
By Mike Gillis
You've probably seen only a handful, if any, "red-band" trailers at the theater. The previews that precede most movies typically begin with a green screen that cite a picture's rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, but add it's OK to watch the trailer, approved for all audiences.
Red-band trailers begin with a red screen and warn the upcoming preview is approved for restricted audiences only -- anyone under 17 should cover their eyes and ears. Why? Red-band trailers don't have to skimp on the gore, the sex or the language. In essence, they better represent the R- or NC-17-rated picture advertised.
I can recall seeing only one of these trailers at the theater -- I don't remember for what picture -- and perhaps a few more on video. They were not widely seen, until recently.
As it turns out, red-band trailers are popping up all over the web, used to reach wider and often niche audiences.
Miramax has added a "red-band" trailer at its site for the upcoming Coen Brothers picture, "No Country for Old Men". It's the perfect example of what "red-band" trailers do: It ups the violence quotient and gives us a more accurate look at what to expect from the latest Cohens offering. Certainly it's not about the blood, but the Coens aren't known for pulling punches in their darkest offerings -- "Blood Simple", "Barton Fink" and even "Fargo," for example.
Trailers are a hot commodity on the web for one reason: They can fuel substantial buzz. Many genre pictures in recent years -- action, crime, sci-fi and horror -- have been touted before release with red-band trailers, as studios recognize the core audience wants a sample of what earned the picture its R-rating: language, violence, sex.
But other less commercial pictures have used the red-band trailer to help better illustrate a message. For instance, a red-band trailer for Michael Winterbottom's pseudo-documentary, "The Road to Guantanamo," lets us know that the director's take on torture at Guantanamo Bay isn't for the whole family.

In the end it likely matters little. How many times have you been disappointed after watching a movie whose trailer was so much better?
Here's a link to some recent red-band trailers: Click here.