Honorable Mentions (in five words)
Davis Guggenheim’s AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: Al Gore is not dead.
GQ presents...Martin Campbell’s CASINO ROYALE: Testicular torture is fun again.
"You WILL admire my Hitler moustache, dammit!"Neil Marshal’s THE DESCENT: Piss your pants-level scary.
"I eat kids for fun."Gabriele Muccino’s THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS: Hits harder than
you'd think.
$55 million movie.James McTigue’s V FOR VENDETTA: Masked men do it better.
"I'm this big. Seriously."The Shotcaller's Favorite TRAILER TRASH!
15. ROCKY BALBOA
I really don’t understand why more people didn’t see
this. It’s ROCKY for God’s sake! As soon as the Bill
Conti theme kicked in, all memories of ROCKY V should
have been forgotten. The trailer isn’t lying when it
says that this is the most inspirational character of
our time. Awesome trailer.
14. WORLD TRADE CENTER
Not the greatest movie (and certainly not up there
with UNITED 93), but this trailer hit pretty hard.
The music cues at just the right time, and the imagery
is resounding. Hearing ‘We never prepared for
something this size’ still shakes me.
13. BORAT! CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT
GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
The cleanest bits from the raunchiest movie ever are
still prety damn funny. Everyone could tell from the
get-go that this movie was going to be something
original at least, but I bet Sacha Baron Cohen didn’t
know he had the most talked-about film of the year in
his hands. Add in his show-stealing turn in TALLADEGA
NIGHTS, and he quite a nice year at the movies.
12. X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
Do you remember when cybernerds across the net went
ape-shit for this trailer? X2 was a bona fide
masterpiece in many comic book fans eyes, and it
looked like Brett Ratner wasn’t going to screw up
Bryan Singer’s terrific beginning to the series.
Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge being ripped apart,
hearing some awesome dialogue, and watching the X-Men
come in to the picture in slow motion while the
bassline boomed made for a pretty badass trailer. The
movie? Eh, not so much.
11. THE FOUNTAIN
Look, you either loved this movie or you hated it. It’s
either pretentious or extraordinary, depending on how
you look at it. There’s almost no question though
that it was shot beautifully, as majestically as any
movie in a long time (seriously, why the fuck
wasn’t this at least nominated for Best
Cinematography), and the trailer had much of the
extraordinary imagery that I saw in theaters three
times. I’ve written that it was as close to a
religious experience I had in a movie theater this
year, and I mean it. When Tom reaches epiphany or
enlightenment or Xenu or whatever you want to call it,
I pretty much had an orgasm.
10. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
An intense trailer. Seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman,
basically my favorite type-cast gay actor, play the
most venomously juicy villain of the year, and give
Tom Cruise a big “Fuck You Hard” while being strapped
to a chair and interrogated set up the fact that the
movie was pretty awesome, once you can get away from
Cruise’s off-screen personality. And that explosion
that threw Ethan Hunt into the car on the bridge is
basically the coolest thing, like, ever.
09. LITTLE CHILDREN
A child says she will make something beautiful for her
mother. A woman says that ‘it’s about the refusal to
accept a life of unhappiness’. An adulterous affair
unfolds. All the while a train approaches in the
distance. The intensity rises, without showing off
too much of the film. An exceptionally well-made
trailer.
08. SMOKIN’ ACES
Seriously, this is basically heroin on film.
Frenetic, fast-cut editing, furious action, deranged
hitmen (and women), and a strung-out Jeremy Piven all
add up to make a conglomoration of awesome. The film
came out yesterday, and sadly I think I’m going to be
forced to wait for DVD to see it, but SMOKIN’ ACES
looks A-L-I-V-E (even if it’s another PULP FICTION
knockoff).
07. SUPERMAN RETURNS
Many people were turned off by this trailer. I was
too, initially. It’s slow, without action or
explosions, and only teases the fact that Superman is
back in action. But this was a godly superhero film,
a majestic labor of love from Bryan Singer about how
the world really does need Superman. This trailer is
quite the teaser (even if it wasn’t what many people
were looking for).
06. THE BLACK DAHLIA
I still haven’t seen THE BLACK DAHLIA, but I’d look
to. Regardless of the bad reviews (which De Palma’s
FEMME FATALE got in 2002, but I still loved), the
gorgeous cinematography and throw-back to yesteryear
when young cops could wear suspenders and hats, looks
great. Maybe the film will suck, but the trailer
oozes cool, and I’m going to see it eventually,
despite the bad press. Isn’t that what a trailer
should do, after all? Sell you on a movie that has
everything else going against it?
