Recut Trailers: Buzz Lightyear In 'The Dark Knight,' And Other Joys

by Linda Holmes

Recut trailers like this one -- the audio is from the trailer for The Dark Knight -- are one of my favorite YouTube genres.

Stephen King, writer of family comedies, after the jump...

Here's one that changes the tone of The Shining...just a little bit -- it's the first one I remember seeing, and still probably my favorite. It's the moment when the Peter Gabriel tune kicks up that seals the deal:

This one is more thought-provoking, in that there's a good argument to be made that Mary Poppins really is kind of terrifying:

A good recut trailer not only amuses, but provides a helpful reminder that a trailer has exactly as much to do with the movie you're actually going to see as the maker of the trailer decides it should.

The Duchess is a good example of a current movie with a misleading trailer (this is a real one, not recut):

Watch this, and you'll think the movie is mostly about Keira Knightley's extramarital affair, but in truth, the focus is more on her complicated relationship with her friend, played by Hayley Atwell, who's barely seen in the trailers.

Specifically, the fiery speech in which Georgiana accuses her wicked husband of depriving her of her "only comfort" -- the "one thing of my own" -- refers not to her lover, as is clearly implied, but to her friend. It's a tougher story to explain, but it's the one you'll actually see in the theater.

It's not up there with implying that The Shining might as well be called Cheaper By The Dozen 3, but never assume that what you see is what you're going to get.

9:59 AM ET | 10- 7-2008 | permalink

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