'The Stand' Trailer Reaction

 It's been a while since we've done a trailer reaction.  It's content that runs hot and cold.  For a while, it seemed like I was doing a bunch and then it just stopped.  But, with CBS releasing an adaptation of "The Stand" on All Access, I have an opportunity to dive back into the well and analyze the teaser we were given.

Not too shabby all things considered. It's got a pretty strong cast.  Gary Sinise as Stu Redman is a high bar to jump, but James Marsden isn't a bad pick.  Alexander Skarsgard looks pretty solid as Flagg.  Having Matthew McConaughey play the role would've been an interesting way to go, but he looks like he's capturing the character's essence quite well.  

The song choice worked well for the first part and brought the right atmosphere in terms of the aftermath of the Captain Trips outbreak, but as the trailer went on, it didn't seem like it really fit with what was being presented.  It seemed like the trailer was trying to drop it, but felt the need to keep bringing it back, maybe for the sake of cohesiveness? I don't know.

Speaking of, the virus itself isn't really brought up.  We see abandoned roads and headlines, but aside from a shot of Stu escaping the facility, there's no mention.  It's odd, as you'd think that they would, if for no other reason than to use current circumstances to augment the tension in the story.  

According to the comments in the video, this is partly due to the fact that the series is going to pick up in the free zone and then flash back to the virus outbreak.  I'm hoping this isn't the case.  I know some shows have done it ("Lost" and "Arrow" being the two most notable ones) but it can prove to be frustrating and in both circumstances, the format wore out its welcome after a while.  

Given how the virus only really plays a role in the first act, it could only be a temporary thing; but at the same time, if that's the case, why not just tell the story in chronological order?  

I'm not sure how many episodes they plan on running this, but I think that it will be a better fit as far as adaptation formats go.  The original mini-series did what its could, but this would give the plot and characters time to grow and progress.  

Some expressed concern about this, specifically citing the "Under the Dome" fiasco, but where that took too many liberties, this looks more like a straight adaptation.  That could change, things may be changed for the element of surprise or to draw things out so that the series can keep going, but as of now, it seems like a different circumstance.

I'm probably going to have to wait until this hits DVD to check it out, but based on what I've seen here, I'd be interested to see how well it pans out.

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'Doctor Sleep' Trailer Reaction

There have been quite a few Stephen King adaptations in the pipeline as of late.  One was for one of his recent novels, "Doctor Sleep", which is a sequel to his classic, "The Shining".  A trailer for the film adaptation just landed yesterday, as such, let's have a look and see what we're in for.







This is an interesting contrast to the recent, "It: Chapter Two" trailer. I think that this creates a stronger atmosphere and definitely comes off feeling creepier as a result. 

Like the aforementioned trailer, the second half includes a musical score that seems a little odd.  I think "It" did the better job on that front.  Granted, that one was out of place, but it still made an impact. This tune just left me feeling "eh".  Closing out with that creepy opening theme from the Kubrick film did work wonders though, brilliant touch there.

Speaking of, it seems like this is acting as a sort of loose follow up to said film.  It makes sense. You couldn't really say that it was a film sequel to the book, as that would turn potential viewers away.  I guess you could've used that TV mini-series that wasn't very well received.  Really, using the Kubrick take is the best way to go, given that it is a well regarded classic that a vast majority of people have seen.  The trailer itself strikes the right balance, acknowledging what came before and paying homage, but also showing that this story is going to go in its own direction.

Overall, this one looks solid.  Ewan McGregor looks like he's going to be a good fit for the older Danny.  I think it's going to be a good watch.  We'll find out if that turns out to be the case in November.















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'IT: Chapter Two' Trailer Reaction

It seems like it's been a good while since we've done a trailer reaction post.  With a trailer for the upcoming 'IT: Chapter Two' (you can read my thoughts on the first film here) having just hit the internet yesterday, it seems like as good a time as any to do one.  Before we can react to it, though, here's the video itself.







