4. C Me Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n-7TM3Udip4 Like in any film, tone is important when constructing a trailer; you need to sell the movie along the same lines as the trajectory of the film's tone, so that if it's a dark comedy, don't start out all cutesy-funny and then veer off-road half-way through with some dark jokes. It has to be a smooth ride for the viewer, otherwise we'll find it jarring and assume that the film is similarly incongruous. In that case, the guys who made the trailer for C Me Dance clearly have no idea of the notion of tone, and are apparently so keen to blindside the viewer with a gargantuan plot twist that they really don't give a damn about how the rest of the trailer looks. C Me Dance is sold to us as a film about a ballet dancer who is stricken with cancer; seems normal enough so far, even if it's ineptly acted and we can't handle much more of the cringe-inducing piano music. However, everything shifts with one line of dialogue - "It's like God has chosen you, and if that's the truth, man, this is going to tick off the devil". The classy white text changes red, a sinister score fades in, and yes, the Devil shows up, before cars explode, a poorly placed heavy metal soundtrack blasts in, and it seems like people start to die. It's absolutely baffling as it doesn't really sell the film to any particular audience - are horror buffs or drama fans going to get more out of this film?
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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