FanFare

The Greatest Movie Trailers of All-time

I bet you can’t guess my favorite

I love a good tease.

Especially the cinematic variety. So much so that I always feel vaguely disappointed when the movie — the thing I paid to see — actually starts.

A well-crafted trailer is like those little samples that supermarkets handed out pre-Covid (in the before times); the best ones get you to buy. Great trailers are a piece of art unto themselves. Have you ever rewatched a trailer after you’ve seen the film? Or is that just my weird kink?

The thing about trailers is they tend not to age well. Fire up a trailer from the 90's or earlier and you’ll be shocked at how cringey it is, complete with hokey voiceover (remember the ‘in a world…’ style trailers?) and bad effects. So you’ll only find one pre-2000 trailer on this list.

In reverse order naturally because we’re all civilized people here.

#8 — Godzilla

I grew up watching Saturday afternoon marathons of the Godzilla films of the 60’s and 70’s, complete with the horrendous voice dubbing which was a large part of their charm. The 2014 film wasn’t all that great, but it had an amazing trailer. Atmospheric, a sense of dread pervades the whole thing. We only get a few glimpses at the big lizard himself, but his presence is felt throughout.

Great trailers make you feel something and this one had it in spades.

#7 — The Dark Knight Rises

No doubt, The Dark Knight is clearly the superior movie in every way, and a fun trailer in its own right. But the trilogy-capper exudes a sense of menace, of a coming reckoning, that reconsidered the trilogy holistically; The Dark Knight’s trailer primarily concerned itself with the Joker and his love of chaos.

Pushed by the relentless chant which becomes Bane’s theme song, this trailer steadily builds tension, promising a climax worthy of the trilogy. If only the film had reached the levels promised by the trailer. Great trailers need not beget amazing films, alas.

#6 — Terminator 2: Judgement Day / Guns N’ Roses

This is not, strictly speaking, a movie trailer.

There was a glorious yet brief period in the 90’s where music videos were used to promote films, creating this Frankenstein-esque wonder that was part music video and part movie trailer. The best of the bunch was the T2-themed video for Guns N’ Roses’ You Could Be Mine. The band is heavily featured, with scenes from the movie breaking up the monotony of long hair, sweaty chests, and tight leather pants.

There’s also a meta story in which Arnold’s terminator infiltrates the crowd and steadily moves toward the stage, presumably to execute the band for the crime of Axl Rose’s bicycle shorts. It’s loud and stupid and is the best of both T2 and GNR. Yes it’s 6 minutes long. But the song kicks ass so the time flies. Even better, the film remains unspoiled. I watched this video every time it came on MTV and still had no idea what the movie was about.

Isn’t the point of a trailer to tantalize without giving away the story? How can you watch this and not be hyped? Or in the words of Maximus Decimus Meridius: are you not entertained?

Here’s a link to the official T2 trailer, complete with cheesy voiceovers, if you wanna see the alternative.

#5 — No Country for Old Men

In a word: relentless. Much like the film and the book that inspired it. One of the few trailers that matches the tone and tenor of the completed film. As good as the trailer is, the film is even better.

#4 — Guardians of the Galaxy

It’s a little hard to remember now, but the Guardians as a concept was a bit out-there when it was announced. How would fans react to a story told in space through the eyes of a mostly non-human cast (including a tree and a talking raccoon)?

Given the absurd subject matter, the trailer for Guardians needed to be pitch-perfect. And it is.

Everything that made Guardians a breakout hit is here: irreverent humor, zany characters, and colorful action. Not to mention the music is front and center. It doesn’t get much better than this.

#3 — Mad Max: Fury road

Like the film itself, this trailer is a tour de force that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t quit. With apologies to Die Hard, Fury Road is quite possibly the best action movie ever; the trailer alone gets my blood pumping. So shiny and chrome.

#2 — The Force Awakens

With the bad taste of Rise of Skywalker still in my mouth, it’s a bit hard to recall just how awestruck and excited I was when this trailer dropped. My buddy and I sequestered a conference room at work and watched it probably 6 times in a row. I even downloaded the track.

After the colorful but rather bland Prequels, this trailer offered the promise of something almost unthinkable: Star Wars being good, again. It didn’t work out that way in the end. But this trailer will always hold a special place in my heart.

#1 — Captain America: Civil War

Civil War is a good film, but it’s not my favorite MCU movie. Probably not even top 5. Heck, it’s not even my favorite Captain America movie (that being Winter Soldier). But there’s something about this trailer that speaks to me, that makes me feel deeply. I feel moved watching it, even now.

Part of it is undoubtedly the score — Sharks Don’t Sleep by Dean Valentine — which steadily builds alongside the narrative. Part of it is maybe seeing Black Panther for the first time, and the wonder of so many superheroes on the screen simultaneously. And yeah, its got action for days.

But what gets me is the story it tells in just over 2 minutes. A story of enduring friendship, come what may. As a kid who bounced around a lot and never really made many deep attachments but keenly feels the loss, it leaves me a bit awed. Steve has Bucky’s back till the end of the line. And Sam, Steve’s other bestie, is ride or die. Sam is fully aware of what they are up against but isn’t going to let Steve face it on his own.

Basically from the moment Sam jumps off the ledge, I am all in. Pump that into my veins and let me OD. So so good.

It’s little wonder I love The Falcon and the Winter Soldier so much: it’s a continuation of this story of brotherly love. I don’t believe for a second that Bucky and Sam really hate each other. Eventually they’ll realize it too.

Agree? Disagree? Hate it? What are some of your favorite trailers? Leave a comment and let’s compare.

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