Most blatantly misleading trailer you've ever seen?

Richard Dower

I'm talking about trailers that, for example - comprised of footage not even in the movie, or trailers that made a movie looking amazing but ended up being crap.

My pick, War Of The Worlds :mad: - Speilberg did a number on us with that :rolleyes:

hidinginthebush

Well not so much the trailer, but the posters for Black Snake Moan completely sold the film in a different, and I feel, terrible light

Example:


From the poster it looks like some sort pimp flick, really sells it as being unwatchable. In fact I think this was a brilliant film, it gets severely overlooked, mainly because most wouldn't give it a chance after the poster. If you haven't seen it I would certainly recommend giving it a chance.

With regard to trailers, I thought the trailers for the new A-Team film made it look ridiculous (I think every trailer showed the part where

they're falling out of the plane in the tank

,which certainly turned me off seeing it in the cinema). Whereas it is an absolutely hilarious film, not-stop enjoyment from start to finish. That scene I referenced above even works well in the film, and fits it perfectly, but the way it was shown in the trailer made it look stupid.

The trailers for 4 Lions made it look dreadful too, just unfunny and too much like a Carry-On slapstick "Oh Betty" sort of film, which I hate! Though being a Chris Morris film, I just had to give it a chance, thank God I did, best comedy of the last few years,also a pretty good thought-provoker. Once again, I'd highly recommend it.

actuallylike

Thought this would have been a great first date movie, she never called me back afterwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_UaVUPsLsM

Seriously though, I don't watch trailers anymore. I can tell if I want to watch a film from a simple description or the people involved in it, trailers these days give waaaay too much away. It's especially noticeable in comedies, the biggest joke of the whole movie results in silence from the audience due to it been in the trailer.

liah

The trailers for both Shrink and Lars and the Real Girl were COMPLETELY different to the mood of the films! (thankfully I was pleasantly surprised in the case of Shrink, and slightly in the case of Lars and the Real Girl).

I don't get it at all. I just don't bother with trailers at all anymore, they either give way too much away or give you an impression that's completely different to what the film actually is.

Inglourious Basterds did that too. Was not pushed on it at all, the trailers basically made it out that the Basterds were the entire film.. and they were in there for a total of maybe half an hour! :pac: Another pleasant surprise, that intro is brilliant.

fluke

While I quite enjoyed I, Robot from what I remember the trailer sold it as this full on battle between man & machine, but the movie was more of a thriller with a sci-fi element, and lots of product placement...

krudler

Inglourious Basterds did that too. Was not pushed on it at all, the trailers basically made it out that the Basterds were the entire film.. and they were in there for a total of maybe half an hour! Another pleasant surprise, that intro is brilliant.

first one I thought of, the trailer makes it out to be this riproaring, Dirty Dozen style WW2 action movie but its not, I really must pick it up actually never bought it

Planemo

Vulger has the most misleading trailer I've ever seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLjXcYWKnJg

I dont know about you but a film featuring male (clown) rape cant be classified as a quirky comedy, can it?

Suspiria79

Predators, with all those targets from the predator's gun on yer man. In the movie there was just one target. Huge difference when ya think about it. Misleading.

Mickeroo

Bridge to Terabithia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SvqEIKP4t8

Nearly all the actual "fantasy" content of the film is in the trailer, not a fantasy film at all.

hidinginthebush

Also, who could forget the Shining? Turned out it was NOT the whimsical care-free film the trailer promised

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfout_rgPSA

Galvasean

The trailer for Revenge of the Fallen made it look like the greatest action extravaganza ever! The tone looked bleak and dark when the film wa scatually quite twee in tone, with the action sequences too spaced out.

The Hancock trailer made it look like a balls out comedy free for all, when it was far from it. they shoved all the OTT comedy bits into the trailer. The film was more of a drama overall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD8qSmkdqJM

mikhail

I'd mention Adventureland, which the trailer makes out to be very much in the mould of Superbad (by the same director), and is nothing like this.

