Movie Trailer Music Madness: The FUN Region
Three regions down, one to go. We’ll be revealing the results of the LIT region and breaking down the FUN region.
This story is part of a larger series. Make sure to read the first, second, and third editions before continuing.
Finally! An upset has arrived, courtesy of the LIT region. As Travis Scott would say, “It’s Lit!” I’m honestly pretty glad it happened — would’ve hated a completely blue-blood Sweet Sixteen (taking place in Omaha).
#1 The Wolf of Wall Street vs. #8 M:I — Ghost Protocol
Ghost Protocol — 0
#2 M:I — Rogue Nation vs. #7 The Martian
Rogue Nation — 3
The Martian — 2
#3 Vice vs. #6 War Dogs
Vice — 1
War Dogs — 4
#4 Black Mass vs. #5 The Departed
Black Mass — 4
The Departed — 1
After an exciting first round in the LIT region, we here at UNPLUGG’D are just jazzed to discuss the eclectic FUN region. Complete with the trailer that inspired this whole exercise, and a number of tough-to-categorize adverts, this is definitely going to be an intriguing dive.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
This is easy. In 2013, would you have watched a movie featuring a talking racoon and his pet tree? Some Ooga-Chaka’s later and everybody was all aboard the GOTG hype train. Hollywood took notice as well, pumping every movie trailer full of retro tunes to show off their fun side (see: Ragnarok, Suicide Squad). The marketing for Guardians represents a clear turning point in movie trailer history.
2. Baby Driver (2017)
If you were named Baby, you’d probably think every song was about you. The promise of more music to come in a movie completely cut to the rhythm of its soundtrack was tantalizing already, but this trailer sealed the deal with its banging riffs and kinetic flair. “Tequila!”
3. Suicide Squad (2016)
When a movie is literally cut by a trailer production studio, you know their advertising campaign will be fire (and the movie will likewise be horrible). The distinctive progression of Queen’s epic ballad punctuates the trailer’s descent into chaos, selling Suicide Squad as a brash and refreshing twist on the superhero genre. Curse you Trailer Park for stealing my money.
4. Hail, Caesar! (2016)
Just like the preview for Avengers 2, I’ve seen this one more times than I can remember. And just like Avengers 2, it’s a shame the final product was mediocre at best. But we’ll always have Jamie N Commons’ “Rumble and Sway” and a stacked cast shooting quips at a frenetic pace.
5. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The unique, cartoon style of Kingsman: The Secret Service garnered a huge following. For the sequel, they doubled down…with Frank Sinatra? Are you kidding me!?!? Unarguably the best use of the beloved artist in any trailer ever, this piece of art forced people to show up in droves, despite mediocre reviews.
6. Pineapple Express (2008)
“Paper Planes” by MIA was made for the Pineapple Express trailer. No, seriously — it was. James Francos’ bummy weed dealer, Saul, hiding in a dumpster and doing the worm is everything. It also hits the perfect stoner vibe that both the song and movie were going for. Creds to the editors for matching gunshot sounds in the song to Danny McBride and Craig Robinson, too.
7. Minions (2015)
Isn’t it crazy to think that, at one point, Minions seemed like it could be a good movie? Geoffrey Rush hilariously narrates a trek through the history of the little yellow weirdos, and “Under Pressure” sets the tone quite well. After all, the trailer tells us that the Minions struggled to find a master for centuries, as they quite often would mess up and were therefore under all sorts of pressure when moving on to the next one. In the end, however, we received just another example of why you don’t make spin-offs about funny side characters.
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Look. It’s nothing new. Good music. Quips. Groot. Yeah, it’s a fun first round matchup. But we trust you to make the right decision.
What trailers do you think got snubbed from the FUN region? Let us know in the comments below, and tweet at us @unplugg_d! Stay tuned for all the inevitable shocking upsets, close calls, and banging tunes in our subsequent editions of Movie Trailer Music Madness. 32 trailers entered the tournament, but only sixteen survived the first round. Come back next time to see the Sweet Sixteen!