That...wasn't what one might expect from a horror movie trailer.

The "slow burn" approach works somewhat well with the first half, though it comes off less creepy and more generally awkward.  I do wonder if the woman is supposed to be one of IT's offspring.  It could just be Pennywise screwing with her, but having IT's children play a role would be an interesting way to change things up a bit.  IT being "pregnant" was a fairly prominent plot point in the book, so it wouldn't come completely out of left field and this could be a way to expand on that, though I might just be reading too much into it.

Also, sorry, but that "charge" scene came off more ridiculous than anything else.

The music choice for the second half was interesting.  It was more on the bombastic side, the sort of thing you'd expect to play in a superhero movie.  It's out of place (the Loser's Club isn't the Avengers, guys), but I kind of dug it? It definitely makes it feel more epic, which could be a hint towards the more cosmic elements that are supposed to come into play. Adding that chuckle was also pretty effective and gave the trailer it's own flavor.

Having Pennywise only pop out of the dark at the end to say hello was also a strong way to end it.

When I first saw this, I was a bit on the underwhelmed side.  The fact that it goes against what you expect is, in some ways, a good thing, but I do also feel like it was a detriment.  Looking back, there were a lot of elements that worked well.  I think the trailer benefits from second and third viewings.  I was likely going to go see this anyway, but this does offer some degree of intrigue to the proceedings.














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'Children of the Corn: Runaway' Trailer Reaction

They went ahead and made another "Children of the Corn" movie.  I guess people were clamoring for another, so Hollywood delivered.  While it's going to be direct to video, we did get a trailer that dropped about a day or so ago.  As such, I figured we should take a glance at it and see what we're in for.









Well, that sure was a thing.

I'm sorry, this did nothing for me.  It is desperately trying to create a spooky atmosphere, but it all just fell flat.

The dialogue is...stilted, to say the least.  I know it's a weird thing to harp on in a trailer, but it really stands out in how utterly banal it all sounds. 

Judging by what we see, it looks like the cast is doing a decent job of it.  They're at least making an effort.  The kids didn't really blow me away, but their scenes might be creepier in context.  As it is, we just see kids doing what creepy kids normally do.  It's probably one of the reasons that this trailer felt so ho-hum to me. 

We'll see how the final product fares when it hits DVD in March.  I'd like it to be good, but so far, I'm not feeling too optimistic.  I'm open to being surprised, however.









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'Mr. Mercedes' TV Series Trailer Reaction

The latest trailer trilogy wraps up with the first promotion for the upcoming television adaptation of "Mr. Mercedes".  I knew it was coming, but I wasn't aware that it was premiering on August 9th.  That's actually quite close. Sadly, I don't have the network on which it airs.  If it's streaming somewhere, I'll be sure to tune in.  If not, I'll have to wait for it to hit DVD or Netflix.

That's neither here nor there, though.   Today, we're just looking at what the trailer gives us.  In that vein, the trailer does what it needs to do, as it gives you the general plot hook as well as an introduction to the cast of characters.

Brendan Gleeson looks like he's going to be a solid Hodges.  He has that grizzled look down pretty well.  From what we saw, he leaves more of a lasting impression than Brady.  You could chalk part of that up to the fact that Hodges gets more screen time; then again, I found Brady underwhelming in the first book, so that limitation might also be a factor.

The one thing that stood out to me about Brady was the fact that he's not really hiding the fact that he's crazy very well.  When your manager tells you that he thinks you're weird, going into Kubrick stare probably isn't the best response.

If there is a weak aspect to the trailer, I'd have to say the dialogue itself.  A lot of the lines are things you've likely heard hundreds of times before in books and movies.  Then again, the plot is pretty familiar, so I suppose that's no surprise.

Still, should be an interesting adaptation.  I hope I'll be able to watch it in a fairly timely manner, but we'll see how things play out on that end.

















