Who doesn't enjoy a well made trailer? Those brief little promotions for movies that tantalize us into seeing them by showing many of the best parts? They're especially fun when promoting various schlock, exploitation, and cult titles, as the creators of the "Trailers from Hell" concept (film director Joe Dante, producer Elizabeth Stanley, graphic artist Charlie Largent, and new media entrepreneur Jonas Hudson) well know. This allows us to see / hear various journalists, screenwriters, and directors both inform us and offer their own entertaining insight into and appreciation of these various movies - both their own efforts and those of others. And "Trailers from Hell Volume 2" succeeds on both counts, being both fun and informative. The breakdown is as follows:
Brian Trenchard-Smith: "The Devil-Ship Pirates", "The Stranglers of Bombay"
Ernest R. Dickerson: "The Quatermass Xperiment"
Guillermo del Toro: "Deep Red" (in English *and* Spanish!), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" '57
Joe Dante: "Donovan's Brain", "The Invisible Ghost"
Jack Hill: "Pit Stop"
John Landis: "Gorgo"
Josh Olson: "Jaws", "The Lineup"
Larry Karaszewski: "Last Summer", "The Tenant"
Lloyd Kaufman: "Terror Firmer"
Mick Garris: "Flesh Gordon", "Fire Maidens of Outer Space"
Mary Lambert: "Mothra vs. Godzilla"
Michael Peyser: "Seven Days in May"
Roger Corman: "Premature Burial", "Ski Troop Attack"
One odd and amusing bit occurs when Olson starts talking as if he will unveil to us an obscure gem that we've all overlooked, and then goes on to discuss..."Jaws" (not hard to guess, though, since the artwork for "Jaws" is situated behind him). Del Toro comes up with the best quip in the whole thing, when, in reference to "Deep Red" director Dario Argento, he says, "He's a very strange and thin man. Never trust a thin man!" Landis and Kaufman are expectantly quite animated. All participants make this a pleasure to watch, and it only runs a little under an hour. Of course, if one watches this on DVD, and want to turn off the commentary in order to just enjoy the trailers, they can do that as well. Highly recommended for any movie fan. 10 out of 10.
