Teasing moviegoers - Sometimes the trailer says too much

LOS ANGELES -- Should moviegoers be teased or spoiled?

That's the question facing studio marketers who decide how much to reveal in trailers.

Some fans complain that commercials, like one for the new thriller "Changing Lanes," give away too many plot twists and amount to condensed versions of the films they promote.

Studios counter that the practice often results in box-office success.

The "Cast Away" trailer revealed how Tom Hanks escaped from the island. The "Double Jeopardy" spot showed Ashley Judd discovering her missing husband in the film's climax. Promos for "Serendipity" included footage of star-crossed John Cusack finding his long lost love's phone number in an old book.

"I think these spoilers come from insecurity over the product and the heavy demands put on studios to generate a strong return. ... They think the only way to draw an audience is by giving everything away," said Evelyn Brady, a Los Angeles advertising executive who created the Golden Trailer awards three years ago to honor the best movie commercials.

She has a personal gripe with the trailer for last summer's "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," which sets up Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz as World War II enemies -- only to reveal scenes of them falling in love.

"Watching that, I said: 'What am I going to buy the ticket for? I've just seen the whole movie,'" Brady recalled. "I think it's far better to tease and taunt and not give those crucial plot points away."

Regardless of whether a surprise ending is kept under wraps, critics say outlining large parts of a story's buildup in trailers can sap a film of its drama.

Consider the trailer for "Changing Lanes," in which Samuel L. Jackson is a desperate father heading to a family court hearing and Ben Affleck is an arrogant attorney sent to deliver a secret file on deadline.

The strangers meet when they crash their cars into each other. Jackson is stranded and about to miss his court appearance, but Affleck refuses to give him a ride. As Affleck speeds away, he accidentally leaves his file behind. Blackmail ensues. In case that wasn't enough to attract audiences to the movie, Paramount included other scenes from the feud.

Has it given away too much?

Paramount executives refused to comment on their marketing strategy for "Changing Lanes," but veteran trailer producers and even some directors say spoilers are a necessary evil.

"Cast Away" director Robert Zemeckis has compared coming attractions that give away a lot to McDonald's food, saying both succeed because most consumers prefer to know in advance what they're buying.

Marketers insist, however, that a good film satisfies an audience no matter how much plot those viewers know ahead of time.

"It's a complaint we've heard for years and years," said said Philip R. Daccord, a trailer editor at the advertising firm Giaronomo Productions. "But if I could really give away a whole movie in 2 1/2 minutes, there can't be a lot there to begin with."