Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Chris Prynoski
Written By: Andrew Kevin Walker
Starring: Hannibal Burress, Mike Judge, Riki Lindhome
- Preamble -
I apologize for the infrequency of this column's release. In all honesty, it is in part due to a busy schedule (last week was Easter and I was out of town). However, it's also because there isn't much great new content demanding my attention in the trailers department. In fact, it sometimes feels like I have to resort to doing sequel trailers to stuff that I have already covered. I feel that the best columns of this come when I have an open mind about the films and don't bring in criticism from previous entries. While I do maintain that I can criticize previous work by people involve, I don't know that it's fair to do sequel trailers to films I dislike solely because I am sure that I wouldn't see them anyways.
With that said, I came across Nerdland and felt that it was not quite at the bottom of the barrel. I don't mean that as an insult, but it's tough to say that I am excited for whatever this movie is. I am however excited to see the cast list and ponder at what might come from a mixture of alternative comics and a new animation company called Titmouse (which honestly has a name so novelty that I doubt it will last). Still, I believe that if you take enough of the funniest minds in modern comedy, you're bound to get something interesting from the bunch.
I don't know a whole lot about this film other than that it is animated. Otherwise, I hope that it's good. It has to be when comparing to the other R Rated adult animation comedy Sausage Party - which was highly atrocious in every department. At least the artwork for this film looks to have some merit that is above Sausage Party, and that alone gives me some more anticipation. Even then, the idea of a film called Nerdland doesn't exactly win me over. I guess that is where the trailer will come in handy. I hope that it will sell me, even in the slightest.
- Dissection -
For starters, the animation is not a particular turn off. While the aesthetic is definitely different from what is common, I definitely think that there's value in being different. After all, Laika looks very different from most other animated films. In fact, I think that this is one of the Nerdland trailer's bigger successes. It looks edgy and different in ways that will garner attention, even though I'm sure that the market is pretty niche for one looking for Patton Oswalt with a purple face. Even then, it highlights the oddness of its characters and will hopefully make for a particularly exciting vision of the world.
I am even fine with the general plot, as familiar as it is. Two screenwriters are trying to make it in a competitive market. Considering that Oswalt has made plenty of jokes about the studio system, I am sure that he will bring some insight into the jokes. I do think that maybe the trailer leaves something to be desired, but I give it points for not just going into the predictable premise of revealing too much about the movie. That is, unless this is all that there is. Maybe the film is just a meandering journey of two characters. It could still work, as I trust that Oswalt and Paul Rudd can have great chemistry. It's just that I hope it warrants the existence of an animation studio with a very juvenile name.
The one thing that I am not wild about, and it may just be the emphasis of the trailer, is that it plays into nerd stereotypes. I get that it is necessary for Nerdland to have some nerdiness about it. I get that Oswalt is king of the nerds (which partially makes casting seem a little on the nose). However, there are occasional dives into very basis tropes that face nerds in almost every movie. They're insecure about hiding their arousal around women. They feel maligned by everyone, often being called frail. I don't know if this is just condensed in the trailer, but it definitely keeps this from seeming more appealing, especially in a 2016 market. I'm sure that this is something that Kevin Smith would've done better in the late 90's.
Though I am willing to believe that maybe there is a better trailer to sell this film. After all, I think that aesthetically and from a story perspective, there could be more here. Maybe there's the Judd Apatow heart that is hidden underneath crass jokes. Maybe there's rich commentary that isn't present. Just because there's a certain cheapness to the entire thing doesn't mean that there might not be something more going on. It doesn't win me over, but I would probably check it out if the reviews were positive enough, or a better trailer made me believe that there was something more going on.
I am even fine with the general plot, as familiar as it is. Two screenwriters are trying to make it in a competitive market. Considering that Oswalt has made plenty of jokes about the studio system, I am sure that he will bring some insight into the jokes. I do think that maybe the trailer leaves something to be desired, but I give it points for not just going into the predictable premise of revealing too much about the movie. That is, unless this is all that there is. Maybe the film is just a meandering journey of two characters. It could still work, as I trust that Oswalt and Paul Rudd can have great chemistry. It's just that I hope it warrants the existence of an animation studio with a very juvenile name.
The one thing that I am not wild about, and it may just be the emphasis of the trailer, is that it plays into nerd stereotypes. I get that it is necessary for Nerdland to have some nerdiness about it. I get that Oswalt is king of the nerds (which partially makes casting seem a little on the nose). However, there are occasional dives into very basis tropes that face nerds in almost every movie. They're insecure about hiding their arousal around women. They feel maligned by everyone, often being called frail. I don't know if this is just condensed in the trailer, but it definitely keeps this from seeming more appealing, especially in a 2016 market. I'm sure that this is something that Kevin Smith would've done better in the late 90's.
Though I am willing to believe that maybe there is a better trailer to sell this film. After all, I think that aesthetically and from a story perspective, there could be more here. Maybe there's the Judd Apatow heart that is hidden underneath crass jokes. Maybe there's rich commentary that isn't present. Just because there's a certain cheapness to the entire thing doesn't mean that there might not be something more going on. It doesn't win me over, but I would probably check it out if the reviews were positive enough, or a better trailer made me believe that there was something more going on.
- One Sentence Sell -
Patton Oswalt stars in a film about nerd culture that is chock full of weird animation and familiar nerd character tropes.
- Trove or Trash -
TRASH
I know that the barometer for this part is whether or not it makes me want to see the movie. In a sense, it does. However, it also plays into a familiar enough territory that it almost makes me feel like I have already seen the movie. It's an iffy Trash, which makes it one of the higher rated Trash recipients of this column.
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