Okay, building off of our thread last week about whether movie previews were part of the movie experience or just something that allows us to arrive a few minutes late, I thought I'd pass along an observation about how they're made.

At the screening of "Awake" I went to, there were trailers for three Japanese horror remakes. I noticed the previews were virtually identical, excepting of course the minor variations in plot and the cast of the films. Specifically, these trailers all ended exactly the same way: with a character in a darkened room/alone looking at something, leading to the viewers seeing from the character's point of view at a seemingly empty space (in one instance, through a peep hole in a door), at which time a ghost/spectre/monster of some sort pops out with that sudden, fast-moving, "The Ring"-type quick cut (a blink and there it is), accompanied by a shrill squeal/roar. This is the same format we've been seeing for quite some time, particularly with the J-horror remakes.

I understand that some previews are going to be similar, but come on, let's have a little variety. How do these movies hope to distinguish themselves if they all are interchangeable? Maybe the studios are hoping they'll just make the exact same amount of money.