Burn After Watching
By Craig Kennedy - May 29th, 2008; 7:09 pm
Due to an LiCÂ Level 7 Coen Brothers News Blackout, I can neither confirm nor deny that this is a trailer for the alleged upcoming Coen film Burn After Reading. The movie is purportedly about some people doing some stuff played by some movie stars.
In theory, the rumored film might be scheduled to open September 12, 2008.
Filed under: Miscellaneous
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Craig, I can vouch for the authenticity of said trailer…it looks very funny. I’ll leave it at that.
Tease!
can’t wait. Brad Pitt is amazing.
Hey, that trailer features a previously unannounced castmember who is just icing on the cake. For the sake of the blackout, I will spell his name backwards:
snommis kj
You have no idea how tempted I am to watch it.
Or maybe you do.
I am going to not watch it either, so I will feel your pain Craig, but when I get home, I am so clicking that link.
Be strong Nick! Resist!
I was all ready to see it but the Red Band trailer ain’t workin’ for me. Shucks.
Oh well, I’ll doubtless see it in the near future.
They’ve done a great job with the trailer. I could say much more but the LiC monkeys are ever ready to pounce on transgressors.
I got a line on you babe!
This trailer is contentment, satisfaction and gratification all rolled up into one big roll of deliciously sweet goodness.
Dammit, hope this doesn’t show up in a theater I’m in this weekend. I managed to squeak by and miss the trailer for No Country and I’m trying real hard to maintain the blackout for Burn After Reading too.
I have not cracked yet Craig, and I doubt I will.
Knowing little about films is fun. I hope it makes some sort of difference in terms of my reaction to the film when it opens in SA.
The film is playing in Venice, right? I will probably see it at the same festival I saw Atonement at, in November, which is a long wait.
I saw (one of?) the No Country trailers after seeing the film, and while it’s spoilers may have been minor, it revealed enough visual elements of the film that I think it would have made the film’s numerous charms less amazing. It revealed far too many bits and pieces of certain scenes for my taste.
I recall vividly seeing the Big Lebowski trailer well before the “bowling movie” came out, and even though it had no dialogue it spoiled both of The Dude’s big dream sequences. Having those elements in the trailer sure didn’t hurt my appreciation of the movie, but I suspect seeing Maude geared up as a Viking and The Dude sailing through a chorus line would have been more enjoyable had it all been fresh opening night.
Hence, I don’t watch Coen brothers trailers anymore. 50% of my enjoyment is in the expertly-concocted visual elements alone.
I’m repeating myself here, but for me the Coens are a special case. I’m not so much concerned about learning turns of plot or even the jokes, but every little detail that’s given away in the trailer is one that I won’t have the joy of discovering during the movie itself.
Seeing Chigurh’s haircut and hearing him call someone ‘Friendo’ for the first time as the movie was unfolding miraculously before me was an unrepeatable experience that just wouldn’t have been the same if I’d seen these details in the trailer.
In a perfect world, I wouldn’t even know who was in the movie or whether it was a comedy or drama, but that’s impossible, particularly with a blog where I want to pump the movie as much as I can.
And yes Nick, it’s premiering at Venice. Let’s go!
I’m just a girl who can’t say no. I just popped my Burn After Reading trailer cherry, thanks to you, Craig, but no regrets. It was good for me, and not very spoilerish. I don’t think I learned any more about the plot than I did in reading the first blurbs of what the film was about. And the visuals, while strong, weren’t so iconic as in the No Country trailer.
Tilda Swinton looked better than ever and Brad Pitt actually made me laugh.
Yeah, I’m just a trailer pimp, aren’t I? Living vicariously through other people’s pleasure.
Did you spoon afterwards?
Yeah, I had managed to never see a trailer, ad or production still of No Country for Old Men before seeing it and that turned out to be (borrowing from Craig) miraculous.
I was so certain No Country was going to be a masterpiece because of its reception at Cannes, so that motivated me a great deal all by itself.
I agree, jennybee. This trailer featured several gags and funny lines, with a lot of oddball charactes behaving oddly. It’s a smart trailer because it gives you the basic plot more or less immediately, then lets you enjoy the sure-to-be zany mood, setting and characters for the rest of the trailer.
“Did you spoon afterwards?” Yes!
hahahaha.
The thing about trailers is that one that’s well done and it sounds like this one is) can actually be a part of the whole experience.
It stretches out the enjoyment rather than squeezing it all into 2 hours.
I can’t imagine Marie-Antoinette without the excellent teaser trailer that came before it and I’m not sure if I would’ve liked it as well going in cold. The trailer was all pictures and music, but it was a sort of statement of purpose. It let you know the sensibility of the film and gave you an idea of what you were in for.
Watching the No Country trailer after the fact…it was a good goddamn trailer and part of me wishes I’d been able to enjoy it in advance….but then the other part of me that was sitting in that darkened theater for the Thursday midnight showing says “no way! Trailers are for saps!”
I may still crack on this Coen thing. Or more likely it’ll play in front of a movie and I won’t bother to plug my ears and close my eyes like I did for No Country.
Ya got three and a half months unless you’re able to see it sooner than that, Craig. You’ll break.
Yes, the No Country trailer is pretty splendid but I am glad I didn’t see it. There was something entirely magical about seeing it all without any preconceived notions besides the poster (which at that time featured a shot of a faceless man holding a shotgun) and the overwhelming critical love (reviews unread).
This looks like it could be their best comedy since The Big Lebowski. Can’t wait to see this.
no i’m not gonna install itunes to watch a trailer. i don’t want itunes…
hmm i don’t even have pc speakers….
hmm the lettering (or whatever i should call it) of the poster is will pretty much the same as the before the devil knows you’re dead poster ???
I think Sasha has a non-apple version of the trailer up at AD glimmer…or maybe you need quicktime for that one too.
If I didn’t know this was a Coen brothers film, I would not be interested. It looks like David O. Russell made a spy comedy and followed his worst impulses.
So, wait … Craig, what are the rules for comments regarding trailers you refuse to watch?
You’re not watching the trailer but you seem to be reading the comments. Couldn’t all of these remarks be second-hand spoilers?
I’m so confused.
I reads the comments, I takes my chances.
You’re a risk taker Craig.
Hmmm. Not sure what to think. Looks zany.
For some reason everytime I see the title it enters my brain “Burn Before Reading” which isn’t quite the same.