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I think an explanation for why so many trailers give away most of the plot is simply due to the fact the opening weekend has become so important in gauging the financial success of a movie (for better or worse - probably for worse)

I've actually heard it said by an exhibitor head honcho - IF IT ISN'T GOING TO MAKE MONEY IN WEEK ONE, WE AREN'T INTERESTED.

Got get as many people past that candy bar as fast as possible is what it's all about. Shovel them in and out like a ride at Disneyland.

Theatrical squawks about dropping cinema attendance. Oh, poor us. Nothing to do with ridiculous ticket pricing, increasingly shoddy presentation (including previously used mylar for the prints where 35mm prints are still used) lack of cleaning between sessions, zero security et al making a day at the movies an outrageously expensive exercise for the average family of 4 - and yes, movies used to be a family event. Least of all does it have to do with the quality of the "product". It's all about MacMovieGoing. Units sold for the lowest wages and operating costs nut.

The home market will tell you (but never publicly) that the real money is in the home market and other ancillaries, and a big theatrical BO is both studio's icing on the cake, and means a bigger home market for a smaller home marketing spend and a bigger return.

Smaller and/or indie films are being squeezed out, and the old adage of letting a film find its audience with a little time, nurturing and word of mouth no longer applies. THAT all happens on the DVD market. Theatrical really doesn't care that much... and they care less as the whole delivery system of HOW people watch movies, and the fact there is now a whole generation who watch "other data" other than movies (i.e. more choice in digital entertainment) are just some of the reasons why films as most of us think of them, are rapidly declining. Fake IMAX (ghastly!) might generate a bit more interest... but until cinema comes up with new technology and more importantly gives viewers a wider range of films to choose from. I fear that's not going to happen. The majority of this generation are sufficiently dumbed down already.... and so it looks like a lot of fun to see Roland Emmerich destroy everything in increasingly spectacular fashion.