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'IT' (2017 Movie) Third Trailer Reaction

A new trailer for the upcoming "IT" movie hit the internet a couple of days ago.  Between the labeling of it as the first official trailer and some of the opening bits, I thought this might just be one of the ones I've already talked about.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case as the trailer does establish its own identity as it progresses forward.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I sat down and watched the previous trailers, but it seemed like this one did the best job of establishing the creepy atmosphere that you look for.  Even the repetition of "you'll float too" was much better executed here than it was in the earlier trailer.

We actually do hear some lines from Pennywise this time.  I think it helps, though I still don't think we've seen enough to really judge how good he's going to be.  I want to be blown away, but so far it hasn't really left much of an impression.  I know Tim Curry's performance is a high bar to jump, but I'd like to think that he'll pull it off.  We do get a few creepy shots of him here and there, so that instills some hope....which is pretty ironic if you think about it.

I'm glad the trailer doesn't just walk you through the plot.  Still, it alludes to quite a few plot points.  That's not an easy balance to pull off, so well done on that front.

This comes out September 8th.  That's coming up quick.  Here's hoping it works out.



You can read my first trailer reaction here.

You can read my second trailer reaction here.























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'The Defenders' TV Series Second Trailer Reaction

It's been a while since we've done a trailer reaction.  It's especially surprising as quite a few trailers have hit.  "The Defenders" got a second trailer, "It" got another trailer, and I believe even the upcoming "Mr. Mercedes" TV series got one.  I'm hoping to get caught up over the next couple of days so we can get back up to speed.

Today, we start with the second trailer for Netflix's upcoming "Defenders" series.  Just the music alone paints a grimmer and more intense picture than what we saw before.  You really get the sense that, even as a team, this group is going to be pushed to their limit.

We see that the Hand pose a physical threat, but they also seem to be bringing the conflict to the emotional battlefield, targeting those close to the heroes.  It shows the stakes but also allows us to get a glimpse of the various supporting characters from across the preceding shows.  It'll be interesting to see if and how those characters play off each other.

Speaking of playing off each other, the dynamic between the four heroes continues to be a highlight.  Superhero team ups are always fun, but the contrast between them makes for some great banter.  While the trailer is generally played serious, this does allow for moments of levity to pop in here and there to show you that, yes, you're going to have fun with this show.  On a random note, I was surprised that Jessica didn't belch after chugging that drink.  Really, I don't think it would have been that out of place or character for her to do that.

Sigourney Weaver looks like she's going to make for a good villain.  From what we see she has the presence and gravitas.  I could have done without the "we're not so different" part of her opening speech.  That line has been used by villains so many times.  Heck, it even gets parodied or lampshaded now, so I was surprised to see them play that straight.

I am glad to see Gao is going to play a role.  While this is likely where she'll finally be bested, I'm going to be sad to see her go, she was such a great villain in her own right.

The action looks like it's going to be great.  We saw the hallway fight again, but a lot of new combat clips as well.  Seeing Matt back in the suit was awesome.  I still have a feeling that him getting back into that frame of mind is going to constitute his arc, but it just adds to the team's presence when he's in it compared to wearing Jessica's scarf.

I'm still really looking forward to this series.  We only have a couple of weeks left, but with stuff like this, the final days are always the longest.  I fully expect to start talking about this on the day of release, so that'll be fun.

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'The Dark Tower' Movie Triple Trailer Reaction

*I'm not sure why the screen capture keeps showing up for "Earth". The embed code should work, but if for some reason, it plays the first video again you can follow the link and watch the "Knight" video here

In addition to a new trailer for 'The Mist', we were treated to not one, not two, but three new trailers for the 'Dark Tower' movie.

Now, it should be noted that these are not full trailers.  "Teaser" is the more accurate term.   Still, dropping three in one go is still a pretty big deal.  Each one only lasts about 30 seconds, so it amounts to a full trailer, sort of.

Sadly, there's not a whole lot of new material here.  In fact, some of the teasers use the same sequences as the others.  This wouldn't be a problem if the teasers were spread out over several weeks, but having them all come out on the same day makes it more noticeable.

