This Week In Trailers: Bias, Find Your Groove, #blackAF, Stray, The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show

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 follow a pack of good boys and girls, check our assumptions, learn a thing or two about race, catch up with Iliza Shlesinger, and appreciate our music teachers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVFxseDKSUY?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]

Stray

I had to check to see if this was a canine sequel to the incredible Kedi, but director Elizabeth Lo has done something completely new and welcome.

In Stray, a trio of canine outcasts roam the streets of Istanbul. Through their eyes and ears, we are shown an intimate portrait of the life of a city and its people.

I’ve never been to Istanbul, but knowing there are stray dogs and cats roaming freely there almost makes it seem like a quasi-paradise. There is something so soothing about watching these dogs walk among people, no owner in sight, free to let the day take them wherever it might. And that shot at the beginning of the dog waking up on the beach? Powerful.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa4M2vSzG38?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]

Find Your Groove

This documentary by director Mike Kirk perfectly tees up the issue of arts education, and the importance of it, in our schools and communities.

In this uplifting documentary, stars and musicians from across the industry speak to the power and importance of music in society. Here we examine how close we came to not having many of the incredible artists who we cherish today had it not been for arts programs. Music has the power to inspire and change the world, and that starts with our supporting young talent.

The more this quarantine drags on, the more I need positive messages. It’s easy to dismiss this kind of entertainment as just liberal claptrap, but I would argue arts education is just as important as the sciences or the humanities. This plays an important part of a well-rounded society and knowing that physical education and the arts are the first things to get cut when times are tight means content like this should remind us of why the arts are vital.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXfxU7JaRu8?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]

Bias

Director Robin Hauser isn’t here to make you feel comfortable.

The toxic effects of Bias make headlines every day: sexual harassment, racial profiling, the pay gap. As humans, we are biased. Yet few of us are willing to admit it. We confidently make snap judgments, but we are shockingly unaware of the impact our assumptions have on those around us. The documentary feature ‘bias’ follows filmmaker Robin Hauser on a journey to uncover her hidden biases and explore how unconscious bias defines relationships, workplaces, our justice system, and technology. ‘bias’ contemplates the most pressing question: can we de-bias our brains?

I actually am wildly intrigued by the hypothesis and approach to this subject. This trailer wonderfully sets up the notion of what we’re here to watch, including creating a baseline that we all can understand. It’s incredibly important material, so navigating the tightrope of offering a balanced look at this subject without getting pedantic is widely appealing.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGrmYHG1Kso?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]

The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show

I’m not sure what to make of Iliza Shlesinger’s foray into sketch comedy, to be honest.

Introducing The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show, executive produced and starring comedian Iliza Shlesinger, who leads her ensemble cast in a hilarious, satire-filled series packed with outrageous characters and sketches. Premiering April 1, the series celebrates and skewers the TV stereotypes that fill our screens big and small, from bizarre exercise plans to over-simplified DIY shows and “reality” TV at its best/worst.

After watching this trailer I’m of the mind that this tries way too hard. It’s the visual equivalent of someone explaining a joke, and whatever it is she’s trying to sell here loses its effectiveness. There are too many other options out there for your comedic enjoyment, so maybe consider taking a hard pass on this one.

Nota bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers for possible inclusion 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

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