Trailer Park | Spring 2007

I wrote in an earlier post about the “evils” of movie trailers. Designed to pique the interest of moviegoers, the good one are designed to “shake” the $10 (or whatever the current price of a movie ticket) out of your pocket for a typical film experience while the bad ones give you far TOO MUCH information.

What I’ve discovered about current trailers is that they either a) extract the best from the film and dupe you because there’s nothing else there or b) tell you so much about the film that there’s no need to see it.

I’ve found several trailers of interest for upcoming spring releases that offer some glimpses of cinematic hope.

Pride – starring Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac and Kimberly Elise
Based on a true story about swim coach (Howard) who teaches a group of Philadelphia inner city kids to abandon basketball for the pool. It just goes to prove that there are TONS of fresh stories untold about the black experience. The trailer looks like this year’s Akeelah and the Bee . . . with swimming! (March 23)

http://www.pridefilm.com/index.php?q=trailer

Daddy’s Little Girl – starring Idris Elba and Gabrielle Union
Tyler Perry has many detractors and I count myself among them, but let me be the first to say that there aren’t many African-American stories being told and he consistently presents love in our community better than any other filmmaker. His latest centers on a blue-collar father (Elba) who lose custody of his three daughters and with the help of an attractive young lawyer (Union) regains his children and a new love. The trailer made my heart sing. (February 14)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/daddyslittlegirls/high.html

Are We Done Yet? – starring Ice Cube and Nia Long
Ice Cube is a genius! Comedian Mike Epps once said about Cube,
“he’s the only cat I know that can release an album with parental advisory and a PG-13 film in the same year.” He’s back with a sequel to one of my least films, Are We There Yet? The genius in Cube’s plan is that he now makes family friendly comedies while maintaining his iconic hip-hop status – and that he’s perfectly accepted doing both. That’s gangsta! (April 6)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/arewedoneyet/large.html

Wild Hogs – starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin H. Lawrence, William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei
Only in Hollywood could this Fantastic Four be assembled: Tim the Tool Man, Vinny Barberino, Marty Mar and The Cooler with that Oscar-chick from My Cousin Vinny through in. This eccentric quartet decides to spice up their hum-drum existence by taking a freewheeling motorcycle trip. I must admit it does look funny! (March 2)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/wildhogs/trailer1/

Smokin’ Aces – starring Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Common, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds
This movie is included because it features some of my favorite actors and musicians together in a rollicking Tarentino-esque tale about a crew of assorted hitman all gunning for a single prey. Plus, how can you not be excited about the acting debuts of Keys and Common, as well as one of the best young character actors in the business in Entourage’s Piven? (January 26)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/smokinaces/theatrical_large.html

Norbit – starring Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy and Thandie Newton
Eddie and his brother Charlie team up to create a humorous tale of a docile man (Murphy) who marries an overweight and overbearing abusive wife (Murphy) while he befriends another beautiful woman (Newton). Murphy’s track record with this type of humor is legendary (The Nutty Professor, Coming To America and Bowfinger) and I expect that this film will be HUGE (figuratively as well as literally) for Ed. (February 9)

http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/norbit/1_large.html