I'm still digging McConaughey's take on Flagg/Walter/The Man in Black.  He should make for a great villain.

Similarly, Idris Elba's voice over for the other two trailers is definitely an asset.  It's put to better use in the first teaser, in my opinion, but hearing him recite the gunslinger oath is certainly a treat.

The first trailer is also probably the strongest in terms of laying out what the general plot hook is.  If you're unfamiliar with the series or didn't catch the original trailer, this lays out what the deal is in pretty succinct fashion.

I do kind of wish that we had just gotten one entire trailer.  I can see what they were trying to do, but it didn't work as well.  It is a bit strange to say that these 30 second tidbits didn't bring a whole lot when that's the average length for a commercial.  I guess when it comes to movie ads, we've been spoiled by two minute teasers.  The fact that it redoes what the first trailer did also works against it.

On the plus side, I don't think there's anything here that will push potential viewers away.  On the flip side, I don't know if this really did anything to up the hype.




























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'The Mist' TV Series Third Trailer Reaction

Yesterday, a new trailer for Spike's upcoming TV adaptation of 'The Mist' hit.  It makes sense, as the release date draws ever closer to give us some new material to entice viewers.

Of the three, I think that this is the most well put together trailer.  It does a better job of establishing what the viewers are in for without walking them through the plot point by point.  While it does show various locales, it doesn't just jump around randomly.  It allows us to become more engaged and it also makes certain scenes more tense.

This trailer also does the best job of establishing characters.  Even though only a handful are named, we can see how they relate to and interact with one another.  It's a big step up on that front.

Considering the fact that one of the biggest criticisms of the other trailers was the lack of monsters, I was hoping to see more on that front.  There is talk of things in the mist, and we get a couple of shots that could suggest such creatures.  A lot of time is dedicated to showing people wanting to arm themselves in order to prepare for what's coming, so it does seem like the producers were listening to some extent.

However, they still seem to put more emphasis on the idea that the mist is just driving people crazy.  The trailer does make a point to say that this is a "re-imagining" so, really, it is looking like that's how they're going to play it.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.  Viewers can still get hallucination "monsters" while providing a more grounded context for what's happening.  Whether that ends up being more or less frightening depends on individual viewer sensibilities as well as how the show ends up executing the concept.

At face value, it seems like a step backward, but the original story does also put emphasis on the whole "humans are the real monsters" trope, so it could choose to put its weight behind that.

Where the first trailer suggested that "Arrowhead" was going to play a larger role in the narrative, this suggests more of a "Gaia's revenge" style plot, where nature turns against us.  You could see it as a nod to "Pet Sematary" but with what we see here, it's too vague to determine whether that was intentional or pure coincidence.

It's quite possible that, much like the source material, the cause is left vague and this is merely another means of explaining what's happening.  Really, we'll have to watch to see how it unfolds.

Of the three, I think this does the best job of piquing interest.  It does try to address the criticisms of the other trailers as best as it can and feels the most connected to the source material.  There's still room for the show to fall flat, but it is good to see the promos are getting stronger with each release.  I remain cautiously optimistic about this.







Read my reaction to the first trailer here.


Read my reaction to the second trailer here.

















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'The Mist' TV Series Second Trailer Reaction

And the trailers just keep coming.  Not to be outdone by the second trailer for 'IT', Spike released another teaser for its upcoming television adaptation of 'The Mist'.  Should I expect new trailers for 'The Defenders' and 'The Dark Tower' as well?  At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised.

As to this trailer in particular, it's a mixed bag.  It falls into the "jumpy" trap, but I think it does a better job of building up tension than when the first trailer or the second 'IT' trailer used a similar tactic in their respective latter halves.  At the same time, it would be nice if the trailer would stay focused on one thing for more than three seconds.

The thing that stands out the most here is the gore.  There is quite a bit of it on display. The original short story and the film weren't exactly lighthearted romps, but it does seem like they're trying a bit too hard.  The effects do look decent, so there is that, at least.

