Here the amazing and stupendous Trailer Man flies out of the night sky with yet another fantastic analysis of two highly anticipated first trailers. Darabont's THE GREEN MILE and Oliver Stone's ANY GIVEN SUNDAY... Both of which he says should be showing with Warner's release of THREE KINGS.. just one more reason to see an already very good movie next week. Meanwhile, I can't imagine keeping you from the trailer any longer whatsoever. So here is... T R A I L E R M A N !!!!!

THE GREEN MILE (Warner Brothers)

I cannot think of another film this year save for Mr. Lucas' prequel
this past May, that has as enormous, fervent and hopeful of fan base as
exists for THE GREEN MILE. One has only to look within the AICN
universe: the postings, articles, and most especially the enormous
volume of Tailback for at least a year, excited over the possibilities
to experience a film worthy of the source material by a beloved author,
Stephen King unquestionably at his very best. Excitement in the
knowledge that this revered work adapted and directed for the screen by
Frank Darabont, rested in his accomplished hands proved undeniably with
RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Finally, that MILE would come
to life by a dream cast of critically hailed and award winning actors
headed by Tom Hanks as senior prison guard Paul Edgecombe, James
Cromwell as the sympathetic prison warden with Patricia Clarkson as his
ill stricken wife, Michael Jeter, Harry Dean Stanton, Graham Greene just
a few of the inmates of Cold Mountain Penitentiary, and in an inspired
bit of physical casting, Michael Clarke Duncan (the SUB-ZERO sized,
muscle-bound pipe fitter in ARMAGEDDON) as John Coffey, the naive,
gentle giant of a man, capable of performing miracles yet found guilty
of murdering two girls and sentenced to die in Cold Mountain's electric
chair. May I now say to everyone reading that based on what is
artfully, reverentially, and perfectly realized in a 2 minutes 20
second trailer promises a film experience of superior craftsmanship,
transcendence and grace that is sure to plunge deep even into the most
jaded of hearts come this December.

The trailer is a carefully constructed work that concentrates
wondrously on establishing time, place, and a tone both ominous and
haunting while the voice over contradicts the images of a dark and
stormy night, a gothic prison, a close-up of shackled shuffling feet,
dreary surroundings and an assembly of citizens seated in rows, dead
silent facing what is bolted to a small platform, an electric chair of
nightmarish impact with dialogue of fervent hope that is asking "Do you
think if a man sincerely repents on what he'd done wrong, that he might
get to go back to that time that was happiest for him and live there
forever? That'd be what Heaven's like.........." revealed to be spoken
by inmate Graham Greene to guard Tom Hanks replying in perfect Southern
drawl face heavy with fatigue yet summoning understanding and empathy.
"I'd just 'bout believe that there is a thing". This scene alone is all
that is needed to establish situation and character maintained
throughout the trailer. Cut to a sunset backed sentence crawl, From The
Director of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION underscored by a heavenly melody of
a simple flute and piano. More voice over by Hanks reading a verdict
while images of weary prisoner's faces peering through bars, eyes nearly
fixed and soulless, again the shackled leg irons of a large black man,
John Coffey, actor Duncan. Hanks at end of his verdict reading asks
"Questions?" Cut now to Duncan's face, mammoth..... it literally fills
the screen yet projects an innocence and purity that has to be seen. In
earnest the giant asks as he enters his cell almost childlike, "you'll
leave the light on after bedtime?" A magical moment.

Exposition follows regarding Coffey's guilt or innocence but one
other scene, no, just an image that to anyone unfamiliar with the story
can instantly deduce that this is a man of innocence and kindness: It is
a shot of actor Duncan's enormous hand, gingerly opening to reveal a
small field mouse calmly resting in his palm. But to those fans of the
novel this is the assurance that just like the scruffy little mouse,THE
GREEN MILE is in sure, careful hands.