I'm reminded of this, from Charlie Stross' series of blog posts on misconceptions about the publishing industry. I suspect it applies quite well to trailers.

The blurb on the back cover/inside front flap ... they're usually written by someone in marketing, although I know at least one major publisher where the commissioning editor writes his own blurbs and runs them past the author for comment. The goal of the blurb is to convert the person handling the book from a handler to a purchaser; nothing more or less. It does not need to reflect the content of the book accurately, although most authors get awfully itchy and irritable in the presence of actively misleading blurbs. It shouldn't spoiler the contents if there's an element of surprise: this is one good reason for publishers to show marketing-written blurbs to authors before running with them. But that's all. The blurb is an advertisement, not a plot synopsis.

Goldstein

The T4 trailer (with a little help from NIN) was epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiPn42h13zI

Imagine my surprise when the movie ended up sucking donkey balls.

Gerty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuE98oeL-e0


Catfish - Its the last part that is so unbelievably misleading.

Boo Radley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slg59ufLKXk

Totally unrelated story. If I'm not mistaken the 'bugs' surrounding him in the clip didn't happen in the film. Mind you I've seen worse movies. It isn't all bad.

Richard Dower

Mickeroo wrote: »

Bridge to Terabithia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SvqEIKP4t8

Nearly all the actual "fantasy" content of the film is in the trailer, not a fantasy film at all.

I loved that movie!, very sad ending

ArphaRima

The informant(!).

Sucked. Trailer looked great.

Diddler82

Mickeroo wrote: »

Bridge to Terabithia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SvqEIKP4t8

Nearly all the actual "fantasy" content of the film is in the trailer, not a fantasy film at all.

+1

I watched it one Monday mornign after a heavy weekend and was expecting a LOTResque adventure...little did I know that in just under 2 hours I would be reduced to an emotional wreck, tears and all!

Decent film but the trailer was completely misleading.

LittleBook

As much as I enjoyed the film anyway, I was deeply, deeply disappointed that the "Mamma didn't raise no fools" bit was left out of The Losers.

L'prof

Gerty wrote: »

Catfish - Its the last part that is so unbelievably misleading.

First one I thought of, the movie was nothing like the trailer portrayed!

Duggy747

Suspiria79 wrote: »

Predators, with all those targets from the predator's gun on yer man. In the movie there was just one target. Huge difference when ya think about it. Misleading.

Rodriquez is quoted to say that he knowingly threw that bit into the trailers to get people's attention and get them to come to the cinema:

Robert Rodriguez is a director who makes movies for people who love movies. Whether it’s something for adults (DESPERADO or GRINDHOUSE) or even children (SPY KIDS), Rodriguez tries to draw you into his films as a fan first, and a critical mind second. But, as a producer, on PREDATORS, Rodriguez tossed all of that aside with the help of 20th Century Fox to lie right to your face in the flick’s trailer, in order to sucker you in on opening weekend based entirely on false pretenses.

For those of you who may have seen PREDATORS, you might have noticed the distinct lack of the iconic shot from the trailer, with Adrien Brody absolutely smothered by laser sights of at least a dozen Predators, giving you the sense that this dude is ****ed. There is a similar shot in the film, in a similar location, that has Brody put on lock by a single laser sight, but, because our expectations have been built up so greatly, it feels so disappointing and underwhelming.

It’s a good thing Robert Rodriguez has an explanation for why the scene played out that way across the trailer and, more importantly, the movie – it was planned that way.

In an interview with MTV News, Rodriguez addressed the complaints by movie-goers who feel as if they were bamboozled with the change. “You don’t want people to always know. A lot of my movies have trailer shots that I shoot just for the trailer, so that people haven’t seen the movie already but they get the feeling of what it’s supposed to represent… It’s kind of a good twist to do that. If you go and you think that’s what it’s going to be, and then it’s not that and it ends up happening in another place in the movie.”

