What's the big deal with trailers?
 

I notice a lot of people get upset when a film's trailer(s) don't show up on the disc. I just can't comprehend why this is such a great feature to have. I thought teasers/trailers were supposed to get you interested in the movie? But if you've already bought or rented the movie, why not just watch the movie? I don't think I've watched the trailers for more than a handful of dvds, unless it was a trailer for another film, and wanted to check that out.

So, if someone could enlighten me as to why trailers are needed so greatly as a special feature, I'd appreciate it.

It's simply to each their own.

Sometimes a trailer will show stuff that didn't end up in the film. Sometimes a trailer will evoke a fond memory of seeing it in the theater. These are reasons I like trailers even though their absense is not a deal-breaker for me.

Put that way what's the big deal about the cover? Why not sell them in plain black snapcases with a sticker telling what the movie is. The movie will still play the same.
I'd like to know why people collect stamps. What can you do with it except put it in a book or whatever it is they do with them.
I like to have the trailer to go with the movie. I'll double dip to get the trailer. Could care less about commentaries. Have never listened to one.
Just different strokes for different folks.

What's the big deal with inserts, features, 5.1 sound, 16x9 enhancement, slipcovers.....you can do this with just about anything. Trailers are just....cool.

I've never been a stickler over coverart either, and while I may not like "big head" covers or other studio choices, it won't become a deal-breaker to me. The only time I've ever went to another region for a different cover was when the price was essentially the same, and that one was more aesthetically pleasing to me.

I guess I can maybe understand the nostalgic value of trailers in bringing up some memory of seeing it in the theatre, but I hardly ever go to the theatre, and hardly watch any TV at all. So, I'd say a good 75-80% of my purchases are blind buys. I'll usually go out of my way *not* to watch a trailer so that the movie will be a totally new experience for me.

Well in my case, I have two dvd players in my theater so I can show a trailer for the same or a different movie prior to watching a feature

I never watch movies in the theater and since I tivo everything, I rarely see commercials. Most of the time when I go to watch a DVD, it's the first I've seen anything of the movie (aside from reviews on sites like this, word of mouth and still photos in magazines and such).

So for me it helps to set up the movie. It also helps to set the mood for the movie.

It's like the appetizer before the main course.

Trailers provide a record of how the movie was marketed, and are just as valuable as poster galleries, production notes, or behind-the-scenes footage.

I think it's often quite fascinating to see how movies can be mis-marketed by misleading trailers that make serious movies look like comedies or talky dramas look like slam-bang action movies.

My wife and I watch movies together...I like to use the trailer to give her an idea of what she's about to see since she's not a huge movie nut like I am.

Trailers are about the only extras I actually want. Nostalgic purposes for me.

Ditto.

It seems we're all addicted to collecting DVDs for various reasons. Everyone's going to have a different reason/justification for spending a good portion of their income on a plastic disc with a snazzy case -- and that justification just might be the trailers for some.

I personally like watching the trailers. Especially for older films b/c it's funny how cheesy looking the trailers are from the 80s/early 90s.

I don't like to view theatrical trailers because they have a tendency to show practically every scene in the movie, and reveal too much of the story, before the audience even get to see the movie in it's entirely after it's released. After viewing a full length theatrical trailer, it's like you already seen the movie.

Guilty as charged.

Look at Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius or Twister, there's scenes in the trailers that's not in the movie or deleted scenes.

I love trailers. Always have. I like to see how the movie was marketed at the time of release. What pisses me off the most is the fact that now everybody is putting trailers on discs...just not the trailer for the movie you purchased!

Yeah- I'll go with the nostalgia argument also. It's a kick to revisit what got you excited about seeing the film in the first place.

Hart's War and it's trailer are good examples of this. Although the film was excellent, there were no actual all-out action sequences, yet the trailer cut it all in such a way that it looked like a balls-to-the-wall action film.

The lack of trailers rarely bothers me. I only watch them occasionally anyway.

The Braveheart dvd has two different trailers. One cut to look like an action movie for showing before action movies, and a second that makes it out as a love story for showing before chick flicks.

Trailers are a must. There's a reason I can spend two hours in front of Apple.com looking at trailers. They're also a great way to inform someone of what the movie is about.

I love watching trailers but dont care if they are on the dvd or not (thats what apple.com is for :) )

I like the trailers because it's fun to see if and how the movie was mismarketed.

A great example would be the teaser trailer for Burton's Batman (that's not in the new dvd release!). They rushed out a teaser the Christmas before that showed an assortment of action scenes but had no dialogue or music, only the sound effects. For me, that was a huge omission from a nearly great dvd release.