10 Awful Trailers For Surprisingly Good Horror Movies
They're not as bad as they look.
It's common knowledge that some horror films are tacky, cheesy, badly acted, poorly written, or flat-out awful. And yet, people are always keen to see the latest slashers, paranormal flicks, and sci-fi B-movies.
So, why is this? Well, when you watch a trailer filled with masked serial killers, terrifying monsters, and blood-and-guts galore, it's hard to get those images out of your head. The Happening, Old, and Halloween Kills may have been crap, but we flocked to the theatres to watch them, simply because their mesmerising trailers won us over.
Despite the fact it should be a cinch to promote horror, some studios don't know how, even if the movie they're marketing is really good. Crimson Peak, The Invisible Man, and Get Out were innovative, original, and unsettling, and yet, the marketing campaign didn't have a clue how to invoke those elements in the movies' promotions. As awesome as these movies were, these teasers made them look boring, derivative, or laughable.
But we all know you should never judge a book by its cover. Even though the studios fumbled these horror trailers, the movies themselves are definitely worth a watch.
10. The Stuff
Because The Stuff centres around killer ice cream, you'd assume it's a tongue-in-cheek horror comedy. And you would be 100% right.
Too bad the marketing team didn't know what they were working with, since the trailer advertises The Stuff as a serious horror flick.
As trailers for other horror comedies like Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead were deliberately light-hearted, we knew we weren't meant to take the films seriously. But because The Stuff's teaser acts like a murderous dessert could actually be scary, you'd swear this clip was from a SNL skit.
But if you're looking for an imaginative monster movie, The Stuff should hit the spot. The special effects for the alien goo are surprisingly creative, despite the minimal budget. It has a surprisingly good cast, including Daniel Aiello, Goodfellas' Paul Sorvino, and The Godfather's Abe Vigoda. Also, director Larry Cohen seems to really care about the story, since he incorporates a lot of clever themes about corporate greed and consumerism.
The Stuff is let down by some choppy scene transitions and crummy prosthetics, but there's definitely a lot here to love.