So Many Trailers Ruin A Feature
It is now the norm in big New York movie theaters to play 20 minutes worth of trailers before the feature begins. (And that’s in addition to other advertising.) In Europe, there can be even more. Some exhibitors are calling for the studios to use shorter trailers. I doubt that will much matter. I agree with Jeffrey Wells when he writes: ‘Trailers are aimed at the lowest common denominator, which is why they’re generally artless, numbing and often depressing. (Intriguing trailers pop up but very infrequently.) Run-of-the-mill trailers mainly convince you not to see a film rather than vice versa. By the time you’ve sat through 20 minutes of trailer torture you’re much less open and receptive to whatever the feature may hold. And you’re paying for this. You’re paying $12 to $15 a head to be turned off and numbed out.’
