Favourite Trailers/Teasers

nervous_twitch · 04-02-2014 4:47pm #1

I'm off work this week with the plague and rather than waste all my time hallucinating I thought I'd try fit in some decent movies. Like most, I have a certain set of criteria to work through when picking the perfect film to watch of a lazy afternoon; be that word of mouth or critical reception; boards obviously (:P); a noteworthy score on rottentomatoes or IMDb etc. One thing I will always do, however, is watch the trailer first.

For some, this has become a big no-no. In fact, there seems to be a strain of moviegoer today that actively avoids watching any trailers. And although I understand this - what with a lot of contemporary trailers being an irritatingly illuminating synopsis of pretty much everything that happens - I think these folk often miss out on the art and promise of an excellent trailer. There are countless previews in recent years that I have enjoyed infinitely more than the film itself, even when the film hasn't been half-bad. Execution is everything. Intelligently thought out. The right music. The perfect atmosphere. Dialogue or scenes that give you just enough to want to see more. Even some of the trailer-specific devices. Casting. Taglines. Titles. Tonal shift midway through. Or the more experimental trailers. Single scenes. Purposely misleading or esoteric narratives. Y'know yourself: we've all had that moment in the theatre (or rather at home these days) when a trailer has hit you right in the gut and made you think 'f*ck me, I have got to see that'. Even more impacting when you've known nothing of the movie until that point.

So I guess I'm wondering what trailers of recent years you rate? For what reason? Do any other people go back and watch trailers for films years after they've been released? Which ones have you enjoyed as much as the feature? Or more than? What makes a good trailer? It'd be cool if you could share a youtube link where possible so we could all enjoy the privilege.

Last year, Cloud Atlas was a great example I thought. If you hadn't read the book it was totally jarring, but endearing in that same way. There's also a complete shift in scope and tone at the two minute mark and again at 3.15. OK, so this is an exceptionally long example, but this is precisely why it works. I imagine the trailer sold the film to a lot of people whether or not they enjoyed it in the end. But then again, it could have put a lot of others off.

I've always like Sofia Coppola's trailers. They're quite stylised. New Order songs playing out Marie Antoinette's life. Air/Fatboy Slim pacing the Virgin Suicides (loww quality). Even the short teaser for the Bling Ring (which I thought was pretty woeful) was enough to get me queuing for the preview.

The Strangers, which proved itself as just another forgettable horror yarn, actually delivered quite the creepy trailer imo; music here was well played.

I'd actually be here all day listing the trailers I love, so let me just include Martha Marcy May Marlene's and Another Earth's before opening the floor. No lists. Reasons please.

Apologies if I'm talking sh1te. I have fever.

krudler · 04-02-2014 4:55pm

Best trailer I've seen recently is Interstellar, am sold on it with the bare minimum revealed, which is exactly what a teaser should do. Trailers these days tend be 90 second summaries of the film, giving away key plot points and setpieces. I really wish more directors would fight for creative control of their trailers and not let marketing depts who just want to spoil every major moment do them.

e_e · 04-02-2014 4:56pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXRYA1dxP_0

My favorite trailer and one of my top 20 movies of all time too. Just images of pure beauty and shows the film's fantastic editing.

nervous_twitch · 04-02-2014 4:59pm

krudler wrote: »

Best trailer I've seen recently is Interstellar, am sold on it with the bare minimum revealed, which is exactly what a teaser should do. Trailers these days tend be 90 second summaries of the film, giving away key plot points and setpieces. I really wish more directors would fight for creative control of their trailers and not let marketing depts who just want to spoil every major moment do them.

I was going to include Interstellar. It's the best I have seen in ages too and I am not a Nolan fanboy.

nervous_twitch · 04-02-2014 5:22pm

Can't forget Only God Forgives perfect teaser from last year. I don't think I would have been so disappointed in the movie if this hadn't been so great. I actually upset myself thinking what could have been. No, e_e, not open for debate :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVvpreSkR4U

krudler · 04-02-2014 5:29pm

^I can't hear sound but is that trailer the one with the Suuns track? it was awesome alright.

Even though the end result was pish, the teaser for Episode 1 was absolutely brilliant, my inner fanboy nearly died when I heard the line "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi Wan Kenobi.."

ziedth · 04-02-2014 6:12pm

I was literally coming in to say episode 1. The Darth Maul double light saber shot just sent chills. Pity about the film is right

krudler · 04-02-2014 6:16pm

ziedth wrote: »

I was literally coming in to say episode 1. The Darth Maul double light saber shot just sent chills. Pity about the film is right

The opening of it did it for me, the subtle Force theme, the Lucasfilm logo, awww yus.

There was quite a good teaser for Episode 2 as well, has no dialogue just quick shots of the characters, must youtube link it later.

bellinter · 04-02-2014 6:19pm

The teaser for David Fincher's Girl with the dragon Tattoo a few years back was quality.

Camera just moving up the long, snow covered avenue towards the house, with karen O covering Immigrant Song. Brilliant.

sticker · 04-02-2014 7:04pm

Plenty to choose from, and a bit of an oldie but the first teaser for spiderman had me seriously buzzed back in the day... As it turned out I really disliked the whole series(!) but loved this teaser!

krudler · 04-02-2014 7:22pm

This trailer for Attack of the Clones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA6q3vHC5L4

Duggy747 · 04-02-2014 7:30pm

Fantastic trailer that really set up for what was supposed to be a seriously intense, adult Sci-fi.

Such a pity.

Also:

transylman · 05-02-2014 12:06am

Speaking of incredible trailers for disappointing movies:

brianregan09 · 05-02-2014 1:12am

Iron man 3 trailer looked great film was ****

fruvai · 05-02-2014 2:59am

Baze · 05-02-2014 4:10am

I like (maybe just for uniqueness) some of the old trailers that were almost independent of the movies themselves, for whatever reason.

For example, here's the trailer for Rope, which has a short scene at the start of it that takes place between two of the film's characters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NLsbzhOEHg

And for the film Days of Wine and Roses, Jack Lemmon does a 'sell / pitch' half way through the trailer (1m.24sec).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OFrUZxi_KM

Skerries · 05-02-2014 9:54am

the trailer for Sunshine was is up there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ2-xR54UDU

D-FENS · 05-02-2014 1:23pm

Nuff said

Mickeroo · 05-02-2014 1:33pm

Personal favourite, perfectly captures the spirit of the film without giving much away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNJPSc_4RCI

This trailer is a better Superman film than Man of Steel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY

Dempsey · 05-02-2014 1:34pm

D-FENS wrote: »

Nuff said

i want to watch that film now! :pac:

tupac_healy · 05-02-2014 1:43pm

Mickeroo wrote: »

Personal favourite, perfectly captures the spirit of the film without giving much away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNJPSc_4RCI

This trailer is a better Superman film than Man of Steel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY

Just came on to say MOS!!! The trailer is just fantastic and the movie was awful!!

I'm surprised nobody mentioned 'Drive' that had a pretty great trailer too

pixelburp · 05-02-2014 1:55pm

Mickeroo wrote: »

This trailer is a better Superman film than Man of Steel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY

Man, I remember getting so stoked over that trailer; the visuals & music were perfect, really epic in tone & made you want to run around with a tablecloth tied around your neck. The film itself? Not so much.

CPSW · 05-02-2014 9:36pm

Loved the teaser for Batman Begins, don't recall his speech that narrates the teaser ever making the movie's final cut though. Great way to forget the disaster that came before it, namely Batman and Robin!

http://youtu.be/3ohiQ6cLRsE