An international (French) trailer for Inglourious Basterds has arrived, and I’ve actually debated whether I should say anything about it. For one thing, this trailer is more effective than the other ones, and I know that I’ve liked them all, but this is different. Let me try to explain…
This film’s domestic trailers largely appeal to an already predisposed audience, that is, the fanboys (and fangirls) who already have the release date of Inglourious Basterds imprinted within their overactive psyches. These folks are probably huge fans of either Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt, or Eli Roth, so, for these viewers, the domestic trailers essentially function as some teasingly appealing eye candy for an already anticipated movie. However, these domestic trailers don’t do much to sell the film to a prospective audience, so to speak, or as Tarantino stated in his Sleep With Me monologue, those that are “right on the fucking line.” Now, this international trailer is an entirely different creature, which has been intricately infused with much more than an iota of intrigue. Dare I say that it makes Inglourious Basterds seem like an almost entirely different film?
So, that’s my dilemma here. The international poster and this international trailer both carry a lot more impact than their domestic counterparts. While different trailers and posters are not unexpected when it comes to different markets, it really feels like the Weinstein Company isn’t really doing much about the domestic hard-sell audience. And, unless you don’t pay attention to the trade news, you are well aware that the Weinsteins really need to pimp this baby hard.
Then again, I’m not a fucking director or producer, so what the fuck do I know? Basically, I’m merely a faux-hipster critic, who writes for a pretentious publication that prides itself on not taking studio handouts in exchange for, well, anything at all. No bending over and taking it up the ass for freebies and whatnot. That also gives me the freedom to say whatever the fuck I want to say, which is that I’d love to watch many future films from Quentin fucking Tarantino. And if this film isn’t marketed correctly, that ain’t gonna fucking happen.
UPDATE: This comment thread reinforces my point quite nicely.
4 comments
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All that “not taking it up the ass freedom” and this is what you write? You’re worried that the movie wont be sold properly to the US audience and you think the result will be a poor box office showing which will lead to no more QT movies?
Seems like the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. The movie will be awesome and at the very least they will sell a ton of DVDs. The whole thing with proven, brilliant directors is that they can always get funding for movies. It’s like saying U2′s latest album sucked so I’m worried there wont be any more u2 concerts or new album releases.
Obviously, you haven’t yet had your optimism crushed by the idiocy of the theater-going masses. Since you’ve decided that this is “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” I won’t waste my time rehashing previous related discussions.
Someone hasn’t been to the movies lately, or been trolling IMDB or Fandango. The domestic trailer is just a whole bunch of blood and bullets, with nary a nod to the actual plot. This international trailer actually makes me want to see it now that I know what it’s about. Most Tarantino films are like a porn flick: All action and little or no plot. This one seems to be different. It’s more “Die Walkure”/”Valkryie” and less “Girls Gone Wild”.
This is Tarantino’s first try at the War Movie genre, so we’ll see if he has a grasp of the fundamentals.