This Week in Trailers: Battle of the Indies, 'The Year One,' 'Crank'

Though I couldn't produce the transcript now, about ten years ago I wrote a website review of the movie The Opposite of Sex for a radio station that pimped my services. I cautioned then that "independent film" would soon become its own genre once there was a profit margin, like the slasher flick or the war movie. Instead of promoting a world of new stories, the indie was becoming a product like anything else, zeroing in on the dozen or so stories its well-researched audience would find appealing. I bring this up now because earlier this week, we featured trailers for two "independent films," movies that seem to take the road less traveled by Hollywood. The one with studio backing, Away We Go looks entirely predictable and familiar. The one that seems to have made its own way - a small film called Gigantic - appears to be more substantial and even more mysterious in a way. So, tread lightly when you think something is out of the mainstream. Check the label, maybe. There are other trailers, too, from the past week, and I'm happy to report that they're all pretty good: Sam Mendes' Away We Go Gigantic with Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel The animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs The summer comedy The Year One with Jack Black and Michael Cera A UK Red Band trailer for Crank: High Voltage