Decided to throw together a collection of trailers, that to me, got it right. The list is for personal reference as much as anything else, and is by no means a “best of” compilation, just a few good ones from across genres. If you have one that’s missing, let me know!
Alien
From that signature otherworldly sound, to a cat’s screeching hiss, and finally to it’s frighteningly true tagline, this trailer nails it.
Little Children
If you’ve been on the fence about seeing Todd Field’s adultery masterpiece, this should probably help, it is a near perfect microcosm of the emotional tension about to come…
Inception
It’s hard to imagine that the now ubiquitous WHHOOOOOMMMMP was once a fresh idea, and this trailer started the trend. Aside from that, it really does a great job of conveying what the story is about without spelling out the plot.
The Social Network
When I heard they were making a facebook movie, I rolled my eyes (and again). This trailer changed that. The power of this opening, with its haunting cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” and into the subsequent escalation of drama, it’s amazing.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The best trailers get you excited for the movie’s potential, while leaving you eager to find out what the story is. Usually it is hard for a marketing department to hold restraint in that capacity, but in the case of this movie, it must have been easy – Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy is so dry and intricate, that the entire film feels like a trailer for something bigger that might make sense, or a sequel to a great movie, like The Godfather II only if The Godfather didn’t exist, so you have no context for why you care. Also, I loved the music cue they used here, and longed for it in the film, but found out that this gem, “The Wolf Suite,” by Danny Elfman, is actually from another dissapointing movie, The Wolfman. I still love this trailer though, it feels like it could be the thinking man’s Bond that never gets made.
Gojira
Of all the copycats of the “Inception Sound,” no one really deserves that seizmic thrubbing more than Godzilla. Add to that some great moments of panic and question raising within the dialogue here, and then the beautiful operatic score, what a perfect return for the big guy!
22 Jump Street
This one might be an eyebrow raiser, but as a comedy sequel, it just nails the wink and nod, while providing some freshness for what you’ll get, and has great music cues – I just love the pacing here.
Citizen Kane
Had to check in on this classic, and while I can’t say that it preps you all that well for the story, it is, without a doubt, one of the most unique and surprising trailers I have ever seen – shouldn’t have expected anything else from Orson Welles.