Ummm… except it’s not a good twist. It’s a flat-out lie, and basically trickery being used to get people into the theatre expecting to see a different movie than the one that’s delivered. That’d be like the equivalent of me watching the trailer for INDEPENDENCE DAY, where they blow the **** out of everything, and kill all these people, and there’s all sorts of destruction prior to a massive alien invasion, and then I go and watch the movie and it’s about Keira Knightley putting together a large tea party in Victorian England… and no explosions are in sight. I would call that bull****… whereas Robert Rodriguez would apparently call that a good twist that prevents me from knowing for sure.

Well, had PREDATORS opened to big bucks, I would have said “Well played, sir.” But, because it didn’t, I can now say “Screw you, asshole. No wonder 1/2 the movie sucked badly.”

That was a cheap shot by him, knowing full well that would be the highlight people would talk about.........which we did!

megadodge

Slumdog Millionaire posters had "Feelgood Movie of the Year" plastered on them.

"Feelgood" watching brutal poverty, child torture, religious intolerance and hatred???

Even the very predictable end didn't make it "feelgood" for me.

Basq

Yeah.. I have to agree with Gerty and L'prof.

In recent memory, 'Catfish' definitely springs to mind..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuE98oeL-e0

The last minute of the trailer paints it out to be far more suspenseful than it actually is... the scene in the trailer with them walking up to the barnhouse, eerie music and reviews snippets like:

"The final forty minutes of the film will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride that you won't be able to shake for days"
"Shattering conclusion"
"The best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never directed"



They clearly didn't see the same film I did.. it's a very good film but jesus, don't expect anything like how the trailer paints it.

Greyjoy

Add my voice to the chorus of complaints about the 'Predators' trailer. I don't mind the fact that clips/lines from the trailer get left out of the final version for editing purposes or the filmmakers might edit the trailer in such a way to misdirect the audience but the 'targeting' clip in the Predators trailer is a complete lie, there was no way for it to take place in the context of the film's story.

ricero

The road the trailer made it look like an action packed post apocalypse film In the Film there's roughly 5 mins of action and the rest pure boredom

L'prof

ricero wrote: »

The road the trailer made it look like an action packed post apocalypse film In the Film there's roughly 5 mins of action and the rest pure boredom

Yeah, I forgot about that. Very strange trailer altogether! Love the film though!

Galvasean

The King Kong trailer featured awater beast about to attack the people. It never made it to the cinema cut. I hate it when that happens.

Dempsey

Predators has to be top of the list. As said Rodriguez did it delibrately

The guy

Goldstein wrote: »

The T4 trailer (with a little help from NIN) was epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiPn42h13zI

Imagine my surprise when the movie ended up sucking donkey balls.

I think that was one of the best trailers I've seen and the film as you said sucked donkey balls.

Jumpy

Definitely the Tom Hanks movie Big.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-vJ4wiNkfM

Is this thread for where the trailer is much better than the movie it came from, or a trailer that was about one thing but then it was about another?

If its the former -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNMa-Gpc3r8

- I quite enjoyed Daybreakers, but that trailer is excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKrB21bwOGI

- I remember seeing this trailer and my jaw more or less dropping. The movie was terrible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16vUScpEtLI

- another great for what was a terrible, terrible movie.

However, if it's the former - then Funny People. Over here it was marketed as a laugh-out-loud comedy, when in reality it was rather touching and a drama.

Ms Happy

Jumpy wrote: »

Definitely the Tom Hanks movie Big.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-vJ4wiNkfM

WHAT THE F**KIN F**K :eek:

I love Big, that may have just scarred me for a while.......

ReacherCreature

The International starring CLive Owen had the most misleading trailer for me. Made the film look action-packed and thrilling. It was far from it, bored me to tears.

Yawns

+1 for The International. I saw this thread and actually opened it just to post that 1. Watched it the other night thinking it was going to be a good thriller with a bit of action. Boring as ****.

Detour

basquille wrote: »

.

In recent memory, 'Catfish' definitely springs to mind..

[.

Totally agree here. I thought it was going to be a Blair Witch effort, good movie, but they've thrown people off with this trailor in a bg way.

