are the only ones sticking in my head, though there were plenty more back in the day.
Honestly, I refuse to sit through a movie unless I catch the trailer first... I don't even know why I do it. It’s just how I am, but man, I end up getting totally screwed over sometimes when I skip them. ☕

I haven't been watching much movies lately.
But I’ve noticed a pattern: the trailers are actually better than the films themselves.

Take that fake trailer for "Machete" (which, if you look at it meta-wise, is basically its own short film)—it’s more polished and well-made than the actual movie.

It feels like studios pour more effort and quality into a tiny promotional clip than they do into the entire feature.
You can fit the whole plot of most Hollywood high-concept blockbusters into those three minutes.

The point of a trailer is to grab you, build tension, and make you crave the movie.
And honestly, I think that should be enough.

Why bother opening Schrödinger's box just to kill the cat for no reason?

And that is exactly where the future of cinema lies. 🤷 Just imagine the sheer amount of young talent that would finally get the chance to direct their first, second, or even third feature. 🙂

Trailers are always better than the movies; they’re basically just commercials.
You just grab the best scenes, edit them tight, throw on some killer music, and boom—you've got the whole movie in miniature.
The only catch is if the actual flick sucks, you still have to sit through all the filler. 😍

Well, thank god they actually came up with a remote control. 😍