With the boom of DVD and the Internet over the last five years, movie trailers are more popular than ever. A two-minute advertisement that usually sums up a film’s plot and cast, the trailer attempts to seduce the audience and often barely relates to the actual quality of the film production. In fact, the best trailers could be considered exemplars of an art form in their own right. Hollywood has even gotten in on the act with an awards show called "The Golden Trailer," dedicated to recognizing the work of advertising firms that create the previews. While the original trailers of classic Hollywood films often show up as extras on a DVD, forgotten gems such as the trailer for Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid or the pre-recall Governor Arnold in Conan the Barbarian are often overlooked. "Trailers, Trailers, Trailers" is an A to Z sample of the more than 1,500 trailers held by the Harvard Film Archive and an attempt to bring back to life forgotten trailers of the past.
With the boom of DVD and the Internet over the last five years, movie trailers are more popular than ever. A two-minute advertisement that usually sums up a film’s plot and cast, the trailer attempts to seduce the audience and often barely relates to the actual quality of the film production. In fact, the best trailers could be considered exemplars of an art form in their own right. Hollywood has even gotten in on the act with an awards show called "The Golden Trailer," dedicated to recognizing the work of advertising firms that create the previews. While the original trailers of classic Hollywood films often show up as extras on a DVD, forgotten gems such as the trailer for Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid or the pre-recall Governor Arnold in Conan the Barbarian are often overlooked. "Trailers, Trailers, Trailers" is an A to Z sample of the more than 1,500 trailers held by the Harvard Film Archive and an attempt to bring back to life forgotten trailers of the past.