As the trailer continues introducing many of the other characters,
for the unfamiliar, they're seeing great actors and intriguing images
to the fans each is recognizable as to who they are and how they figure
in story which is the ideal balance of information and spoilers. Quick,
scenes replaying the discovery of the murdered young girls follow
realized simply with a shot of a soiled rag doll at the edge of a river
bank with Hanks by voice over not believing Coffey as the murderer.
Then an abrupt edit of Duncan's great face pressed against his cell bars
telling Hanks "Take my hand boy..you see fo 'uself" music swells as two
hands grasp to shake setting off a stunning explosion of electrical
sparks raining from bursting flood lights with reaction shots by Hanks
and other guards of absolutely awe. Final moments of trailer has a man
asking "your talkin about a miracle here" and an older woman ill and
bedridden, Clarkson, lovingly gazing up at her husband Cromwell, Next a
cut to Duncan in profile craning his neck through steel bars to see
brilliant stars on a pitch black night. Back again to Clarkson in her
sick bed eyes closed and speaking to Duncan in hushed tones that "I
dreamed of you..we found each other in the dark......" as she and her
husband caress each others faces. Closing consists of startling images
of more electrical sparks, faces now tender and hopeful, and Hanks
walking slowly through a large jail house, cells empty as he walks
towards the muted glow and streaming light emanating from the far end
(check out the one sheet which is this indelible image) light engulfing
him while his voice underscored by a glorious soundtrack "Miracles are
funny things, you never know when they're going to happen...And when
they happen in a place like this, well that's the most unbelievable
miracle of all. This is a story of a miracle.........that happened here
where I work........on The Green Mile.

To the degree of success that THE MESSENGER trailer so brilliantly
impacts with scale and key events in the life of Joan of Arc to reveal
why she is a figure of historical greatness (because, lets be honest, I
dare say the masses are familiar first- hand with her incredible life)
the trailer for THE GREEN MILE, embraces the knowledge that a sizable
portion of moviegoers are familiar with King's serialized novel. So it
withholds many of the key plot points to be experienced only by watching
the film yet not risking losing any interest with those unfamiliar by
virtue of the trailer weaving a spellbinding premise, serving up a
winning cast and stating flat out that this is the next work by a true
artist who brought you a film loved and lauded a few years past. I
would be stunned if this film is not a huge hit. Fine, I don't have a
crystal ball, but I can tell you the trailer is sublime.

ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY (Warner Brothers)

Seeing the preview for MILE and this trailer of Oliver Stone's long
awaited take on professional football, back to back is a study of
contrasts. Subtle is a word you won't find used anywhere in the
following BRIEF assessment of ANY SUNDAY's all stops pulled, deafening,
in your face trailer sure to be a gridiron epic. And that's exactly how
it should be. Opening with a jump-out-of-your-seat thunder clap and
blinding flash of lightning followed with shots of silhouetted players
in a stadium, more lightning with blinding flashes that then melds
seamlessly into the switching on of enormous banks of stadium flood
lights. SPECFUCKINTACULAR! More galvanizing imagery create a sense that
these are the coliseums of GODS with lead Al Pacino, looking the best he
has in years voicing, "I've given up my wife, my children for these
men. I've given up everything in life for these men. It's the game
that counts; it's pure and safe......LIFE ISN"T."........ Okay, I know
he's no Vince Lombardi but I did gag a bit on this line. Next are
scenes of Pacino arguing with a tough-as nails Cameron Diaz as the
daughter of the team owner and undeniably in charge. Screaming she is
not going to renew a multi- million dollar contract for the current
quarterback who through the years brought the team great success. The
quarterback, a good role for Dennis Quaid, in a few pulse quickening
shots, is clearly a titan whose time is limited and prone to injury.
Reassurance by coach Pacino seems short lived and sure enough Jamie Fox
is introduced along with LL Cool J playing what appears is his PR guy.
Fox is all swagger, youthful, virile, charismatic and great.....until he
starts changing up plays on his own causing dissension in the team and
therein is how the trailer ends, just short of bludgeoning the viewer in
a combination of colliding players, MTV style editing and booming rock
score. But this clearly isn't a pussy boy's football film and it smears
it's cinematic testosterone to a climax at a nighttime game during a
drenching rain storm literally muting into grays the players on the
field and QB Fox getting hit but hard, tackled from behind with his
helmet flying through the air simultaneously as an edit perfect replay
of pounding rock music explodes at moment of tackle and the screen
hitting with all anyone really needs to know, AN OLIVER STONE FILM
............oh and if you didn't get it yet, an equally base rattling
voice declares..."Life is a contact sport". Rowdy?, you bet, Skewed
toward males?, hum affirmative, Impactful and delivering a sense of
want to see? If you watch football, you're there. Look no
fumbles, no flags on the play with this trailer. It's first string
sports movie marketing.

Look for these two on THREE KINGS opening in a week or
so.......nothing like a killer movie preceded by trailers that kick.
Check it out.