05. MIAMI VICE
This is another movie that people either got, or they
didn’t. Michael Mann’s criminally underappreciated
godsend of a crime flick is rough on the edges and
even rougher at its heart, but man is it good-looking.
The film oozes masculinity and danger in a business
that quickly devours people, and the trailer was as
good a glimpse into the film as it could be without
the real violence. Jay-Z’s synthesized beat, the
bassline, and the low-angle shots all add up to quite
an awesome two-and-a-half minutes.
04. SPIDER-MAN 3
Basically the Second Coming, this trailer hit every
right note. The effects, the initial shock of the
black suit, and Peter Parker’s tortured soul are all
conveyed superbly here, and this teaser basically made
the first week of July worth living. A Godsend of a
teaser. Here’s hoping the film can somehow be as
great.
03. 300
Unlike SMOKIN' ACES, which I called heroin on film, this is
actual heroin. Sure, it’s completely over the top
and suggests that all the characters will do is SHOUT. LIKE.
THIS. FOR. THE. WHOLE. MOVIEEEEEEEEE. But hey,
wouldn’t that be great? I’m hoping sophomore director
Zack Snyder dares to break the clichés and go with the
Nine Inch Nails soundtrack and the overly-stylized
visuals instead of the orchestra and the realistic-looking
armies (a la TROY and ALEXANDER) storming the beaches.
We'll be in for one hell of a night when this opens.
02.THE DEPARTED
This was another trailer that grew on me. When I first saw it,
I was a Scorsese virgin really, with only The Aviator under my
belt. Since then he has grown on me like he has to almost
everyone else in the film community. His ability to mix music
with the right scenes is incomparable, and the lines that
I thought didn't really work in the trailer do, once I had seen
the movie. The music, the opening shot of Jack, and the kick-ass
shots throughout the trailer make it one of the best of the year.
01. CASINO ROYALE
We come to it at last. Everyone knew CASINO ROYALE
was going to be something special after this masterpiece of a
trailer. A blonde Bond? No problem. A black-and-white
opening sequence? Bring it on. No Aston Martin? Whatever.
The silliness and stupidity of the last few Brosnan Bond movies
were erased with this trailer, which featured a more down to
earth, human Bond and no invisible cars being chased by a
laser beam from space. And the music is just incredible. The
score booms at the right time, directly in line with the action of
the trailer. As Daniel Craig (who is right up there with Sean
Connery as the best Bond ever) gives up his heart to a woman
and 'sheds his armor', only to lose her, the music hits its peak,
and we finally hear the iconic score kick in. I have to say that
as good as CASINO ROYALE was, the trailer was even better.
15. ROCKY BALBOA
I really don’t understand why more people didn’t see
this. It’s ROCKY for God’s sake! As soon as the Bill
Conti theme kicked in, all memories of ROCKY V should
have been forgotten. The trailer isn’t lying when it
says that this is the most inspirational character of
our time. Awesome trailer.
14. WORLD TRADE CENTER
Not the greatest movie (and certainly not up there
with UNITED 93), but this trailer hit pretty hard.
The music cues at just the right time, and the imagery
is resounding. Hearing ‘We never prepared for
something this size’ still shakes me.
13. BORAT! CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT
GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
The cleanest bits from the raunchiest movie ever are
still prety damn funny. Everyone could tell from the
get-go that this movie was going to be something
original at least, but I bet Sacha Baron Cohen didn’t
know he had the most talked-about film of the year in
his hands. Add in his show-stealing turn in TALLADEGA
NIGHTS, and he quite a nice year at the movies.
12. X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
Do you remember when cybernerds across the net went
ape-shit for this trailer? X2 was a bona fide
masterpiece in many comic book fans eyes, and it
looked like Brett Ratner wasn’t going to screw up
Bryan Singer’s terrific beginning to the series.
Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge being ripped apart,
hearing some awesome dialogue, and watching the X-Men
come in to the picture in slow motion while the
bassline boomed made for a pretty badass trailer. The
movie? Eh, not so much.
11. THE FOUNTAIN
Look, you either loved this movie or you hated it. It’s
either pretentious or extraordinary, depending on how
you look at it. There’s almost no question though
that it was shot beautifully, as majestically as any
movie in a long time (seriously, why the fuck
wasn’t this at least nominated for Best
Cinematography), and the trailer had much of the
extraordinary imagery that I saw in theaters three
times. I’ve written that it was as close to a
religious experience I had in a movie theater this
year, and I mean it. When Tom reaches epiphany or
enlightenment or Xenu or whatever you want to call it,
I pretty much had an orgasm.
10. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
An intense trailer. Seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman,
basically my favorite type-cast gay actor, play the
most venomously juicy villain of the year, and give
Tom Cruise a big “Fuck You Hard” while being strapped
to a chair and interrogated set up the fact that the
movie was pretty awesome, once you can get away from
Cruise’s off-screen personality. And that explosion
that threw Ethan Hunt into the car on the bridge is
basically the coolest thing, like, ever.
09. LITTLE CHILDREN
A child says she will make something beautiful for her
mother. A woman says that ‘it’s about the refusal to
accept a life of unhappiness’. An adulterous affair
unfolds. All the while a train approaches in the
distance. The intensity rises, without showing off
too much of the film. An exceptionally well-made
trailer.
08. SMOKIN’ ACES
Seriously, this is basically heroin on film.
Frenetic, fast-cut editing, furious action, deranged
hitmen (and women), and a strung-out Jeremy Piven all
add up to make a conglomoration of awesome. The film
came out yesterday, and sadly I think I’m going to be
forced to wait for DVD to see it, but SMOKIN’ ACES
looks A-L-I-V-E (even if it’s another PULP FICTION
knockoff).
07. SUPERMAN RETURNS
Many people were turned off by this trailer. I was
too, initially. It’s slow, without action or
explosions, and only teases the fact that Superman is
back in action. But this was a godly superhero film,
a majestic labor of love from Bryan Singer about how
the world really does need Superman. This trailer is
quite the teaser (even if it wasn’t what many people
were looking for).
06. THE BLACK DAHLIA
I still haven’t seen THE BLACK DAHLIA, but I’d look
to. Regardless of the bad reviews (which De Palma’s
FEMME FATALE got in 2002, but I still loved), the
gorgeous cinematography and throw-back to yesteryear
when young cops could wear suspenders and hats, looks
great. Maybe the film will suck, but the trailer
oozes cool, and I’m going to see it eventually,
despite the bad press. Isn’t that what a trailer
should do, after all? Sell you on a movie that has
everything else going against it?
05. MIAMI VICE
This is another movie that people either got, or they
didn’t. Michael Mann’s criminally underappreciated
godsend of a crime flick is rough on the edges and
even rougher at its heart, but man is it good-looking.
The film oozes masculinity and danger in a business
that quickly devours people, and the trailer was as
good a glimpse into the film as it could be without
the real violence. Jay-Z’s synthesized beat, the
bassline, and the low-angle shots all add up to quite
an awesome two-and-a-half minutes.
04. SPIDER-MAN 3
Basically the Second Coming, this trailer hit every
right note. The effects, the initial shock of the
black suit, and Peter Parker’s tortured soul are all
conveyed superbly here, and this teaser basically made
the first week of July worth living. A Godsend of a
teaser. Here’s hoping the film can somehow be as
great.
03. 300
Unlike SMOKIN' ACES, which I called heroin on film, this is
actual heroin. Sure, it’s completely over the top
and suggests that all the characters will do is SHOUT. LIKE.
THIS. FOR. THE. WHOLE. MOVIEEEEEEEEE. But hey,
wouldn’t that be great? I’m hoping sophomore director
Zack Snyder dares to break the clichés and go with the
Nine Inch Nails soundtrack and the overly-stylized
visuals instead of the orchestra and the realistic-looking
armies (a la TROY and ALEXANDER) storming the beaches.
We'll be in for one hell of a night when this opens.
02.THE DEPARTED
This was another trailer that grew on me. When I first saw it,
I was a Scorsese virgin really, with only The Aviator under my
belt. Since then he has grown on me like he has to almost
everyone else in the film community. His ability to mix music
with the right scenes is incomparable, and the lines that
I thought didn't really work in the trailer do, once I had seen
the movie. The music, the opening shot of Jack, and the kick-ass
shots throughout the trailer make it one of the best of the year.
01. CASINO ROYALE
We come to it at last. Everyone knew CASINO ROYALE
was going to be something special after this masterpiece of a
trailer. A blonde Bond? No problem. A black-and-white
opening sequence? Bring it on. No Aston Martin? Whatever.
The silliness and stupidity of the last few Brosnan Bond movies
were erased with this trailer, which featured a more down to
earth, human Bond and no invisible cars being chased by a
laser beam from space. And the music is just incredible. The
score booms at the right time, directly in line with the action of
the trailer. As Daniel Craig (who is right up there with Sean
Connery as the best Bond ever) gives up his heart to a woman
and 'sheds his armor', only to lose her, the music hits its peak,
and we finally hear the iconic score kick in. I have to say that
as good as CASINO ROYALE was, the trailer was even better.
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