Hayley Mills and Bernard Herrmann get the schlocky trailer treatment in Twisted Nerve

Not so long ago, it used to be that you could acknowledge the pleasure of watching film previews without too much irony. You may have even looked forward to two or three trailers, especially when expertly programmed to coincide with their corresponding feature's tastes and qualities. Then came the Coke commercials, and with them, distributors' tendencies to get almost antiseptically safe with their ad bucks.

But bless their hearts, the good folks at BAMCinematek invite you to Brooklyn for tonight's Attack of the Trailers, a 90-minute program of forgotten (Beat Street, Pee Wee's Great Adventure) and unforgettable (The Shining) trailers from decades past. The evening also features separate categories of trailers, from tacky horror (Twisted Nerve) to those featuring directors (Sam Fuller, Alfred Hitchcock) and even some verrrrrrry rarely-screened public service announcements starring Reggie Jackson and Jean-Luc Godard ("But not together!" BAM's spokeswoman promises me).

BAM will also be giving away Criterion Collection DVD's and some copies of Angels in America signed by playwright Tony Kushner to a few lucky viewers. All attendees are also encouraged to vote for their favorite trailer, and the winning film will be screened at the Cinematek in December.

The fun starts at 7 p.m., and fear not, purists—no Coke commercials are allowed.