Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Peirce for another publication I write for. She stormed onto the scene nine years ago with BOYS DON’T CRY, and is finally back with just her second feature, STOP-LOSS. After hearing Peirce talk about this film, I feel I understand it better than a viewing will allow—and the 30-page press release didn’t hurt either. Peirce forged a close bond with her stars, and developed a strong trust in them. In a demonstration of this trust, she gave them the go-ahead to cut their own trailers for the film.
BELOW you will find Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s version, followed by the official trailer. After watching them, it’s clear why Levitt is an actor and not a trailer editor. His trailer is like a condensed version of the film, introducing the film’s main concept (stop-loss) two-thirds into the trailer, whereas the official one establishes the film’s main conflict off the bat. Granted, the second one is a bit more MTV-ish (they produced the movie) with their use of metal and indie rock music, but come on, it works. You can see STOP-LOSS in theatres now. It needs your support.