Class Trailer Review 1

Name of Film: The Toxic Avenger
Year Released: 1986
Genre of Trailer: Comedy Horror
My Mark after Viewing: 6/10

What Happened in the trailer? 
The trailer begins with a montage of shots following the character Melvin as he’s taunted by his peers; in addition to this, a voice over is provided to tell the audience what is happening in the shots. As the teasing continues, the audience see Melvin running away from the people tormenting him, coincidentally  Melvin jumps out of a nearby window and ends up plummeting into a barrel of toxic waste. As a result, Melvin mutates into a beastly, deformed creature with super human size and strength thus allowing him to seek revenge on the bullies that were the source of his torment. With his new found ability, the audience witness Melvin battle with rapists and murderers giving him a new-found title of the local hero. The following montage of action moments and body horror reinforce the genre of the film and some additional themes such as love and social acceptance are portrayed to the audience.

Which positive, clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well?
From the beginning of the trailer the comedy element of the film is made obvious to the audience. Conveying the film’s genre is a really important aspect of the trailer which allows it to reach the target audience; therefore it is important to use this technique when creating our own trailer. In addition to this, there is a clear explanation of the narrative structure which gives the audience an insight into how the film will develop. For example, we see how the main character Melvin is introduced and how he is going to overcome the toxic waste ordeal in order to restore a new equilibrium. Similarly, our own trailer will need to convey a clear narrative structure to the audience in order to entice them into wanting to watch it. Due to the trailer’s ‘highlight’ nature, lots of exciting and interesting moments of the film are included to really draw the target audience in. In the Toxic Avenger trailer we see lots of body horror elements of the film; again, this reinforces the genre and sells the film to the audience. Therefore, it is important to include lots of attention-grabbing moments in our own highlight trailer.

Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful, and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing?
Although the trailer demonstrates the aspect of comedy really well, the use of voice over and the repetition of the film’s title makes the trailer appear more amateurish. This could be detrimental to the overall perception of the film and may lower the chances of the trailer’s ability to reach its target audience. Due to this, it is important to make our own trailer look professional and well produced in order to really capture the attention of our own target audience. Similarly, the trailer lacked any suspense and tension which resulted in the horror aspect of the film being less prominent. As a result, horror fans may be less inclined to watch the film. In addition to this, the audience begin to lose interest in the film as the trailer is far too long. Therefore it is important to only include the most crucial parts in our own trailer in order to keep the audience engaged and interested throughout.

What was the trailer’s average score in class? Why did it receive this mark?
The overall rating the trailer received in class was 6/10. As young adults and horror fans, the trailer seemed to lack any shocking or scary elements which meant the film appeared to seem more comedic and amateur. Similarly, the length of the trailer and constant voice over also added to the really amateur outlook of the film. This resulted in a loss of interest as the class seemed to perceive the film as a comedy rather than a horror.