# What trailers have spoiled a movie for you? (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450 "2009-11-13T16:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BigFatTabbyDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@BigFatTabbyDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigFatTabbyDave)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/21 "2009-11-15T05:30:10Z")
I know there used to be a lot of low-budget straight to video trailers that spoon fed you the entire plot, but the most memorable I can think of was for some piece of trash called [In Gold We Trust](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102107/). Never had any interest in seeing the movie, but the interminable video trailer that spelt out every little detail of the plot (including a voiceover to describe the ending) made me feel like I already had. YouTube only has [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr9NLDGH0s0) - not the same trailer I saw, but at least you can see how bad the movie looks 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/22 "2009-11-15T05:47:57Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > I can’t really think of any trailers that have actively spoiled a movie for me, but it does bother me when some of the footage I see in the trailers aren’t actually in the movie. The most recent example of this was _District 9_, where they show one of the aliens being interviewed. That footage was not in the final cut in the film. It also happened to be one of the scenes I most wanted to see. :mad: Same here. It made me sad that the scene was cut. The quick shot of the alien saying “We just want to go home.” turned me on to the movie. It showed the movie wasn’t going to be another “Aliens visit Earth and we go to war.” movie that’s been done a million times. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/23 "2009-11-16T17:16:37Z")
The trailer ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUw2zNR5Dzc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUw2zNR5Dzc)) AND the regularly played commercial for fantastic horror movie from last year, **Quarantine** , featured the last climactic moments of the movie. Admittedly the journey to that moment was a good one, but knowing how it ends from seeing it advertised was a huge turnoff. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/24 "2009-11-16T18:28:57Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > I was thinking about this the other day when I was watching “Castaway.” That’s probably the one the stands out for me. > I really wanted to see the movie when it first came out and remember being super-pissed when the trailer revealed that he made it off the island. > I went in still hoping that maybe what they showed in the trailer was some sort of dream sequence, but that turned out, of course, not to be case. > So what trailers have spoiled the movie for you? Given that it was based on a true story and the guy who was stranded was all over the place promoting it, I figured he survivied. The question was whether his wife/girlfriedn waited for him. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/25 "2009-11-16T18:35:03Z")
The winner in this category is _ **Regarding Henry** _, the 1991 movie starring Harrison Ford. The trailer is, literally, a condensed summary of the entire plot. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/26 "2009-11-16T18:38:11Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > Given that it was based on a true story and the guy who was stranded was all over the place promoting it, I figured he survivied. The question was whether his wife/girlfriedn waited for him. Say wha?? Are you talking about _Cast Away_ starring Tom Hanks? There’s no true story that was based on that I’ve heard of. Or are you whooshing us? ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/27 "2009-11-16T22:28:35Z")
The [Grosse Point Blank](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRrZ7CRpcw4) trailer basically sums up the entire movie, and gives away the big twist of who his last target is. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/28 "2009-11-16T22:49:27Z")
Actually, with _Cast Away_, the title alone gives away the whole plot. The point of the movie is that he was ‘cast away’ by his friends and family back home who had written him off as dead and moved on. That is why the title is two words instead of the commpound word “castaway”. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/29 "2009-11-16T22:54:56Z")
Most of the trailers ruin the movie as they always show the best scenes at the best part. No surprises in that movie now. only the mundane parts are left unseen. This goes for the stuff they show before the movie plays on DVDs too. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/30 "2009-11-16T23:00:25Z")
I watched the trailer for The Princess Bride on the DVD and seriously, the guy who cut the trailer needs to be flogged. It gives away so much for no reason. And it’s terrible. Arrgh! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBO9FRkGsY) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/31 "2009-11-17T00:48:29Z")
> [@whole\_bean](#): > > Given that it was based on a true story and the guy who was stranded was all over the place promoting it, I figured he survivied. The question was whether his wife/girlfriedn waited for him. 😕 No it wasn’t. What are you talking about? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/32 "2009-11-17T01:51:26Z")
The long trailer for “Avatar” I just saw on television pretty much tells the whole story. The only thing missing is, who wins the climatic battle? The evil soldiers or the kindly blue people? Being a mass-marketed American movie, my money’s on the kindly blue people. ---
**Author:** ![alfonzos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alfonzos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alfonzos)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/33 "2009-11-17T03:57:12Z")
“There’s Something About Mary” gave away every joke in the trailer. I was not happy. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/34 "2009-11-17T14:50:15Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > The long trailer for “Avatar” I just saw on television pretty much tells the whole story. The only thing missing is, who wins the climatic battle? The evil soldiers or the kindly blue people? Being a mass-marketed American movie, my money’s on the kindly blue people. Yep, I forgot about this one. I really hope there’s more to the plot than evil humans want to exploit found planet for it’s resources, having problems because indigenous peeps are resisting, evil humans turn one of their own into one of the peeps to infiltrate, plan backfires as “the avatar” sides with the indigenous peeps and even falls in love with one of them, final battle ensues. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/35 "2009-11-17T15:13:13Z")
> [@](#): > > The winner in this category is Regarding Henry, the 1991 movie starring Harrison Ford. The trailer is, literally, a condensed summary of the entire plot. > Reply With Quote Sorry, as I said above, **Cops and Robbers** did the same thing, and much earlier. It’s the clear winner. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/36 "2009-11-17T17:13:44Z")
There must be some market research somewhere that supports the idea that people are more likely to go see a movie if they think they already know the whole story. Look at trailers for old movies. They weren’t mini-versions of the film, start to finish, like we often see today. I’m surprised the “Avatar” trailer doesn’t start with the, “In a world…” voiceover. I guess maybe they’ve retired that since the guy who always read it died. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/37 "2009-11-17T17:30:50Z")
Yeah, this isn’t a modern phenomenom. AMC shows old movie trailers and I saw the one for “Escape from the Planet of the Apes”… it basically said “And then this happens… and then this happens… and then finally… this happens.” ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/38 "2009-11-17T17:37:07Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Yeah, this isn’t a modern phenomenom. AMC shows old movie trailers and I saw the one for “Escape from the Planet of the Apes”… it basically said “And then this happens… and then this happens… and then finally.. this happens.” I’m old, so when I say “old movies” I mean pre-60’s. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/39 "2009-11-17T20:05:25Z")
The trailer for _Titanic_ included a shot of Jack slipping beneath the waves. I was extremely annoyed to find it wasn’t a “phony” spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450/40 "2009-11-17T20:21:35Z")
Also, not a trailer, but I’ll vent about this here: When the remade Planet of the Apes movie came out, someone re-released the DVD of the original film with a _picture of the ruined Statue of Liberty_ on the box! I mean, I know its an old movie and most people know the ending, but still. Mind as well put the Skywalker family tree on the cover of Empire Strikes Back. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-trailers-have-spoiled-a-movie-for-you-open-spoilers/517450.md?page=3)