Yesterday, Eric D. Snider mentioned an interesting exercise by The New Republic's Christopher Orr. Annoyed at the recent glut of trailers that give away the entire film, he decided to write a review of 21 (which hits theaters today) based only on the trailer. Eric thought the "review" was actually pretty accurate, and I agree. I also agree that the trailer is egregiously inconsiderate of people who'd have liked to go into the movie unspoiled at least as to the third act. It's a shame.
But I'm sure you agree that it doesn't have to be that way. Trailers don't have to give away the game, and they don't have to be tacky and ham-fisted either. They're a marketing tool, of course, but trailers are also -- or can be -- an art form in their own right. Sometimes a trailer is such a skillful composition of images, sounds, words and music that it winds up having more of an effect on me than the movie I'm in the theater to see. (Often, too, the trailer turns out to be better than the movie it's advertising, which is always a disappointment.)
So while yesterday Eric asked you for examples of trailers that pissed you off because they revealed too much, I'd like to know which recent trailers you've loved. Not necessarily which ones you think advertised their movie in the optimal way, but which ones have been great in themselves -- scary, rousing, moving, beautiful. Take a look at some of my favorites and sound off after the jump.
Here are a few examples that I think represent the pinnacle of the form. (For more high points, check out Matt Bradshaw's list of his favorite trailers from last year.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - A pretty traditional action-packed clip show, but what a clip show: it clearly and impeccably shows off the movie's cast, its special effects, its humor, and its absurdist undead-pirate swashbuckling, all at once. And the last seconds, set to that awesome Klaus Badelt-penned theme, actually managed to quicken my pulse.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence - Okay, so the fact that this is one of my favorite movies of all time probably biases me in retrospect. At the same time, I distinctly remember the chill that went down my spine as I watched this tone poem of a teaser for the first time, and the twinge of excitement I felt at seeing the words "A Steven Spielberg Film" twinkle onto the screen toward the end. Seeing it now makes me want to cry; maybe there's something to be said for trailers that play particularly well after you've seen the film.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) - Scary and gorgeous -- I love the way they play with the color palette here, opening with the beautiful sepia-toned images and descending into darkness. Those flash-to-whites in the middle are a stroke of genius.
Magnolia - Two trailers in one, really, but both are amazing. The character introductions set to the Aimee Mann song is incredibly intense but somehow still lucid, hitting all the notes it needs to -- it makes you want to meet these people. And to this day I remember the words that appear on the screen during the more traditional second half: "Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours." That's one beautiful tagline.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The use of an orchestral version of Clint Mansell's Requiem for a Dream theme during that ridiculous montage nearly made me wet myself. The dialogue they use is so familiar now that it almost seems clichéd, but imagine seeing this after being blown away by The Fellowship of the Ring and panting with anticipation for the second installment. Appreciating this trailer at the time pretty much required having seen the first film, but it was transcendent for the fans.
Your turn. My list was heavy on "big" films -- can anyone think of any recent indies that had magnificent trailers?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-28-2008 @ 12:12PM
Brenn41 said...
The Fountain, Sunshine and Children of Men had amazing trailers.
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3-28-2008 @ 12:51PM
rd said...
CASINO. The way the Stones "Gimme Shelter" is used, gives me chills.
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3-28-2008 @ 1:09PM
Starkiller said...
My two faves from 2007 are The Invasion (the trailer that used the Sigur Ros song), and Blade Runner: The Final Cut (great use of Clint Mansell's score from The Fountain).
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3-28-2008 @ 1:16PM
Ben said...
Todd Field's Little Children had a pretty incredible trailer...you're basically left shaken after watching it.
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3-28-2008 @ 1:16PM
Caitlin said...
Little Children - I actually liked the trailer better than the movie.
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3-28-2008 @ 1:17PM
RP said...
I haven't watched any big trailers for a year or so now. i too am absolutely sick of having two and bloody half minute theatrical trailers spell everything out for me. I much prefer going in completely blind.
There should be 30 second time limit to all trailers, and they should all be in a standardised format that can only reveal certain things (genre, cast, brief synopsis). But of course, people will never be that considerate.
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3-28-2008 @ 1:40PM
Jonathan said...
I thought the trailer for Cloverfield was one of the best I'd seen in a long time. Trailers I'm sick of? the ones for trucks, cell phone providers, and anything that I can't buy a ticket for. Get your insurance ad out of my movies!
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3-28-2008 @ 1:42PM
faithx5 said...
I love the trailer for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and also the teaser for Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Both started out like an ad for something in the film, then turned out to be a trailer, and they used that conceit brilliantly.
