ROTTEN TOMATOES: Regal Bringing Red Band Trailers Back to Theaters

Regal Bringing Red Band Trailers Back to Theaters

We can hear James Dobson screaming from here.

by Jeff Giles | March 18, 2008

Good news, moviegoing grown-ups: Regal Entertainment Group has decided you're old enough to see red band trailers.

The Hollywood Reporter shares the news about the theater chain's policy shift, which will bring red band trailers back to theaters after nearly a decade in Internet exile. Regal, which operates nearly 6,500 screens, made the announcement at ShoWest last week, prompting Adam Fogelson, Universal's president of marketing and distribution, to tell reporters that he "couldn't be happier or more grateful to the people at Regal."

The decision's been a long time coming, actually; though theater chains were spooked into dropping red bands after a 2000 FTC report accused the entertainment industry of "marketing violent entertainment to children," the switch to digital projection cuts down on a perceived risk of inappropriate previews being inadvertently attached to G or PG films. Though Regal's screens aren't fully digital yet, the chain's senior VP, Dick Westerling, said they had "decided to jump ahead."

Now that they've succeeded in re-opening the door to targeted previews, the studios plan on matching them to films carefully. As Fogelson puts it:

I don't think anybody is arguing that all red band trailers are appropriate in front of all R-rated movies. For example, it would not be appropriate for a red band trailer for a movie like 'American Pie' to run in front of 'Schindler's List.' We all want to be smart and careful about the use of red band trailers, working closely with our partners in exhibition. We don't want moviegoers seeing material that is inconsistent with the movies they are going to see.

As the Reporter notes, the last time a Universal movie ran a theatrical red band trailer -- for American Pie -- it boosted the film's bottom line considerably; in recent years, the studios have argued that films such as Superbad would benefit equally.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Movie:

Superbad

(1-12 of 12 posts) | Reply

Gimy writes:
on Mar 18 2008 05:29 AM

well duh, anytime you can market a movie in a more efficient way...its going to be more beneficial. i never understand the bs with the ratings crap. nless you're showing a preview for Debbie Does Dallas right before Finding Nemo...what the h3ll is the harm? keep it in the range of the target audience and you're fine. useless announcement really, the change should have never happened years ago anyway

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donwillymo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:34 AM

I heard an orange band coming out but I don't think those previews are suitable for anyone.

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Proton Crosser writes:
on Mar 18 2008 07:00 AM

I spent 6 years working for Regal in various locations from New England to Florida. Truthfully there is really nothing wrong with red band trailers. The thing with red band trailers is not what is being view, but it is who is viewing them. Not everyone knows what trailers, with what content are being showed on what movie. And Regal designes their own trailer packages for movies, that stuff comes directly from the film department in Knocksville. And unfortunately, no matter how precautious Regal is, people will yell and scream about being offended and subjected to inappropriate material and jump at any opportunity to score a free ticket. Some locations will be bad, some won't. It all depends on the demographic.

As a movie goer, its pretty cool that they are putting red bands back on the trailer rings. As someone who has spent years in the trenches with Regal, my heart goes out to the poor sap sitting behind customer service at a theatre with a large senior/family attendance. Even if those groups shouldnt necessarily be seeing Rate R movies, they do and with very young children far too often.

Good idea, bad results.

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DarthWonka writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:10 AM

Someone tell me what the **** a red band trailer is.

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Proton Crosser writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:24 AM

A red band trailer has more "adult content" than a green band trailer. At the begining of a trailer the first thing you see is that green screen with "this preview has been rated...... for bla bla content." A red band trailer has a red background instead of green. The red is to distinguish the type of content in the trailer. A movie can have both a red band and green band version of their preview.

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minderbinder writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:41 AM

It's basically a trailer that has swearing, violence, or nudity in it. It's like the trailer itself is rated R, meaning they show some of the stuff that earned the movie the R rating.

Personally, I think they are great, you get an idea of what you're in for with a movie like Superbad.

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High School With Money writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:23 AM

I wonder if a red band for Tropic of Thunder will increase its business.

But why is it called red "band" instead of red "screen"? Because of green "screen"?

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Gimy writes:
on Mar 18 2008 11:02 AM

green is associated with Go and money and good things, red is associated with war...Stop..."Don't"...and bad things. kind of a psychological thing.

i'm not really sure how much movie studios would really gain by marketing young when a movie's just released in theaters, since it wouldn't boost box office #'s because the kid couldn't buy the ticket to THAT movie. he/she would have to buy it for a pg movie then sneak in. and if you market to young, do it when its on dvd so the kid will purchase the movie...not pay for ANOTHER movie to see yours. there's no profit. so basically, they would only do it for "word of mouth" of what that kid would tell friends after he/she saw it in the theater. but they're probably too young to pay for the ticket as well. doesn't seem like its worth the risk of having Parent Groups harp down your throat if they found out...but what'd i know.

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donwillymo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 11:45 AM

...and like a pink band is like XXX rated or something...

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arendr writes:
on Mar 18 2008 12:01 PM

Honestly, I don't think Red Bad trailers are really that great. They've always seemed to me to have 2 major flaws.

1) More is given away in the trailer because they can now say and show more content.
2) They exploit the immature minds of 14 year old boys by dumbing down the movie and reducing it to "come see this movie for everything but the quality of the storyline".

Trust me, I have no problem with adult content, violence, and swearing in movies. But it's gotten to a point where it's a bit over the top in some movies and there's a real lack of creativity out there. It's like we've reached the end of where Tarantino-eque dialogue can take us.

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SpikesInMySkull writes:
on Mar 18 2008 12:12 PM

My view on this is that a Red Band trailer should not contain any content that is not covered by the advisory band for the film.

I.E. if a film is "R for Graphic Violence and Language" then it would be inappropriate for a Red Band trailer to contain nudity, likewise if a film is rated "R for Nudity and Strong Sexual Content" then the Red Band trailer should not contain graphic violence.

This is not to say I object to any of this content, and not to say I support censorship in anyway. What I believe is that a restricted audiance by definition has the right to choose what content it decides to view, but that decision impies informed consent and people should know what they're going to see before they pay to see it.

That said, it's the studios who afraid of getting taken to task for this, so I'm sure lot's of people already got payed lots of money to realise what I just stated.

Personnally I miss red band trailers in theatres... since the one for "Showgirls" featured most of nudity up front, I never had to actually sit through the movie itself.

(Reply to this)

donwillymo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 12:48 PM

ahh Showgirls. How I miss thee....

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