Reasons to be Fearful 1.2.3

After all the hopes I had at the start of the year, 2010 ended up being a bit crap at the cinema, especially for comedies. Well, having looked at these next three trailers for upcoming releases, we may well look back on 2010 being a bit of a classic in comparison. Oh dear...

Hitting the webs this week with all the subtlety of a desperately ageing comedian in a fat suit, we have Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (aka Big Mommas House 3). Do you want to know what's funnier than one guy wearing a fat suit in drag? Well, the answer's sure not two. It's interesting that in the ten years since the first film, the make-up appears to have got worse (or maybe that's just cheaper, like the laughs), and I imagine Lawrence's paycheck has risen the more his dignity has fallen. It's a living I suppose.

Firstly, there's nothing more lazy than using Danny Elfman as a temp track in your trailer. Oooh, it's a mysterious wonderland where anything is possible! Again! Starring the corpulent (jolly and chubby) Kevin James, this looks like Paul Blart: Mall Cop but with more elephant shit-shovelling, complete with the monkey from Pirates of the Caribbean as a comedy sidekick. If this isn't just Night at the Museum...but in a zoo, I'll be shocked. At least it's not out for a while, appearing on our screens...

It's November mate.

I'll be honest that my feeling for this film have been damaged exponentially from the amount of times I've been forced to sit through that damned Jack Black Orange ad at the cinema (I'm up to 14 at last count); but still, it doesn't look great. Pissing all over a classic story, this film (the most of which I think is in the trailer) looks really bad, and even the appearance of Jason Segel and TJ Miller can't save it for me. As for what they're selling it on, the following claim inspires zero confidence.

Gulliver's Travels arrives in cinemas on December 26th, so if you're looking for a way to ruin Boxing day for all the family, you have your answer.


Not to sound too defeatist about next years crop of comedy releases, but 2011 may end up being the year the laughter died. Here's hoping it's a banner year for drama and horror. Please.

The Future's Black, The Future's Orange

If there's one film I'm really looking forward to getting released this year, it's Gulliver's Travels. Not that I want to watch it, lord no...but when it gets released I won't have to watch that stupid Orange ad anymore. If you've had a trip to the cinema recently you may have seen this little film before your main feature.

I've now seen this advert TEN times in cinemas, and I'm sure I'll have to sit through it many more times before Gulliver's Travels gets released at the end of the year. I understand that it's a clever little way to build awareness of an upcoming film, but how many times are we supposed to watch it before it becomes incredibly annoying?


Admittedly, I do visit the cinema more than your average filmgoer, but I've had to sit through it too many times, and never found it amusing. They must have a target viewing amount and I think I've hit mine now. This is Orange's second stab at this kind of ad, following the A-Team sting that was used a couple of months ago. I actually didn't mind that ad (although I lost count of how many times I had to watch it), because it was genuinely mildly amusing and helped to build the anticipation for the film.


Basically, I'm pleading with whoever is in charge to CHANGE IT NOW, or I think I'm going to boycott Gulliver's Travels when it comes out. Or I might start a rumour about Jack Black touching little people.

SLACKER trailer review

Trailers are an important tool in building buzz and anticipation for films. A good trailer can sell a bad movie, a bad trailer can kill a good movie. Here we try and tell the difference between the two and pick out the most anticipated new films.

More after the jump...