This Week In Trailers: Here's To Life!, After The Storm, Donald Cried, Fittest On Earth: A Decade Of Fitness, Kiki

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they're seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week we wonder at a one-hit wonder and ponder what could have been and is, visit our old stomping grounds to find a piece of our past in all its cringe worthy glory, try to get out of a personal rut, ask ourselves "How much ya bench?" over and over again, and marvel at personal expression.Donald Cried Trailer

Strong like bull.

One of the things that I appreciate about the debut from director Kristopher Avedisian is just how awkward it is. Kind of like Just Friends when the idea was that a guy goes back home to win the affections of a girl, this is the unholy, 2nd earth opposite of that but it looks just as funny (yes, I'm comfortable enough in my own skin to say I enjoy that Ryan Reynolds charmer). There's obviously a thing between our protagonist and his unintentionally lecherous buddy but it's a lot less Chuck & Buck and a lot more plain old wackiness that is in play here. I heartily approve.

After the Storm Trailer

Serious.

Get your attention focused on the latest from director Hirokazu Koreeda. Koreeda is just flat-out amazing at what he does and that's telling emotionally gripping stories that necessitate nothing more than well-thought out ideas, a solid script, and actors who know what they need to deliver. It's deceptively simple looking but if you've ever seen Like Father, Like Son, Our Little Sister, or Nobody Knows you can appreciate that Koreeda is a champ at this kind of thing. This trailer has a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of depression, and a whole lot of emotion that is devoid of anything coming close to maudlin. The piano soundtrack is a bit much but nothing has touched me quite like this trailer did. And, after it lingered for a while, I just loved it that much more.

Kiki TrailerParis Is Burning redux.

One of the more powerful ways to begin a trailer, hearing the personal story of someone who did not find acceptance at home for expressing how they felt inside was a good angle to come in at with this. Director Sara Jordenö has some heavy lifting to do in explaining what it is that we're doing here and, more importantly, why we should care about what is happening before our eyes. I sure didn't know this was a thing, a movement, something that seems to be well-known by those in the know, but the more I watched what this all means to these individuals it's easy to see why this outlet provides solace to so many.

Fittest On Earth: A Decade of Fitness Trailer

It's a commercial for CrossFit, just so you know.

One of the things I love about doing P90X erryday is how addicting it is. I wasn't ever really interested in doing squats, burpees, push-ups, and pull-ups until I wanted to yak but once you start feeling and seeing a difference in yourself, you start to get greedy. You want more of that. Nowhere is that axiom better shown than in the documentary directed by Heber Cannon, Marston Sawyers, Ian Wittenber, and Mariah Moore. These athletes are entirely insane and seem driven by something that the normal world just wouldn't be able to comprehend. I don't know why it's so mesmerizing to watch people push themselves until their bodies give out but in an age when anyone can be a celebrity there are still those who rise to the top purely because they are the best at what they do. Again, it might be one long advertisement for CrossFit but this is wild.

Here's to Life! Trailer

I just love these kinds of stories.

As someone who has lived in Arizona for over 20 years (geez, that's a sobering fact) I think I'm required to own a copy of The Refresments' Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy somewhere in my CD collection at all times. The Refreshments were one of those couple hit wonders and even were able to land the King of the Hill theme before they eventually went the way of bands you sometimes think to yourself "Whatever happened to..." Thing is, though, frontman Roger Clyne has been a consistent feature act in this part of the country and this documentary from director Taylor Morden seems to afford us the opportunity to get a postmortem on what it was that happened within this band. I don't think there's anything mind blowing that will be coming out of this one but if these kinds of stories are up your alley it could be a great diversion.

Nota bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers to possibly be included in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com or look me up via Twitter at @Stipp

In case you missed them, here are the other trailers we covered at /Film this week: