# Stuff you see in a trailer that makes you know the movie will suck **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984 "2009-03-10T18:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/81 "2009-03-11T15:55:14Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > This is wildly different from my experience. Were you watching _Rashomon_? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/82 "2009-03-11T16:22:39Z")
A man in a fat suit. A man dressed as a woman A man dressed as a fat woman Or hell, any Tyler Perry or Wayon’s brother movie. I’m surprised the Wayon’s brothers haven’t gone under cover dressed as dogs or some nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/83 "2009-03-11T16:26:55Z")
It is _Charl_ey\*'s Aunt\*. A classic farce in the style of _The Importance of Being Earnest_. The musical version, _Where’s Charley_, starred Ray Bolger on Broadway and revived his career with the song “Once in Love with Amy.” ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/84 "2009-03-11T16:31:46Z")
Whenever a movie trailer doesn’t really give you any idea what the movie’s about, who’s in it, or who directed… but the trailer includes nothing but a bunch of smashing reviews voiced-over the actual trailer scenes… the movie will suck. “Roger Ebert gave this fine film 17 thumbs up!” “Rotten Tomatoes says this flick don’t stink!” “NYT says this will be the movie of the decade” When you hear that, don’t even bother. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/85 "2009-03-11T16:33:29Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > It is _Charl_ey\*'s Aunt\*. Just think what you could make by swapping first letters and then putting a space before _harley’s_ and capitalizing it. A weird looking motorcycle, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/86 "2009-03-11T16:36:43Z")
> [@Tijuana\_Golds](#): > > Some chick with two swords or Milla Jovovich. Both are indicators that it will be a crappy storyless action flick. I can get behind this. **The Fifth Element** is the exception that proves the Milla Jovovich rule. > [@Equipoise](#): > > Wha…? I don’t know what you saw, but **Duplicity** is absolutely NOT a “chick flick.” It was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who wrote and directed **Michael Clayton**. **Duplicity** is about industrial espionage, and just because there’s some sexual tension between the lead characters does not, in this or any other universe, make it a chick flick. Someone tell that to whoever cut the trailers I’ve been watching. It’s pretty much “two super-spies get up to sexy, double-crossing sexy fun. Sex. Did we mention they’re going to have sex?” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/87 "2009-03-11T16:37:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Tootsie, La Cage au Folles, Victor/Victoria, Monty Python and the Holy Grail**. Hell, even **Charlie’s Aunt**. Most of these were just about doing drag for laughs, not about the audience being seriously expected to believe that a man could pass as a woman (and I don’t think it was believable in _Tootsie_). I think there are times it has worked when the premise was taken seriously enough to really put some effort into realism (_Boys Don’t Cry_, _The Crying Game_), but I think as a comedic premise (I don’t mean Monty Python farce, but as a _Mrs. Doubtfire_ kind of premise), it almost always fails. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/88 "2009-03-11T16:45:01Z")
I had published some Rules of Thumb for this: When the film is advertised as a “Laff Riot” or “Zany”. When the “stars” are second rate American stars, but the names of everyone else ends in a vowel. If it has pictures of all the stars in a border around the edge of the poster. If it has a simian as a co-star. And for me- if it has a lot of smoking. Or if it has a well-known Sceintologist or two as the star. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/89 "2009-03-11T16:53:58Z")
I have to agree about the _Duplicity_ trailer. Whatever the movie may be, the trailer makes it look like a stupid romantic comedy, and the “sexual tension” in the trailer looks hackneyed and contrived and lets me know immediately it’s not a movie I want to see. The espionage story might actually interest me if it wasn’t for that lame romantic angle. Also, Julia Roberts is a kill switch all by herself. I don’t think she’s ever been good in anything. ---
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/90 "2009-03-11T17:08:14Z")
Yeah, put Julia Roberts in a trailer and I know the movie will suck. Same for Jessica Alba, minus Sin City, and I still thought that sort of sucked as well. Anything with Nic Cage finding out the greatest secret known to man or whatever. How is that new one not National Treasure 3?? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/91 "2009-03-11T17:11:23Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > Whenever a movie trailer doesn’t really give you any idea what the movie’s about, who’s in it, or who directed… but the trailer includes nothing but a bunch of smashing reviews voiced-over the actual trailer scenes… the movie will suck. > > “Roger Ebert gave this fine film 17 thumbs up!” > “Rotten Tomatoes says this flick don’t stink!” > “NYT says this will be the movie of the decade” > > When you hear that, don’t even bother. More like, when you see spectacularly good reviews, but the attribution is in such small letters that you can’t see who wrote them without a microscope, so it looks like THE FUNNIEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR! Weezer Trowley, Dairy Producers Bulletin A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING The Tricounty Red Hat Ladies’ Gabber YOU’LL NEVER FORGET IT United Steelworkers Local No. 532 Employees blog ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/92 "2009-03-11T17:22:35Z")
Will Smith saying, “Aw, hell, no!” (or however you would write that) Also, must agree with the OP about motown songs, especially if it’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/93 "2009-03-12T09:03:19Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I can’t _wait_ for **Crank II**! How can one person have so much bad luck? _laugh_ _Bad luck?_ Isn’t he supposed to be dead already, due to terminal concrete poisoning? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/94 "2009-03-12T09:38:29Z")
Anything featuring Hip, Urban Teens/Twentysomethings. Anything even _hinting_ at (a) hot lesbian scene(s), as a general rule. (Because, invariably, the scene in the trailer is all you get and/or it’s taken completely out of context.) Swords & Sorcery. Vampires. Actually, I could go on for ages about this… ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/95 "2009-03-12T09:57:07Z")
Anything with male black comic lead(s) pretending to be women and/or babies. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/96 "2009-03-12T14:30:32Z")
dorky white high school boys want to score with hot chick before graduation. \<\\> ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/97 "2009-03-12T15:39:15Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I have to agree about the _Duplicity_ trailer. Whatever the movie may be, the trailer makes it look like a stupid romantic comedy, and the “sexual tension” in the trailer looks hackneyed and contrived and lets me know immediately it’s not a movie I want to see. The espionage story might actually interest me if it wasn’t for that lame romantic angle. > > Also, Julia Roberts is a kill switch all by herself. I don’t think she’s ever been good in anything. I will predict- _they don’t get away with the money._ ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/98 "2009-03-12T22:01:20Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > More like, when you see spectacularly good reviews, but the attribution is in such small letters that you can’t see who wrote them without a microscope, so it looks like > THE FUNNIEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR! Weezer Trowley, Dairy Producers Bulletin > A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING The Tricounty Red Hat Ladies’ Gabber > YOU’LL NEVER FORGET IT United Steelworkers Local No. 532 Employees blog Or a variation of that, when the quote is something purely descriptive, and barely, if at all, complimentary… Like **“…ACTION PACKED…”**. For an action movie. Well, I guess that’s a good START… ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/99 "2009-03-12T23:18:07Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Anything with male black comic lead(s) pretending to be women and/or babies. and/or white women. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984/100 "2009-03-13T00:18:10Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > and/or white women. And/or babies too! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-see-in-a-trailer-that-makes-you-know-the-movie-will-suck/488984.md?page=6)