Most of the time I very much enjoy watching the previews when I go to the movies. Hell, sometimes I even enjoy the commercials that show up before the previews (assuming I’m not at a Carmike and having to suffer through that ridiculous Three Doors Down National Guard music video).
If we get a good selection of trailers, I’ll sometimes even momentarily forget what movie I came to see because I get caught up in the excitement about what is to come.
Things didn’t work out quite so well for me when I saw Rambo this afternoon, however. The pre-previews commercials weren’t too painful, consisting of an old paper bag handpuppet Fandago spot and some weird Lord of the Rings-esque Coke thing.
The ubiquitious trailer for Jumper was next. While admittedly cool-looking, this trailer gives away the entire film, and I’d rather just watch, you know, the entire film.
Now is about when things started getting silly. The next trailer was that of the next Chronicles of Narnia film. I came for Rambo and got a Narnia trailer. I’m not really sure what to think about that.
While I sat there confused, I was blindsided by the trailer for Witless Protection. That one kinda sucked.
Midnight Meat Train tried to salvage the situation while wrapping things up, but the damage was done.
This experience is the perfect example of why the beginning of the year sucks for moviegoers. It isn’t just that the film selection sucks, because there are still going to be a few things worth watching. It’s because we get swamped with ads for every random, shitty comedy and romantic comedy, be it in the theater when we think we’re avoiding the lame shit or in our homes when we think we’re avoiding the lame shit.