The Wackness Red Band Movie Trailer

The Wackness Red Band Movie Trailer

The Wackness is one of those movies which is almost impossible to market in a PG world. It’s about a teenager drug dealer’s last summer before he heads off to college. And while that’s the one sentence breakdown, I’m sure you can already tell, it’s much more than that. I’ve given this movie rave after rave, and have seen it four times on the festival circuit. So there is no point in telling you it’s one of my favorite films of the year.

Until today, the teaser trailers have been rather weak. Every time something new has been released, I’ve found myself defending the movie that can’t be represented in a green band movie trailer. Sony Pictures Classics have finally released a red band trailer on IGN, and you’ll immediately see the difference. No, it’s not filled with swears or nudity. It does what the best red band movie trailers do best, and sells the movie accurately. If you watch this trailer and tell me you’re still not interested then maybe The Wackness isn’t for you. But I assure you, if you grew up in the 90’s, then you’ll probably digg this film.

It’s the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana. The newly-inaugurated mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, is only beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against “crimes” like noisy portable radio, graffiti and public drunkenness.

Two people, however, are missing out on the excitement. Luke (Josh Peck) is a socially uncomfortable teenage pot dealer with no friends, issues with his parents, and a whopping lack of confidence with girls. He trades weed for sessions with his therapist, Dr. Squires (Sir Ben Kingsley), whose much-younger wife (Famke Janssen) is slipping away from him. Squires, a drug-addled shrink with a hairline retreating to the back of his neck and a state of mind slouching back to adolescence, is an unlikely role model—but the two of them forge a friendship based on a mutual need: neither one is getting laid.

Propelled by an exuberant hip hop score, “The Wackness” captures the spell of 1994–a time of pagers, not cell phones; a time when Tupac and Biggie were alive but Kurt Cobain had just died. Funny and moving, “The Wackness” is an offbeat tale of two lost souls stumbling towards maturity.

The Wackness hits theaters on July 3rd 2008.

  • Christopher Edwards
    Looks very funny and interesting, Hope it comes out in the UK soon.

    I was thinking this is a good cast until a rapper appears at the end of the credits.
  • Zach
    Being a rapper automatically makes someone a bad actor?

    If you've seen The Wire or Oz you'd know that Method Man is a fine actor.
  • Christopher Edwards
    They are two examples, every film i have seen with a rapper in, the rapper has ruin the part of the film or the role that he is doing because he think that he has the appeal.
  • It's completely pointless to argue over a rapper guys... Method Man has about 5 minutes in the entire movie, it's nothing to worry about. The Wackness is a great film and this trailer (finally) captures the exact spirit of it. I truly hope everyone tries to make an effort to see it!
  • ZapRowsdower
    Yikes. That still looks awful.
  • Coach V
    People bash the Incredible Hulk but applaud this movie? I need a nap after watching this trailer.
  • Ender
    I agree—I just can't get into this movie from its trailers. However, I'll still probably check it out once it hits DVD.
  • ColKurtz
    I never saw no buds like that in '94.
  • Matt
    Liked the last trailer and enjoyed this one so I'll probably go see it.
  • Meli
    I've liked both trailers; I'm definitely interested.
  • orange cinema
    -peter's hype + everything i've seen & read about this film has got me soooo excited for this film. i've been spreading the mad word too, yo...dammit i got no soul.

    -anyone looking to get in the spirit of this film (if you have Sirius satellite radio) NEEDS to check out channel 043 'Backspin'. they play the exact music this movie uses as a soudtrack/backdrop - all of the best 90's rap. it's such a good radio station, dig on it if you can!
  • Reggie
    This movie is so wildly overrated, it's ridiculous. Yeah it's funny, but I guarantee the backlash is gonna be brutal if all the blogs keeping hyping The Wackness like they have been. Just a warning...
  • I will not be going to see this film. What this film does is overplay a relationship between "Hip Hop" and drugs. There is currently a media campaign, and this film is a part of it, to lay all of society's ills at the foot of Hip Hop Culture. The Culture is about Peace, Love, Unity and Having Fun, not the glorification of thug, pimp, gangster and prison lifestyle. To show the travails of a drug dealer and his addicted therapist against the backdrop of early '90s Classic Hip Hop is ludicrous and unseemly. It's like having the Beastie Boys appear on stage with Public Enemy at the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors. Blasphemy in the highest order. I will not participate in the conspiracy.

    Peace.

    A-tone, the Hip Hop Historian
  • Tendrillar
    I just hope it's nothing like Garden State, of course I hope that about all movies.
  • Captain Awesome
    "It’s like having the Beastie Boys appear on stage with Public Enemy at the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors. Blasphemy in the highest order. I will not participate in the conspiracy."

    What.
  • Jack Donaghy
    Since the soundtrack includes songs from the Wu Tang and Method Man happens to be in the film playing a (just on speculation) Jamaican drug dealer, won't the space time continuum fold onto itself and blow my brain for thinking how one man can play two such integral parts in the film?
  • SJ
    Seen it already... Great movie.
    But these trailers do it no justice what so ever!
  • gocitizen
    Will easily pass on this. There's just nothing about this film that I find interesting.
  • Dan
    I just saw a free screening of this at USC along with a Q&A with producer Joe Neurauter and I have to say I absolutely loved the film. Great acting and a great story and I have to say Kingsley was hilarious.

    @A-tone, the Hip Hop Historian: That is not what the film does at all. In fact it's not about hip hop culture at all.
  • miles
    This looks like a Garden State-version of KIDS.
blog comments powered by Disqus