Red Spread

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"Just a few years ago, the coming attractions were a safe haven for cinematic prudes. But this year, R-rated trailers -- known as 'red bands' on account of the red, "Restricted Audiences Only" warning that precedes them -- have become omnipresent. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, nearly 30 restricted-audience trailers have been approved so far in 2008, already matching the number accepted between 2000 and 2006.

"In surveying the recent crop of restricted trailers, it's apparent that the studios are still adjusting to the red-band universe: The aesthetics of the R-rated trailer remain up for debate. Which naughty bits should be thrown on the screen as an enticement, and which should be held in reserve for paying customers?" -- from Josh Levin 9.17 Slate piece called "In A World Where YOu Can Smoke Weed in a Movie Trailer."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 17, 2008 at 2:27 PM

comment #1

The Hoyk says ...

Well, before we start engaging in celebratory red-band behavior, I'm not seeing these trailers in theatres. They're all over the intarnets, sure, but ya know - I don't like watching trailers on the internet. At least not new ones. I want to sit in a theatre seat, with an audience, and be wowed by big screen images. I do not want my first exposure to an exciting new film to be a stuttering, buffering little window at my desk. And let us not forget that a substantial amount of the country is not on the internet, or does not have a strong enough connection to view these spots. Put these darned things in the theatres, where the laughs and the aahs actually mean something to potential ticket buyers. Otherwise, it's just a wank-off for nerds.

Posted by The Hoyk at September 17, 2008 4:40 PM

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

^ what he said. I don't see that many movies in theaters, maybe two a month, and they're almost always R. I've yet to see a single Red-band trailer. That said, I love watching trailers online, so whatev.

Posted by BurmaShave at September 17, 2008 5:53 PM

comment #3

LOTGA says ...

I've seen a few, the red band AVP2 trailer was the first. And the red band Pineapple Express trailer was all that was shown at the theatre I work at.

Posted by LOTGA at September 17, 2008 8:02 PM

comment #4

Bob Loblaw says ...

I've seen the Pineapple Express and Burn After Reading red-bands in theaters (before Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Hamlet 2, respectively.) That's it, though.

Posted by Bob Loblaw at September 17, 2008 8:26 PM

comment #5

Rothchild says ...

Only Regal cinemas shows redband trailers. I don't know why any of the chains don't. If it's in front of an R rated movie then who cares?

Posted by Rothchild at September 17, 2008 8:43 PM

comment #6

Aris P says ...

1000s of R rated films over the last 40 years... not one of them needed any kind of red-band "racy" bullshit trailer. For the most part people had attention spans and interest levels above a 4 year old's, so a trailer wasn't supposed to give that much away, and viewers didn't need to be fed an explicit scene or two in order to show up Friday night like the automatons they are today. Give me a break. Just another example of pathetic marketers grasping at straws.

Posted by Aris P at September 17, 2008 8:45 PM

comment #7

D.Z. says ...

They played the redband version of Tropic Thunder @ my theater.

Posted by D.Z. at September 17, 2008 8:58 PM

comment #8

Richardson says ...

Aris P - are you seriously making the claim that trailers today give away *more* of a movie's plot? have you seen trailers from 40 years ago?

I'm guessing that the teenage crowd that goes to most of these movies got fed up with movies like 'Girl Next Door', sex comedies with no nudity (or PG-13 ones, for that matter), so the redband trailer is (like the "unrated" cut) trying to win them back. But I do think it's a good thing; a lot of foul-mouthed comedies are difficult to sell if you literally can't show any of their funny lines. How many of those 1000s of R-rated films could've done better at the B.O.?

Posted by Richardson at September 18, 2008 10:23 AM

comment #9

Rich S. says ...

Red band trailers have been around for a long time, at least 20 years. I remember the theater where I worked receiving the red band for Chopping Mall and all the employees being desperate to get a look at it. But even back then, the theater owners were hesitant to use them, primarily because red bands tended to sneak their way onto non-R films.

I think trailers, past and present, certainly give too much away already. My favorite bit is when a movie has a false ending, like the bus crash in Speed, but the trailer has already shown you scenes from the real climax that haven't happened yet. You don't need the excuse of a red band trailer to show even more.

On the subject of over-the-top trailers, did anyone else notice that Beyond the Door came out on DVD this week?

Posted by Rich S. at September 18, 2008 10:40 AM

comment #10

richlb says ...

The explosion in red band trailers is directly related to the internet. It's a way to bypass the rules of movie theaters and deliver the most true depiction of a film directly to the audience. I started to notice the recent trend this year with the red band trailer for the latest Rambo film. That trailer made the film more appealing than any regular trailer could.

Posted by richlb at September 18, 2008 3:54 PM

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