Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust trailer riffs on Gears of War
by Griffin McElroy 
on Feb 17th 2008 5:00PM
43
If any of you didn't get a chance to see the incredible trailer for Gears of War featuring Gary Jules and Michael Andrews' version of the classic Tears for Fears song "Mad World", then you missed out on one of the best video game advertisements to date -- as well as the source for the parody above. Nearly shot for shot, the debut trailer for Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust clowns on Epic's tear-jerking commercial, with obvious nods to John Hughes' classic film, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".
We don't know whether we should be incensed or amused. On one hand, the whole Happy Madison brand of humor doesn't really appeal to us -- but on the other, we have to admire Sierra's chutzpah for alluding the sleazy series to the 2006 Game of the Year. We can't help but wonder -- could LSL:BOB be the "Scary Movie" of the video game realm?
Reader Comments (43)
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 12:56PM (Unverified) said
I can't even tell, the art style in this new game is so bad. The originals had a great art direction, the animated Love For Sail looked like a dirty Disney movie, and even MCL had an appealling, if entirely anime-inspired aesthetic (along with borrowing the Warner Bros' ElmerFudd-style for the protagonist...).
This... This looks like they gave an intern two weeks and a copy of 3D Studio Max. It wasn't even an art intern.
Honestly, if this entire video were done with stick figures, it would have been more entertaining, appealing, and truer to the IP than this crud.
Larry is supposed to be a short, balding, dorky, pot-bellied loser in his 40s. He's not a lanky, spikey-haired big-nosed kid who has probably never even *heard* of a leisure suit. Meh!
Reply
This... This looks like they gave an intern two weeks and a copy of 3D Studio Max. It wasn't even an art intern.
Honestly, if this entire video were done with stick figures, it would have been more entertaining, appealing, and truer to the IP than this crud.
Larry is supposed to be a short, balding, dorky, pot-bellied loser in his 40s. He's not a lanky, spikey-haired big-nosed kid who has probably never even *heard* of a leisure suit. Meh!
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:05PM RebelWithACause said
OMG that was so funny lol. The best part was at the end were the brumaks glowing eyes was a bra with sparkles.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:13PM The Artist Formerly known as Jes said
My friend used that Ferris Bueller song for his senior class president campaign.
He lost
Reply
He lost
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 6:49PM (Unverified) said
No one see the influence of Michael Jackson's Thriller video
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:18PM (Unverified) said
I always hated that Gears of War commercial. That song only vaguely applies to it and the tone of the game is absolutely nothing like the song.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 6:15PM HighFiveJesus said
Agreed. It only works in Donny Darko and thats for a good reason. It was just slick marketing and it bothered me. Felt cheap.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 10:28PM heypaul said
Does anybody remember an early version of the GoW commercial that didn't have the Mad World song? The first few times I saw that video, it had sound effects that went along with what was happening on-screen. When I saw the Mad World version for the first time, I was wondering where the hell the sound went. Please tell me I didn't just dream this...
Reply
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 6:47AM (Unverified) said
well it worked when the Gears Of War commercial came out
the song Mad World was one of the best sellers in itunes
and it help to sell copy's of the game. somehow i think it was a good move by Epic/M$ to add that song to the commercial.
Reply
the song Mad World was one of the best sellers in itunes
and it help to sell copy's of the game. somehow i think it was a good move by Epic/M$ to add that song to the commercial.
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 11:45AM (Unverified) said
Screw you guys I loved that ad.
The song itself is weird just watch the original video.
Most Gow ads were pretty cool but Mad world was just awesome.I liked the edit.
Reply
The song itself is weird just watch the original video.
Most Gow ads were pretty cool but Mad world was just awesome.I liked the edit.
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:21PM LeoJay said
This trailer tells me jack donkey about the game itself, and given I've no respect for the LSL franchise left, a few minutes poorly rendered non-game footage excites me about as much as a mayonnaise sandwich on white bread.
Without Al Lowe on-board and the blatant switch from Lovable Larry Longing for Lust and a Little Lay to this stupid college-kid and his beer drinking penis jokes, LSL needs to be put out to pasture and forgotten.
It's like Elvis, man. I'd like to remember LSL when it was tight and funny and interesting, but it just HAD to pull that comeback tour, and now I'm forever stuck with the image of a fat, greasy drug addict in ill-fitting clothes.
