Movie trailers have one purpose--to convince audiences to cough up their money to see the film being advertised. A trailer is nothing more than a sales pitch with the distinct difference of being less intimate. Studios conjure up a marketing budget to release as many trailers, promos, TV spots, featurettes, and posters to cater to as wide a demographic as they see fit. However, in a technologically advancing era, a pop-culture expanding community, and a powerful industry desperate to throw tens of millions of dollars on advertising, it seems as if the spoiler-free movie-going experience is under more scrutiny than ever.
This isn't anything new as the filmmaking industry has always been financially driven--I'd argue Hollywood was actually much more cynical and demanding in their work during the Old Hollywood era than now--but it is a fact that the general movie-going public is being exposed to marketing now more than ever. To counter this, I I stopped watching trailers and intentionally avoid as much marketing as I can. Why? I don't like being fed spoilers.
Before I began avoiding trailers, my theater-going philosophy was "if you miss the trailers, you're late for the movie." Trailers served as an important part of the movie watching experience as they provided a sneak peak into what's coming in the world of film. Even on a basic level enjoyment of trailers, they work as entertaining examples of what's possible with editing. A few of my favorite songs I've collected over the years have come from trailers and I've always enjoyed watching the breakneck pacing of a story being pitched to me in under three minutes. In the early days of cinema, audiences *had* to attend the theater early enough to see the trailers to give them an idea of what they think looked enjoyable enough to see.
Fast forward to today where dozens of YouTube channels are dedicated solely to analyzing every single frame of a trailer to see what hidden surprises are in store. We now even have teaser trailers for trailers. Audiences of olden days had to appreciate trailers as they might never seen them again. Audiences of today analyze trailers out of luxury. None of this is sinful, of course, it just runs the risk of ruining some amazing moments that might have been better seen in the actual film rather than out of context in a trailer.
Remember when Spider-Man appeared for two seconds at the very end of the "Captain America: Civil War" trailer? What a great surprise completely ruined in the trailer. Sure, sometimes a bit of marketing and trailers can help sell you on seeing the film, but there is a major difference between selling the movie and telling the story.
Maybe little things don't bother you. Maybe Spider-Man showing up at the end of the "Captain America: Civil War" wasn't all that surprising. How about when the trailer teases the mysteries that lie in the film? How about when the trailer literally shows how the film ends? How about when the trailer flat out reveals a major plot twist that happens half-way through?
The following trailers all have major spoilers hiding in them. Watch at your own risk to see what I'm trying to communicate to you.
What is the point of watching any of these films if you know going into them what is coming? You should watch them anyway as they all are truly amazing--"The World's End" being one of my all time favorites--but what an obnoxious disservice these trailers do to the films they advertise. I find it insulting to my patience and intelligence that studios think I cannot sit in the theater and wait for a film to reveal its secrets to me. That I have to have a trailer spoil certain aspects so I can rest easy.
But even if these trailers didn't feature massive spoilers, the imagery and sounds of a chopped up scene out of context is enough to ruin the experience. Why would I want to watch the plane crash in the "Cast Away" trailer when I can experience the terror in its entirety during the film? Why would I want to hear a neutered version of the funniest joke in the "Pineapple Express" trailer when I can hear the actual joke in the film? Why would I want to be exposed to anything about a movie before watching it? What would be the point?
I present to you a challenge, dear reader, avoid marketing for a bit. The next time a movie you're really excited about releases a new trailer, avoid watching it. It can be hard sometimes but the satisfaction of being swept up in a film's surprise far outweighs the weird looks theater audiences give you when you put in earplugs during trailers. The trailer will still be there for you to watch after you've seen the film. Come back to see how much of the film the trailer ruined for you and be grateful you saw it knowing nothing. It will completely change your movie watching experience and that's a promise no trailer can keep.
