2008 Woodie Awards
More Than One Thing Hits Without Warning
Fatoumata Soumaré
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: Opinions
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What is it that makes a movie fun or a drag to watch? Our answers to this question may vary but in my opinion, a moviegoer's reaction and enjoyment of a movie is dependent on both the quality of the film they pay to see and the previews that are shown before it. Yes, I said previews. As redundant as some of us might think they are, previews are extremely powerful because, like television commercials, they are selling us products -- that being the movies -- while at the same time provoking certain kinds of emotional responses. I'm sure we've all seen the herpes commercial where a man or woman is portrayed as having a healthy lifestyle and a love life despite the fact that they are living with a sexually transmitted disease, thus promoting a pill that allows individuals to live "outbreak free." Or what about that McDonald's commercial where a happy, skinny girl/guy goes to McDonald's to buy a quarter pound burger and some fries, which makes us stop by the McDonald's drive-through window the next time we see one. Getting herpes isn't fun, and gaining 30 pounds from fast food isn't either. Sometimes commercials like these can go so far as to be offensive, but what about a preview? Can a preview be offensive?
Last Wednesday to procrastinate a bit, a few of my friends and I went to see a comedy movie. Being the preview lovers we are, we made sure we were fifteen minutes to see all the previews. As expected, most of them were funny and a bit silly, but to our amazement an unexpected preview was shown that night. The preview in question started at an airport -- my initial reaction being another war movie -- with passengers boarding a plane. The movie in question is "Flight 93" and was directed by Paul Greengrass, who has also directed films such as "Bloody Sunday" and the "Bourne Supremacy." "Flight 93" will be shown at this year's Tribeca Film Festival with the purpose of honoring both the heroes and victims who died on this flight on September 11, 2001.
The trailer begins as any other: with calm, leaving the audience in suspense, waiting to see what the movie will be about. Then suddenly, people are boarding a plane and the plane takes off. Then out of nowhere, actual news footage of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center is shown. The plane hits, the screen goes dark and a big "boom" sound follows, indicating that the towers have been hit. As images begin to show again, we see people in panic, more news footages of the World Trade Center and a man of possible Arab descent walking up the aisles of Flight 93 with what appear to be bombs around his waist. As if the shock wasn't enough, a few passengers on the plane gather and one says, "A plane hit the World Trade Center so no one is gonna help us. We have to do something right now." Seconds later, the screen goes dark and the trailer ends with a young woman on the phone, telling her mother that she loves her.
Last Wednesday to procrastinate a bit, a few of my friends and I went to see a comedy movie. Being the preview lovers we are, we made sure we were fifteen minutes to see all the previews. As expected, most of them were funny and a bit silly, but to our amazement an unexpected preview was shown that night. The preview in question started at an airport -- my initial reaction being another war movie -- with passengers boarding a plane. The movie in question is "Flight 93" and was directed by Paul Greengrass, who has also directed films such as "Bloody Sunday" and the "Bourne Supremacy." "Flight 93" will be shown at this year's Tribeca Film Festival with the purpose of honoring both the heroes and victims who died on this flight on September 11, 2001.
The trailer begins as any other: with calm, leaving the audience in suspense, waiting to see what the movie will be about. Then suddenly, people are boarding a plane and the plane takes off. Then out of nowhere, actual news footage of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center is shown. The plane hits, the screen goes dark and a big "boom" sound follows, indicating that the towers have been hit. As images begin to show again, we see people in panic, more news footages of the World Trade Center and a man of possible Arab descent walking up the aisles of Flight 93 with what appear to be bombs around his waist. As if the shock wasn't enough, a few passengers on the plane gather and one says, "A plane hit the World Trade Center so no one is gonna help us. We have to do something right now." Seconds later, the screen goes dark and the trailer ends with a young woman on the phone, telling her mother that she loves her.