Reply
Without Al Lowe on-board and the blatant switch from Lovable Larry Longing for Lust and a Little Lay to this stupid college-kid and his beer drinking penis jokes, LSL needs to be put out to pasture and forgotten.
It's like Elvis, man. I'd like to remember LSL when it was tight and funny and interesting, but it just HAD to pull that comeback tour, and now I'm forever stuck with the image of a fat, greasy drug addict in ill-fitting clothes.
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:21PM (Unverified) said
that trailer is almost as tacky as the gears commercial, awesome!
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:33PM Jechtshot78 said
Fantastic! I wonder if Epic will sue over this too...
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:39PM ChrisAre said
The fact that this could be the "Scary Movie of video games" has just destroyed any chance of me ever picking up this game... or whatever it is. I'd rather watch nothing but Gigli for the rest of my life than pay money for any of the Scary Movies. I wouldn't even waste my hd space downloading it illegally.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:42PM (Unverified) said
Thank God for Yellow, and 'Oh Yeah!'.
That song can make anything good. :)
Reply
That song can make anything good. :)
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 5:48PM ForTheHuynh said
I was expecting more Thriller. He had the suit and everything.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 7:52PM waynski1457 said
@lone starr: best comment ever! you win at life!
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 6:18PM (Unverified) said
Does this mean they will using marketing slogans like "Cumming Soon"?
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 6:45PM markhill66 said
I don't get how they call it "Box Office Bust," which relates to movies, but they parody a video game and a music video (it looks like he's wearing the outfit from Thriller and running from zombies).
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 7:13PM ThornedVenom said
Leisure Suit Larry is the Quagmire of videogames.
Giggity giggity goo!
Reply
Giggity giggity goo!
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 8:39PM (Unverified) said
I don't know if you realized it, but both meanings that can be construed from reading your comment work frighteningly well.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 7:50PM (Unverified) said
This trailer almost made me cry.
LSL is a classic IP and they're pissing all over it. Such a sad story.
Reply
LSL is a classic IP and they're pissing all over it. Such a sad story.
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 8:05PM (Unverified) said
So I guess nobody is allowed to run past women, and then come back for a sec to say hi to them or something without being labeled as nodding to ferris bueller's day off? Seems like a pretty simple scene a 10 year old could throw into a script. Not exactly genius material that becomes a gold standard as so many people seem to feel.
Oh... LSL.... ummm... STILL not interested in the series.....? Sorry.
Reply
Oh... LSL.... ummm... STILL not interested in the series.....? Sorry.
Posted: Feb 17th 2008 11:44PM (Unverified) said
Leisure Suit Larry will certainly have a single player campaign story unlike all of the unreal/gears games. Don't get me wrong they are awesome for online play.
Reply
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 1:22AM (Unverified) said
Er. Unreal I and II HAVE single player story modes. Of course, nobody remembers those games...
Reply
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 11:52AM (Unverified) said
If you ask me GOW single player or co-op mode was great, the multiplayer mode was lame thanks to the idiots using xbox live.
It seems people only liked 3 maps of GOW for multiplayer and the host advantage was undeniable not to mention that if the host was a f*g the moment he disconnected all your kills went down the drain.
Damn I think Gears null me 200 kills that way.
Reply
It seems people only liked 3 maps of GOW for multiplayer and the host advantage was undeniable not to mention that if the host was a f*g the moment he disconnected all your kills went down the drain.
Damn I think Gears null me 200 kills that way.
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 12:04AM (Unverified) said
What the hell happened to his face?!
I didn't like Magna Cum Laude but at least the art style was okay. Now he looks like the blowup doll he was holding at the start of the video.
Reply
I didn't like Magna Cum Laude but at least the art style was okay. Now he looks like the blowup doll he was holding at the start of the video.
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 5:10AM howmuchIcarrot said
That piece of crap Magna Cum Laude actually managed to offend me on a few different levels. I'm not giving this new game a chance to do the same.
Reply
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 11:53AM (Unverified) said
I never played a leisure suit larry game except for a demo that I didn't like.
Reply
Posted: Feb 18th 2008 11:55AM (Unverified) said
Wait I have one.
Does this means this game will use the unreal 3 engine?
Reply
Does this means this game will use the unreal 3 engine?
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 221 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 162 comments
- Blizzard taking Valve to court over 'DOTA' trademark 117 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