Still no monsters.  We do see some weird stuff, but there's no hint of otherworldly creatures.  Again, it seems like the mist is going to be driving people crazy.  I mean, I guess that's a way to go, but it seems like a completely independent story in its own right, as opposed to an adaptation of an already existing story.

Where the second 'IT' trailer shined by showing the characters, this one does very little of that.  There are some scenes that mirror the film, so you can kind of get a better idea of who's who.  Still, there's not a whole lot on that front that is particularly impressive, outside of the actress playing who I assume is Mrs. Carmody.  

Alas, this trailer doesn't give us a whole lot to work with in any capacity.  Its structure doesn't allow for us to get an idea of how the show will fare, either good or bad.  All we really got from this was violence and a continued lack of monsters.





You can see my reaction to the first trailer here.
















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'IT' (2017 Movie) Second Trailer Reaction

There are a lot of trailers coming out this month.  As the various release dates get closer, it makes sense, but still.  Not too long after the initial trailer for the upcoming "IT" adaptation, we get a second one that, I believe, first aired during the MTV movie awards.

It's a solid trailer.  This one puts more emphasis on the Loser's Club itself and the bond between them.  Considering how integral that is to the story, it's good to see that it is getting the right amount of focus.  This trailer also gives us a better display of their personalities.  Even though names aren't used, people who have read the book will be able to tell who's who just by the way they carry themselves.  I think that's a good sign about how well this cast captures the characters of this particular tome.

Because of that, the tunnel scene really is the crown jewel of the trailer.  The opening montage is OK and I'll get into the later stuff...later, but seeing the kids bickering was where the trailer really showed what this film adaptation was going to bring to the table.

Pennywise himself takes a back seat for a majority of the trailer, but the human monsters that populate Derry are given more focus in his stead.

Much like the trailer for the upcoming "Mist" TV series, I think that the first half of the trailer is stronger than the second.  Everything past the balloon bursting kinda fell flat for me.  It falls into the same trap of just randomly cutting to things thinking that it will create a sense of tension.  The musical accompaniment isn't as strong as the atmospheric piece that played in the trailer's opening moments and that final shot of Pennywise looks more doofy than scary.

There's quite a lot to like here, so I encourage cautious optimism on this one.  At the very least, you can tell that the people behind it care and put a lot of effort into bringing this one to life.  I'm looking forward to finally checking it out when it hits theaters later this year.



You can read my reaction to the first trailer here.




















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'The Defenders' TV Series Trailer Reaction

So, not only did the trailer for the Dark Tower movie drop, but we also got an official trailer for the upcoming "Defenders" series over on Netflix.  While I don't plan to discuss every trailer that comes out, I've been talking about the MCU Netflix shows long enough that I think doing this falls under the previously established content umbrella.  Is it weird to do two trailer reactions in one day? A little, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Where the Dark Tower wavered between "OK" and "Good", this one was flat out fantastic.  Now, you could try to chalk this response up to the fact that I've been excited for this series for some time.  Thus, the hype and propensity for excitement is greater.  Maybe, but were the other trailer mind-blowing, I'm pretty sure I would have stated it to be such.

As it is, it's funny that the Dark Tower trailer tried to use the tagline "In a world of superheroes, there is only one gunslinger" considering that the superhero trailer ended up being the stronger of the two.

Having "Come As You Are" playing over the whole thing was a nice touch.  It helped tie back to the original teaser and actually worked as a solid accompaniment to what we saw.

It was great to see all of these characters finally start bumping into each other.  Having Matt as Jessica's attorney makes sense, though I thought he would end up representing Luke.  He still might, but that might be pushing it.  

The Luke/Danny dynamic also looks interesting.  I know a lot of people are tired of the "hero vs hero" thing, but given the circumstances we see presented, the two coming to blows is understandable.  Plus, it gives both heroes a crowning moment as Luke decks Danny before Danny responds by channeling his chi and showing how the power of the Iron Fist fares against a...man of power?  Because he's called Power Man on occasion....Anyway, while I don't read the comics, I do know that those two are close friends so it will be interesting to see that develop on screen.