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3-28-2008 @ 1:59PM
Brian D said...
Ditto on the Little Children Trailer, it was amazing. I also thought the movie was pretty incredible as well.
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3-28-2008 @ 2:17PM
evergreen said...
The moment I saw this article, the first thing that came to mind was the Little Children trailer. I mean it's a theatrical one, and it still clocks in at under 2 minutes WHILE selling the movie to me.
Anyone know the music at the end of the Magnolia trailer, by the way? It's amazing.
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3-28-2008 @ 2:24PM
Eugene Novikov said...
Well, I'm on the road for much of today, but you all have convinced me to revisit the Little Children trailer when I get back. I honestly don't remember it.
Props to whoever mentioned The Fountain, too.
3-28-2008 @ 2:46PM
Jonathan Kuhn said...
I wholeheartedly agree with Little Children and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Also, I remember LOVING the trailer for Unbreakable. It was great for people who had loved The Sixth Sense because it got you excited, showed you the tone, but barely gave away ANYTHING.
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3-28-2008 @ 2:49PM
lumpy said...
"The Shining". Gives away nothing.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:15PM
Elisabeth said...
I have to concur on The Fountain. I'm still annoyed Clint Mansell won't let me download the music he wrote for it from his MySpace! ;)
I think the towers for Two Towers and Return of the King were brilliant as well. That last shot in the TT trailer of Aragorn shoving open the Rohan doors? I just couldn't wait.
Eastern Promises and History of Violence both had excellent trailers too -- quite misleading.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:16PM
Mike Z said...
The movie High Tension has a sick trailer, but that's mostly off music--the "Superstar" cover by Sonic Youth. Having that hot French chick roll around looking like SHE'S gonna become the psycho killer because she's so pissed off was good, but that music just made you feel like stuff was gonna come unhinged.
The other one I watched like 80 times was the Miami Vice trailer--with the Jay-Z/Linkin Park song. First off, THEY COCK THEIR GUNS IN TIME TO THE BEAT, and second off, this thing has the most Michael Mann stuff ever in it--guys are talking on cell phones in shiny suits on the roof of a building. Sad the movie was bogus, but the trailer was SO addictive.
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3-28-2008 @ 3:33PM
elessar said...
Return of the King's trailer was pretty great (especially with the "Minas Tirith" theme)
No Country for Old Men had a great red-band trailer
The second and third There Will Be Blood trailers were also very well-done: highlight the unique and creepy score and Daniel Day-Lewis' impressive line delivery
The Dark Knight's trailer was also highly effective. It certainly silenced the critics of Heath's casting. It also didn't spoil the movie.
Fellowship of the Ring: Can't remember which trailer it was, but the one that had the "you have my sword. You have my bow. And MY AXE!!" lines thrilled me to no end.
Aside from the "CGI pants" kerfuffle (which I STILL don't see after watching the trailer multiple times), the new Indiana Jones trailer was very well-done: Indy's trademark one-liners combined with old-style action. What more could an Indy fan want from a teaser?
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3-28-2008 @ 4:14PM
AJ Wiley said...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Little Children have two of the best trailers I've ever seen.
I also think that the Serenity trailer is a great action movie ad, showing a little more meat and humor than usual. Which, of course, is what the movie's all about.
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3-28-2008 @ 7:37PM
Eugene Novikov said...
All right -- just watched the "Little Children" trailer and concur that it's a masterpiece. Amazing sound design.
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3-28-2008 @ 9:04PM
Mr. R said...
The ultimate trailer is Clock Work Orange. No one had seen anything like it, it was new, fast, daring. Kubrick was the bomb!
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3-28-2008 @ 11:29PM
Chelsea said...
A few oldies-but-goodies:
I love the trailer for Costa-Gavras' 1980s suspense movie _Missing_. If it's up on YT I can't find it...as I recall, it consists of voiceover as parts of a photograph are revealed. The trailer did a great job of conveying the story and mood of the film without giving everything away.
The initial teaser trailer for Steve Martin's _Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid_, in which Steve Martin demonstrates the "butt-ometer", is also very good. (The "real" trailer for DMDWP is available on YT, and while it follows the modern template, it's still very funny.)
Hitchcock, of course, had some great trailers, in which he would speak with the audience about the film. Here's _The Birds_: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Wm1xFu2P0 And this is _Psycho_: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzAnE4zuYuA
And because Monica says we need more Guy Maddin on Cinematical, here's the Saddest Music trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLqhJDKipKY
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