hi ho Silver, The Lone Ranger rides on....

[stj]

stj wrote:

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...Of course, many of the best Western are remembered precisely because in some respect or other they contested the moronic premises.

The Western was a staple in movies for decades, with major stars who did only Westerns. There were hundred and hundreds of these things. As civil rights struggles heated up, the classic Western was increasingly subverted by revisionist Westerns, while the classic Western set in the dream West declined in popularity. Television is more retrograde because of the influence of businessment via advertising, but the same pattern holds with a delay of a decade or so. (Also, the Lone Ranger is a regular Western of any sort?)

Incidentally, attempts to revive the classic Western in a direct to DVD format are usually shelved at Wal-Mart in the same area as the Christian movies. I gather those are often not direct to DVD but have their own specialized distribution networks (direct via churches sometimes.) The real test of course would be if some of these Westerns also moved through these circuits as their version of "family viewing."

[JarodRussell]

Teaser trailer.

I like how it says "Disney presents Johnny Depp. The Lone Ranger."

[Alidar Jarok]

I'm pretty sure he has to receive top billing by SAG rules. However, he also seems to be the star, which I'm not as much of a fan of. It should still be The Lone Ranger show.

[JarodRussell]

Not familar with the SAG rules, do they state something like "his last films were big hits, so top bill him"?

[trekkiebaggio]

Looks like that video has been blocked. Here is is via Empire.

I think it looks pretty cool.

[Alidar Jarok]

JarodRussell wrote:

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Not familar with the SAG rules, do they state something like "his last films were big hits, so top bill him"?

I'm not sure what the exact rule was. It might be if you won an Academy Award, in which case he didn't have to receive top billing. However, a good example is Star Trek: Generations. SAG Rules would have mandated that Whoopi Goldberg be listed first (as opposed to William Shatner and Patrick Stewart). Since Whoopi didn't think that was fair, she agreed to not be listed at all in order to comply with the rules.

[Greg Cox]

I don't mind that Depp gets top billing. I don't care that Tonto has a bird on his head. I'm open to revisionist takes on classic characters.

But would it have killed them to play "The William Tell Overture"?

[UssGlenn]

Hopefully we will get the Overture in the Full trailer. Crossing my fingers that it will be used in the movie itself, and not just played over the end credits.

[Temis the Vorta]

The whole reason this movie is being made is because of Depp's star power, so it's only fair for him to get top billing. however, if they want to bring in his legion of POTC fans, I hope the movie has more personality and humor than this rather dour trailer implies. It looks like Hell on Wheels, and the moviegoing masses arent going to pay $12 for that. People want to see Depp doing some zany schitck, they don't want a lecture on the social perils of 19th C railroads.

[JarodRussell]

Greg Cox wrote:

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I don't mind that Depp gets top billing. I don't care that Tonto has a bird on his head. I'm open to revisionist takes on classic characters.

But would it have killed them to play "The William Tell Overture"?

It would be hilarious if their excuse was "It would have been too expensive!"

[Captaindemotion]

Alidar Jarok wrote:

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I'm not sure what the exact rule was. It might be if you won an Academy Award, in which case he didn't have to receive top billing. However, a good example is Star Trek: Generations. SAG Rules would have mandated that Whoopi Goldberg be listed first (as opposed to William Shatner and Patrick Stewart). Since Whoopi didn't think that was fair, she agreed to not be listed at all in order to comply with the rules.

Why would Whoopi have top billing?

I don't know what the rules are but I can't see why the movie makers can't give top billing to whoever they want, so long as the actors agree to it.

[RJDiogenes]

Jury's still out. The trailer didn't look bad, but it didn't look great; at least it's not like the Dark Shadows trailer.

Temis the Friendly Ghost wrote:

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People want to see Depp doing some zany schitck, they don't want a lecture on the social perils of 19th C railroads.

Actually, I would prefer the latter, and it would make for a better Lone Ranger movie.

[Gaith]

So much for hoping that stupid bird wouldn't be on his head the whole movie. I haven't been so underwhelmed by a trailer for a movie I might want to see since Green Lantern.

[the G-man]

Alidar Jarok wrote:

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I'm not sure what the exact rule was....

Brando and Hackman were both billed over Reeve for the first Superman movie. Nicholson was billed next to, but before, Keaton on 1989's Batman poster. In each case, the "supporting" character was played by an actor who just happened to be at or near the top of the A list.

I don't know if it's a SAG thing as much as it is a contractual thing. Or it might just be "first bill the guy who supposedly puts asses in the seats."

[Shazam!]

What an awful trailer.