Sir Gallagher

Duggy747 wrote: »

Rodriquez is quoted to say that he knowingly threw that bit into the trailers to get people's attention and get them to come to the cinema:



That was a cheap shot by him, knowing full well that would be the highlight people would talk about.........which we did!

That is absolutely poxy form, he should be embarrassed about that not celebrating it what a gobshite.

Bodhidharma

Without question, the most misleading trailer I've seen in a long time is for 'Cyrus' staring John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill. It tries to sell itself as Step Brothers part 2 with Hill replacing Will Ferell. Instead it turns out to be the opposite - boring and kind of depressing. Even the poster is full of ****

ChunkyLover_53

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_1jjqKFYaY

When this movie came out I remember thinking there are so many comedians in this it should be a riot!....it wasn't.

From what I remember most of the best gags are in the trailer.

It thought me a valuable lesson that films that look to be great sometimes can get it so really wrong.

eurokev

niallon

Apart from the previously mentioned mess that was War Of The Worlds and the horrifically misleading trailer that preceeded it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRw9vx3WZBE

Mars, cities all over the world, invaders from SPACE, basically everything a WOTW fan wanted and everything The Beard should have done (seriously, what's the last "great" film he made?!?!?!)

Reign Of Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg7bjwEXp7Y

Both the trailer and the poster gave the impression of all out war between dragons and man, including glorious aerial battles between helicopter and dragon. What we got instead was a little more than a pile of poo!

mikhail

niallon wrote: »

Mars, cities all over the world, invaders from SPACE, basically everything a WOTW fan wanted and everything The Beard should have done (seriously, what's the last "great" film he made?!?!?!)

That's probably a thread in its own right. I'm sure you'd get consensus on Schindler's List, but lots of suggestions of later films from Amistad to Munich.

Handsome Bob

I didn't think T4 was a bad film, but yes the trailer is quite misleading. After seeing the trailer I began to hope (but not expect) that McG might produce something on a level with T1 and T2. I was disappointed, no doubt about that.

Having said all that I kind of got a sinking feeling about the film when I heard Bale's rant with McG in the background, being meek as **** afraid to haul in his star man.

Qwert1

Sweeney Todd and the producers spring to mind. studios don't want people to know when a movie is a musical, probably becauce they suck.

gandalf

Qwert1 wrote: »

Sweeney Todd and the producers spring to mind. studios don't want people to know when a movie is a musical, probably becauce they suck.

Err The Producers was not cack, not as good as the 1968 original. It was also fairly obvious that it was a version of the musical which was successful in Broadway and the West End for several years before its release in 2005.

As for Sweeney Todd I wouldn't say it sucked rather that it was an interesting concept. One thing it did prove if I remember correctly is that Helena Bonham Carter can't sing.

Qwert1

gandalf wrote: »

Err The Producers was not cack, not as good as the 1968 original. It was also fairly obvious that it was a version of the musical which was successful in Broadway and the West End for several years before its release in 2005.

As for Sweeney Todd I wouldn't say it sucked rather that it was an interesting concept. One thing it did prove if I remember correctly is that Helena Bonham Carter can't sing.

From the point of view of someone who doesn't like musicals those movies are always going to be bad so i think they would appreciate knowing before they see them. And for people who genuinely don't like musicals i doubt they would be keeping up with what ones are playing on broadway and the west end, no matter how successful they are.

Outkast_IRE

Qwert1 wrote: »

From the point of view of someone who doesn't like musicals those movies are always going to be bad so i think they would appreciate knowing before they see them. And for people who genuinely don't like musicals i doubt they would be keeping up with what ones are playing on broadway and the west end, no matter how successful they are.

I thought sweeny todd was ok it had its moments , i think they deserve kudos alone for going through with the film and producing somethin different for the mainstream .

Qwert1

^ ^Yeah i definately agree. I'm not saying its a particularly terrible movie, I just think that it being a musical is one of its defining features, so a trailer that entirely neglects to reveal this is slightly misleading.