In a last ditch effort to get fanboys to pay for yet another bad movie, Fox attached the new teaser trailer for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer to Night at the Museum. The studio gleefully announced that they would not release the trailer online until next week. But the fans revolted, uploading a bootlegged copy on YouTube.

UPDATE: The official trailer is now online. 

The video which can be viewed at YouTube (the video has been removed) was taped with what appears to be a cell phone camera. The picture goes in and out of clarity, and is definitely not the best presentation.

I find it hilarious that studios still play this same sleazy game with their audience, forcing them to see a movie they have no interest with the promise of a quick look behind the curtain. Time and time again the trailers are bootlegged and uploaded to online video sharing websites for mass consumption. I think it's fair to say that more people interested in the film will see a bootlegged trailer like the one on YouTube, than slap down the ten bucks for a Ben Stiller children's film. And the quality of the YouTube clip is horrendous. This is not the way you should want to present a film to it's potential audience. This is not a way to treat your potential audience. Yet it happens with almost every big release.

At least Grindhouse and Transformers did it right. Announcing an online premiere date and time, building up hype, and respecting a fanbase enough to provide a quality version of the theatrical trailer. Shame on you Twentieth Century Fox.

The next step is to realize that we're in a digital age where consumers will provide the content that you withhold, like it or not. The best move seems to be to offer your customer a good experience, providing them with the content they crave, and may-be if it looks good, they'll shell out some cash for a ticket. You treat them like cattle and I don't need to tell you what to expect in return.