Hey folks,

Okay, there’s this dope-sounding movie coming out shortly. It’s called Joshua. It one of those ‘creepy evil child’ kind of movies that I’ve loved since Children of the Corn. The film screened at this year’s Sundance Film Fest, was nominated for the grand jury prize (and won the cinematography award, for those of you who look past the director and stars…), and just happens to spotlight one Sam Rockwell, who in my estimation is one of the greatest actors working today. Vera Farmiga, fresh off The Departed, also appears, cementing her place as one of the brightest up-and-comers in the business. And so, with all this, as well as a slew of glowing reviews (with comparisons to Hitchcock…not too shabby in the suspense world), why do I need to see a preview that gives away the entire movie in a minute and a half?!

I have a love-hate relationship with movie previews, that is now bubbling over into serious emotional strife. It used to be that a good film’s preview would tease and titilate, would give the viewers just a little taste…and then leave ‘em hanging. There’s nothing I liked better than to tell a friend about the incredible movie coming out in a month, but have absolutely no ability to describe the plot. I mean, that’s why you pay the admission price, right? To move from not knowing to knowing. Now the studios seem to feel that in order to get the average movie-goer to plunk down ten bucks in the theater, they have to convince him that the movie is worth seeing ABSOLUTELY AND WITH NO DOUBT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING ‘TIL THE FREAKIN’ MPAA CREDIT ROLLS! Literally, after watching this preview, the only thing I don’t know is who says the last line. (Check it out HERE to judge for yourself, but don’t yell at me if it ruins it, I warned you!)

I guess they figure that the modern film audience is jaded, and with the prevalence of high-end home theaters, and emerging new media delivering such varied and speedy access to content, we don’t want to wait to see the movie. That we have no patience for surprise or free thought. The pity is that previews no longer get me interested in seeing a film, but actually, the complete opposite.

No Country For Old Men, the newest Coen Brothers’ film (based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, my new fave after his phenomenal book The Road had me in tears) comes out soon. In the past I’ve been all over any new information I could gather about their releases, waiting with bated breath for the smallest glimpse. Now? You couldn’t pay me to watch a preview. Until I see a teaser that taps me into what I love about movies, without spoon-feeding me every twist and turn before I get the chance to chomp down on a single twizzler, count me out. I’ll just walk into the multiplex blindfolded, pick my movies russian roullette style. What’s the worst that could happen?

…oh yeah…Brett Ratner’s Rush Hour 3 is on the way…damn…well, you have to roll the dice. That’s the fun of it, right? After all, if you never saw a bad movie, how would you know a good one?

-Jason