Even if you never get out of the house, you can master the buzz curve on the hottest, hippest, coolest movies in the universe.

        We're talking movies so fashion-forward some of them haven't been made yet.

        All you need is a computer and an Internet connection — preferably a fast one — to tap into the burgeoning world of online trailers.

        “Trailers” are those tantalizing film samples also known as “coming attractions.” For decades, they have been shown in theaters to whip up enthusiasm for next week's — or next month's or next year's — big releases.

        In 1999, Internet servers screeched to a halt when they were overwhelmed by fans trying to log on to watch the trailer for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Ever since, moviemakers have been ratcheting up the hype on Web-site trailer debuts, particularly in the realm of science fiction and fantasy, where the fans tend to be rabidly devoted and computer-literate.

        A recent online hit is the trailer for Harry Potter. The live-action movie based on J.K. Rowling's wildly popular novels is due in theaters Nov. 16. When its first trailer hit the Web on March 1, the official site recorded millions of hits in the United States, followed by a similar wave when a British version was unveiled a month later.

        Fans of well-known characters like Harry Potter scrutinize the trailers microscopically to assess how the filmmakers are translating words to pictures, like the anonymous e-mailer who complained to the Enquirer that the trailer looks “dark and drab.”

        Despite such quibbles, the trailer, like the movie, has a built-in audience.

TRAILERS ONLINE

Links to trailers can be found all over the Internet these days, from official studio sites to fan pages. Here are some useful places to start looking:     • The Internet Movie Database. Search for a movie by title, then look for “trailer” or “official site” links.     • Film.Com. For PCs with RealPlayer software.     • Quicktime Movie Trailers. For Mac users.     • Coming Attractions . Specializes in up-to-the-nanosecond gossip and buzz, including links to the hottest new trailers.     • Movie List . Stripped-down, trailers-only site for Quicktime users.     • Mr. Showbiz . Heaps of information, including continually updated ranking of top 10 favorite trailers; for Windows Media Player and Quicktime.     • Moviefone Trailer Park . Wide-ranging show business news, plus trailers ready to play in a variety of software.

        Shawn Pryor, 25, a systems manager from Middletown who counts himself an avid movie fan rated the trailer “not bad,” but unlikely to compel him to see the film. However, he said, “I have a little brother who reads Harry Potter books all the time. Right now, the only reason to go is so I can take my little brother.”

        Strong, even ferocious, opinions about trailers are standard in chat rooms where movie fans gather to dissect the studios' offerings.

        “The trailer for Shrek (due May 18) was horrible. I mean, I'm sure Eddie Murphy is funny as the donkey and all, but I'd really like to hear a full line of dialogue from Mike Meyers,” wrote Travis McFarland, 19, of Tooele, Utah, a regular on chat sessions at Coming Attractions, a popular movie-gossip site.

        Mr. McFarland, who lists his occupation as “lazy student,” even holds strong opinions about chat rooms. He said he's loyal to Coming Attractions over other, highly publicized fan sites. “I wouldn't touch "Ain't It Cool News' with a 10-foot pole. That site is horrible.”
       

Tops in hits

        Here's a run-down of some other sizzling snippets that have fans burning up bandwidth this year:

        • The Lord of the Rings (due Dec. 19). Based on Web traffic — the studio claims more than 350 million visits to the official site — the first of three planned movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved Ring trilogy qualifies as a hotly anticipated event. Based on fan feedback, the trailer could be the the year's most popular. Cincinnati filmmaker Jeff Dunn (Zombie Cult Massacre) said, “When I heard it was coming out, the first thing I did was go to the Web site and try to download the trailer.”

        • Planet of the Apes (due July 27). Fans are divided over what to expect from director Tim Burton's “retelling“ of the 1968 sci-fi classic, but agree the trailer is spectacular. Said Mr. Pryor, “The trailer definitely works. I'm willing to go see it because of the trailer.”

        • Tomb Raider (due June 15). The huge popularity of the video game and the appeal of Angelina Jolie as heroine Lara Croft has made this trailer a hot property in spite of its jangly tone and frenetic pace.

        • The Mummy Returns (due May 4). Wild action and gaudy special effects have made this trailer a hit with fans of the 1999 version.

        • Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (due July 13). The trailer for this all-computer-generated adventure has built an avid following via chat rooms and gaming sites.

        • Atlantis (due June 15). Disney animation is always popular online, doubly so for this summer's big-budget release.

        • Pearl Harbor (due May 25). A complex Web site full of historical details built a big fan base for the explosive, combat-laden trailer.

        • A.I. (due June 29). The idea was Stanley Kubrick's; it has been executed by Steven Spielberg. As if that weren't enough to leave sci-fi fans panting, the studio released spare, haunting teaser railers — last year, long before the film had finished shooting.

No ordinary commercials

        Movie marketers love trailers, in part because fans like them much better than ordinary commercials and will watch them repeatedly on computer screens. One promotions company has begun giving away free CD-ROMs full of trailers and other movie tidbits to theater-goers in 27 cities, not including Cincinnati.

        Yet, even devoted trailer aficionados say they still value the old fashioned, big-screen coming-attractions reel.

        “Frankly, all these streaming videos and compressing techniques just can't match up to the live theater,” Mr. McFarland said. “However, sometimes, you just can't wait to see a trailer in theaters.

        “If a trailer is done right, like Planet of the Apes or Lord of the Rings, it completely blows you away in a few short minutes. Then you just kind of sit there, wanting more. You know you can't have more, but you still want it.”
       

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