The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 11, 2025

Movie trailers. They used to be a special thing. While I risk coming off as a grumpy old man by criticizing the state of film marketing these days, it’s hard to ignore the past, when studios would often go to great effort to craft a preview that successfully sold the title to the public, but also delivered its own magic. We’re talking idiosyncratic clips, wildly entertaining “special shoot” announcements, and epic overviews of sometimes disappointing pictures. It’s not all gone now, but movie trailers have mostly lost their edge, diminished by annoying trends and suits who are terrified to put a feature out in the wild that maintains the slightest bit of mystery. Perhaps I’m ready for my ice floe, but the folks at the American Genre Film Archive aren’t going down without a fight, assembling “The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show,” which offers a “mixtape” presentation of previews and theater commercials that have been lost to time. Some of the viewing experience is devoted to deep dive titles few are probably even aware of, while the rest is an entertaining reminder of marketing oddity and enthusiasm.

“The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show” offers a preshow of sorts, introducing the jumbled viewing experience with a collection of advertisements and theater snipes, meant to set the mood of the endeavor. This assembly includes a timely immunization announcement from the 1970s, aimed at reminding people that certain diseases have been successfully managed for a reason. Commercials are lively, showcasing ads from Lee Jeans, the “Starmaster” video game from Atari, General Electric, the “Perfect Dark” video game, Dr. Pepper, and, perhaps most valuable to some, an epic look at the “Lazer Tag” game, played here in a futuristic setting that in no way resembles actual gameplay. “The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show” provides additional PSAs, including a few anti-crack clips starring Rae Dawn Chong and Clint Eastwood. Hey, Hollywood tried, right? More engaging are the snipes, including lengthy reels from Century Theaters and Pepsi, reuniting viewers with that part of the brain that blocked out the Hallie Eisenberg years. And the famous “RoboCop 2” no smoking warning is part of the bundle.

After an opening ten minutes of ads and oddity, “The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show” begins, and it’s a roller coaster ride of marketing plans and sensory assault, mostly featuring nutty endeavors from filmmakers really trying to make some big screen magic happen. There’s no overall theme here, and not all of the previews are fully complete, keeping up with the admittedly strange concept of the release, which creates a semi-psychedelic viewing experience. This may be a little frustrating for purists, but on the disc is a chance to watch the trailers unaltered, albeit not individually. You win some and lose some in “The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show” event.

Titles included on “The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show” release: “Robotrix,” “C.H.O.M.P.S.,” “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years,” “Cocaine Wars,” “Rainbow Bright and the Star Stealer,” “Sex Beyond the Grave,” “Meet the Feebles,” “The Doom Generation,” “Strangers with Candy,” “The Birds II: Land’s End,” “Brain Damage,” “The Peanut Butter Solution,” “The Mysterious Monsters,” “Slapstick of Another Kind,” “Sins of Rachel,” “The Secret of Magic Island,” “Tentacles,” “Meatballs 4,” “Psycho Beach Party,” “Pinocchio’s Birthday Party,” “Angel Terminators,” “Starchaser: The Legend of Orin,” “Forbidden Zone,” “Body Rock,” “Tough Beauty and the Sloppy Shop,” “Eraserhead,” “Suture,” “Rad,” “Foxes,” “Death Race 2000,” “Times Square,” “Versus,” “Escape from New York,” “Tuff Turf,” “Black Magic,” “Another Son of Sam,” “The Other Side of Madness,” “The Manson Family,” “Munchies,” “Blood Diner,” “Bewitched,” and “Frankenhooker.”

The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show" is listed as "preserved from a newly struck 35mm theatrical print." This viewing experience is understandably uneven, as the program uses a wide variety of materials, and most are not in the best of shape. That seems to be the point of the release, to stitch together a journey through decades of marketing, and perfection isn't the goal here. Elements of age are present, with some of the clips losing their color, but most of the imagery is close to normal, offering decent hues on the occasionally wild visions for genre entertainment. Detail is softer, with slightly blockier grain at times.

The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is basic understanding of narration and dialogue. Sharpness is sometime elusive, but a basic understanding of voices is offered. Music also supports with a milder sense of instrumentation and emphasis, depending on the quality of the clip.

The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features the AGFA Team.

• Uncut Trailers (86:07, HD) offer these presentations of movie marketing in one long reel.

• Short Films (HD) include "Rated R" (8:35), "The Day the Earth Got Free Richard Pryor Photos" (3:26), and "Just When You Thought It Was Safe" (3:30).

The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show" supplies a real viewing adventure for cinemaniacs, sending them to all parts of the globe as international titles are blended with a few Hollywood endeavors, creating a broad overview of insanity at times. While the choppy presentation doesn't always work for the release, a chance to revisit some terrific moments in marketing is worth a sit, including an outstanding teaser for "Escape from New York" and the spooky oddity of exploitation offerings "Another Son of Sam" and "The Other Side of Madness." There's also an opportunity for exposure to strange pictures such as "Robotrix" and "Blood Diner." And there are reminders of titles better left buried, extending to "Meatballs 4" and the wholly bizarre and unwatchable "Slapstick of Another Kind." Even with its shortcomings, "The Cult of AGFA Trailer Show" delivers an entertaining reunion with the older ways of marketing and hype, recalling a time of moviemaking trends and riskiness that's still present today, but it takes a lot more work to find it.