At the very least, Luke's response to Danny's "introduction" is priceless.

Really, the banter all around is pretty strong.  Considering that these shows are meant to be darker, some might find it out of place, but a little levity always helps.  Heck, even the other shows weren't completely devoid of humor, so it might not be as jarring as you would originally think.

There is a lot of "so what do you do?" and "what's the deal with that power?"  From an in-universe in-character perspective, I get it, though I do hope the show doesn't get too bogged down in recapping all of that.

I'm also a little disappointed we don't see Matt don the red armor.  We do see him look at it at least.  I'm guessing his getting back into the vigilante game will be his arc, culminating with him once again becoming the devil of Hell's Kitchen, but it would have been nice to see, regardless.

Some might also roll their eyes at the fact that Stick goes through a very trailer friendly rundown of the team members.  It makes sense in context, and I can understand the logic, but considering both "The Avengers" and "Legends of Tomorrow" used a similar mechanic, it might not be as effective as it was in the past.

Going back to the positives, the action sequences were very impressive.  You'd think that being five shows in, that fight sequences would start to lose their luster.  This was one of the criticisms for "Iron Fist", but this show is really stepping up the game.

We already knew that Stick was going to play a part, what with him delivering the "You think the four of you can save New York?" line, but he gets some good lines in here too.  It'll be interesting to see how he interacts with Danny, given that the two have had a common enemy.

As said before, this was a very enjoyable taste of what's to come.  I'm really looking forward to seeing this series hit Netflix.

















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'The Dark Tower' movie trailer reaction

After being teased yesterday, the first official trailer for "The Dark Tower" hit the internet.  I think a lot of people were curious just how this series was supposed to be adapted.  Even if you were to go with the "movie for each book" approach, that's still a lot of content to cover.  There were also certain plot points that wouldn't translate well to screen.

From the look of the trailer, this is going to be streamlined, which is probably for the best.  I'm not sure how many movies are being planned.  There was talk of doing a TV series to go alongside the movies, but I don't think anything really came of that, at least not yet.

It looks like this movie is going to draw from the first two books.  Considering "Drawing of the Three" is a much stronger entry, that does make sense, as it will hook the viewers right off the bat.  There's no mention of Eddie or Susannah, but again, this is just the first movie.  

As to faithfulness to the source material (which admittedly isn't as relevant as usual considering the approach they took with this movie,) I think the biggest change is the fact that Jake is not only aware of the tower and the multiverse, but seems to take an active role in seeking Roland out.  I suppose it saves the exposition dumps, though at the same time, it did seem like some of the conversations fell into that trap.

It also seems like there are only going to be two worlds, as opposed to an infinite multiverse.  It fits in with the streamlining goal, though I think at this point, people wouldn't have that hard a time grasping the concept.  Even taking that into account, Jake's line about billions of people being killed seems like a gross underestimation of casualties.  Then again, there could only be a handful of inhabited planets (like in Dragon Ball Super) so maybe he's not that far off the mark?

Elba looks like he's going to be a solid Roland.  That's not really a surprise, though.  It was nice to see him rapidly load his gun.  That was a trick that I wasn't sure would translate well to screen, but they did about as good a job with that as you could ask.

On the other side, McConaughey looks like he's having a lot of fun playing the villain.  Some people were skeptical of this casting choice, but I was always on board with it.  That's going to be really entertaining to watch.

It is a bit strange that the trailer is structured in such a way that it looks like this is Jake's story.  I can understand the logic of him being the audience identifier, but it might still raise some eyebrows.

All in all, I thought the trailer was solid.  I wasn't blown away, but it offered a pretty good glimpse into what we'll see without walking us through the entire plot.  It looks like we'll get some impressive confrontations between the two leads and the scope is well established.

We've even got a release date, August 4.  It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

















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