GoldenJCJ

I was just thinking to myself how much I used to love going to the theater as a kid and seeing trailers for movies that I had no idea were in production. I remember seeing trailers for movies like Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Die Hard With a Vengeance, etc. and being so excited because I had no clue they were even in production. For instsnce, how cool would it be to be watching coming attractions at the local theater and see a trailer for Ghostbusters 3 without even knowing they were considering making a new one?

Nowadays we know every little detail about movies thanks to websites and message boards like this that there's no surprise any more. I was reading through the T4 thread and my weak will drove me to read spoilers that I wish I hadn't just because I want to feel that sense of surprise when I see it in the theater.

Oh sure, it's possible to avoid information about movies but damn it if I'm just too weak. Don't get me wrong, I love discussing upcoming movies but there's just that sense of awe that we don't have anymore...and darn it, I miss it.

toddly6666

yes, yes, and yes....damn internet!!...but then again, since i'm a big foreign movie fan, without the internet, I wouldn't be aware of foreign films that would never come to the states...There's always Variety magazine though, but they just cover a small percentage as well, compared to the info about movies found on the net...

And yes, I miss the days when trailers were the news of an upcoming movie or a new sequel...It's funny you mentioned Ghostbusters, because I remember being excited for that Ghostbusters 1 & 2 trailers...James Bond trailers as well!

DthRdrX

Yea, I do miss seeing TV ads and trailers for ther first time.

Dr Mabuse

I still remember how wild and exciting seeing the trailer was for some new movie called 'Star Wars' on TV was. It had robot looking people in white suits, and a guy in a black suit, and lasers being fired, and a huge furry guy kind of growling. It seemed to have so much going on at such a fast pace. All the kids at my school were talking about it.

Those days were kind of cool.

LickTheABCs

I love porn. Therefore, I love the internet.

but I know what you mean.

Jason

Yeah, I remember back when people liked Star Wars too.

It can still be fun now. I remember how exciting it was when the first clips were released for LOTR.

wm lopez

On Saturdays during SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE they would show tons of trailers during the breaks.

Mondo Kane

I remember the FIRST time I ever saw a first-look of the '89 Batman film was (Of all places) "Nintendo Power" magazine.

Seeing the trailer for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was also really special because I had no idea that a 3rd film was coming...

Seantn

And what was also great was that when you would see those trailers for the first time, you couldn't watch it OVER and OVER again online. You saw it in the theater, and to see it again you'd have to go see the movie again. While that is annoying, it's also GREAT because then the anticipation builds in you as opposed to memorizing every line from the trailer so that you immediately can point out what they'll say in the movie once you finally see it.

islandclaws

I'll agree. Although I'm not quite old enough to have been going to theaters in the days LONG before the internet, I still miss that sense of awe I got in a theater. I was always the kind of kid who kept himself well-informed of upcoming productions (typically from the Fear Forecast section of Fangoria), but there were always occasional surprises that rocked. Nowadays there is nary a film released I don't already know everything about.

mndtrp

On the other hand, if I would have been paying more attention to upcoming movies on the internet, I would have made it to the first LOTR. At that time, I went to few movies, and didn't bother reading the threads about movies I might have been interested in. Therefore, I missed any and all previews for it, and didn't know anything about it until it was too late.

I can still get excited about online previews.

calhoun07

I just read magazines more back in the day for the information on new movies.

What was nice about those days is you could go and see a movie without anybody really trying to spoil anything for you, or really hearing too much bad buzz about it from fans. So you could just go to the movie and learn how to be disappointed all on your own!

Bandit03

I remember the first time I watched trailers online. The site kept referring to the footage as a "trailer" and I kept asking myself "WTF is a trailer?"

cactusoly

before the internet people generally formed there own opinion about movies before the whole groupthink mentality started.

Wolf359

Definitely miss the old days. It was cool getting magazines like Starlog and Cinefantastique reading about new movies and TV shows.

I love the internet but I will never understand people's fascination with knowing the complete story of a movie or a tv show before they see it.

Zen Peckinpah

Wow, really? During the 70's or 80's? I'd love to know.

I remember very long ago when I was 4 there was this catalog in my house that had a mysterious poster with black horns that said "Returns." I found out it was a new Batman movie and flipped. Unfortunately, my parents didn't let me see it in theaters (too scary? too violent?) but I saw it on video and loved it. I had no idea it was coming.

I also have fond memories of Entertainment Weekly's movie previews they'd have every season. I'm 21 so I was in my early childhood at the twilight of the pre-Internet days and then by '98 or '99 or so I knew about everything.

There's also the teasers (mainly) not on their respective DVD's (even if a trailer is included) like the one for Batman (1989) which was on YouTube in its early days, sourced from a VHS rip off Movie Time. Amazing, no music, just raw footage and a "Coming This Summer" bumper at the end. I could just see myself flipping out upon seeing this in a theater. I read they attached it to Tequila Sunrise and people actually just paid to see the trailer. Same with The Siege or Meet Joe Black, whichever one Episode I was attached to. I remember dying to see that trailer, only knowing about it through word of mouth, and finally saw it in front of Enemy of the State and was totally impressed. The movie, not so much.

I think one of my biggest blindsides in seeing something that I didn't know about was the Super Bowl commercial for The Matrix. My 11-year-old mind got electrocuted by that thing, the effects were just unreal. I saw the movie finally a few months later and was blown the hell away. The teaser for the sequels also was a big jolt for me when I saw it before Attack of the Clones.

I can also testify that certain movies, I'd cite the Kill Bill films, Sin City, Grindhouse, Superbad, The Dark Knight, and Watchmen among this group, I watched every trailer for these on almost permanent repeat. Sin City and the Scream Awards footage for Grindhouse were probably the worst offenders. I'll also never forget being at work and seeing the first full Dark Knight trailer come on HDNet and DVRing it, then watching it over and over again till the next customer came in. And the teaser for Superman Returns, I got chills the first time I saw it in theaters (before V for Vendetta).

stingermck

Ah the good ole days. I remember when I was younger, getting the TV guide in the Sunday paper. Then going through the movie listings and planning my week out.

Giles

^ I STILL do that. The TV guide comes out with the Saturday Washington Post.

cranberries fan

Yes and No cause there are thing on the Internet that cannot get anywere else!

tylergfoster

I try, sometimes, if I feel I'm already "sold" on a movie, to avoid the trailers and watch the movie blind. It rarely works -- either I break or I actually see the trailer in front of a movie. I wonder if I could go a whole year without reading the film websites I visit and ignoring the Movie Forum here.

The Antipodean

I'll write you a letter with my thoughts on the subject. You should get in 4-5 days.

tylergfoster

I only take telegrams. In Morse code.

Nick Martin

This poster was awesome, but it scared me. I was 11 years old in 1992 and it scared me. That's why I never bought it.

I was scared of the first film's poster too, which I did have and I made sure it was above my bed so I couldn't see it at night!

paradicelost

When I turned 11/12 in 87/88 years we got a channel that i think would become the E Channel and back then it was a really good channel. I remember them having a really cool special on Return of the living dead 2. So i don't have too many memories of not knowing about upcoming movies and I started reading Fango soon after that and that always helped with staying informed. With me the internet just added to tv and magazines for movie info.

FRwL

yeah, just stay true to your own tastes people.