Top Trailers

[truepictures]

I'm a sucker for movie trailers, I'm sure most of you others are, as well. This year has been an interesting one as far as trailers are concerned. I remember getting chills the first time I watched the Lord of the Rings trailer and the same for The Missing. But, one movie was good and another was . . . well . . . terrible is one word that comes to mind.

Anyway, I have no point, after all, this IS the rant section, so I'm gonna ask to see your lists of the best trailers because I want to know what you feel is a good trailer.

Another point: I distinctly remember the Pulp Fiction trailer being awful and the movie made my top ten list. So, trailers never mean anything and they entertain you but you can never count on a trailer to be telling of the quality of the movie.

Finally, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban looks solid. I've watched that trailer 6 times by now. M. Night Shyamalan's trailer for The Village looks awful and it's available on www.movie-list.com, so anyway, hit me up with your thoughts on trailers.

[El Duderino Diablo]

Best movie trailer ever: Alien

[Plot Thinner]

Everybody's been fooled by a trailer or two in their lifetime, BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE

[El Duderino Diablo]

Okay.

I presume you mean throne as opposed to thrown.

[Plot Thinner]

Thanks dude...

[truepictures]

Buy the ticket and take the ride? The ride has been awfully painful this year. I literally feel like beating whoever agrees to send these movies to be viewed by millions of people around the world. It's so sick.

Oh, another HUGE disappointment was LXG, could they have made it any cheesier?

And . . . HellBoy looked pretty good in the short trailer. I recently watched the whole one with LOTR, and the more they showed me, the more I began to smell another disappointment.

They need to chill with the effects and give us strong narrative.

[Plot Thinner]

Well, TruePic/Milkman, it is unfortunate, and a little bit suspicious that an unsuspecting audience isn't forewarned about certain movies of a disconcerting nature. How dare they allow those bastards to flash ruinous images in front of our fragile eyes!? These days, for the people who make up the general audience, they don't bother asking what differentiates between an artist at work, and an opportunist behind a camera. No, they can only tell if their favorite actor or actress is staring in it, and if it rushes, shoots, dances, and humps it's way into their hearts. It's unfortunate, but true. If critics really held any weight, they would have ripped these movies apart long before they were released to the masses. Unfortunately, most mainstream critics aren't as reliable as they once SEEMED, I’ll re-emphasize SEEMED. Because, based on monetary influence (how much they get paid), they’ll proclaim a movie to be the biggest thing since sliced bread 2 electric boogaloo, or sit silent, because out of monetary concern, they don’t have the time to review it, or it was really breakin 2, electric boogaloo. Anyhow, I can say for myself, as a filmmaker, that I've found being overly critical towards other people's work and/or art is distractive and destructive. It really doesn't elevate my creativity. I've now become more critical of my own work, which really pisses off the people I work with, but better them than the audience. Because, after the audience responds with delight, the crew forgets all about the demands and stresses, it suddenly all becomes worthwhile. Sure, I hold strong opinions about the movies I love, and will discuss them till day’s end, but about the movies I dislike, I just don’t bother. The energy one asserts towards being deconstructive of another’s masterpiece could have been spent constructing their very own masterpiece.

[truepictures]

I'm not hating on the filmmakers, I'm hating on the trailers that were deceptive. I think it's fantastic that anyone can convince a studio to make a movie of theirs.

So, now, who wants to list off their top trailers? Come on, you know you want to.

[BuckyMcSatan]

Okay, well, it's not as if trailers stand the test of time like the films they advertise - and this becomes more apparent as time marches on, but here goes a few:

When I was a little kid, "When a Stranger Calls" always scared the shit out of me whenever it came on television.

"Stripes". Yeah I know, but people actually CHEERED when Bill Murray appeared in the plane boarding door with a martini and said, "What? A party...for me?"

I rather liked the Texas Chainsaw remake trailer - the theatrical one. Great editing. Haven't seen the film yet.

I like all the old 50's and 60's Sleazemania trailers. "Invasion of the Blood Farmers" comes to mind.

I think my favorite trailer of all is "Magnolia".

[Jeremy Knox]

Best trailers (not best MOVIES mind you) of all time in rough order

1. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Brilliant trailer! The use of music, tone, mood was just excellent. Everything the movie lacked, the trailer was. In fact, I reccomend that people just watch the trailer instead of the movie.

2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (teaser)
We see a futuristic assembly like and a new 800 Series Model 101 being built. Directed by Stan Winston. It's just one of the best teasers you could imagine. It tells you nothing and leaves you wanting to see the film

3. The Shining
Much like T2 The Shining's trailer shows you nothing except a hallway and elevator doors. They fill with blood. End trailer. It's excellent. It's a memorable image and it makes you want to see the movie. What more can you ask????

I can't think of any more that would fit into the category of "art" most trailers are just mere advertisments for the movie. They're not made with any wit, style or intelligence.

I also agree that the trailer for the TCM remake was excellent. It's sad that a 2 minute advertisement has more subtility and mood than a 90 minute movie, but that's Hollywood it seems.

[Pete Vonder Haar]

That trailer for "The Boogens" was pretty scary.

And the best trailers are the ones they show on any "Something Weird" DVD.

"You're dirty, I tell you...DIRTY."

[Reverend Ned]

Originally posted by Pete Vonder Haar
And the best trailers are the ones they show on any "Something Weird" DVD.

"You're dirty, I tell you...DIRTY."

The same guy in the same film says one of the greatest lines ever written for any medium. I just wish I knew what film it was from...

"Now you listen, and you listen well... you're damaged merchandise, and this is a FIRE SALE!"

With that said, I recently went through a three volume (six hour) Something Weird compilation of XXX-rated film trailers of the 70s and early 80s. There are some true gems, like Confessions of a Teenage Peanut Butter Freak, The Liberation of Honeydoll Jones, Hedonist Hypnotist, Perverted Passions, Teenage Cruisers, Thaw the Frigid Bird, and Devil in Miss Jones (one of the most depressing pornos ever made).

[jpman9]

These looked sooo promising...but disappointed in the end. Curses!

Last Samurai - great build-up with music
Showgirls - Remember THAT trailer?!?
Episode I - yikes

[filmgurl]

it is truly glorious in all of it's pomposity. they couldn't possibly have made it that awful without trying.

ok, my favourite new trailer is for "sky captain and the world of tomorrow". yes i'm a sucker for old "buck rogers" (really old) serials. although the presence of gwyneth has me a little worried (i had such high hopes for her... sigh).

[truepictures]

I've watched the new Harry Potter trailers at least twice in a day now. And I absolutely am thrilled about the SkyCaptain movie because the guy who directed it, created a software that takes old playing cards or any cards and transforms them into 3d images on the screen . . . so a 2 dimensional object becomes 3d via this software, which I think is incredible.

I never saw Showgirls the movie or the trailer . . . too softcore! ha! jk

[Gorillaboss]

Originally posted by Reverend Ned

"Now you listen, and you listen well... you're damaged merchandise, and this is a FIRE SALE!"



The said quote (and the "dirty" one) appears in the Something Weird classic, Scum of the Earth.

Buy the "Something Weird Sampler" for a collection of the best damned trailers ever.