If you are anything like me, you always show up to the movies on-time so as not to miss the trailers. I always enjoy seeing what is coming out, but when a trailer is made really well - like those listed below - it is often a better experience than the actual film. Here are my 15 favorite trailers that premiered in 2012:
15. The Avengers
This is technically the UK trailer (for Avengers Assemble) but let's face it, the American one was ruined by that lame Soundgarden song. This one is just epic.
14. Django Unchained
It's a bit spoilery for my tastes, but it has all the humor and style we've come to expect from Quentin Tarantino.
13. The Great Gatsby
Proof that music makes or breaks a trailer. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books so I was initially against this flashy new version, but this trailer has made me more open-minded. Specifically, Jack White's fantastic cover of "Love is Blindness" is 90% to thank for that.
12. The Dark Knight Rises
This one follows the template of Nolan's The Dark Knight trailer almost exactly. While it does not have the impact of that one, the anthem, Catwoman's "storm" warning, and the Bane chanting hit all the right notes to get us fans excited.
11. Evil Dead (red-band teaser trailer)
This surprisingly gory teaser was enough to change quite a few horror geeks' minds about this remake - mine included.
10. Skyfall
This trailer exemplifies everything amazing about Skyfall - the gorgeous cinematography, the epic action sequences, and the beautiful people. Plus, the 007 music is used to perfection. And that scene where Bond adjusts his cuff on the train - guh, instant boner every time.
9. The Woman in Black
The haunting wind, the creepy-as-fuck toys, and the children's poem are all too familiar, but like footsteps or a creaking door, they are undeniably effective. This trailer gives me the heebie jeebies. Even if you don't like the film, you gotta admit this is hands-down the scariest trailer of 2012.
8. Man of Steel (teaser #1)
I prefer this teaser to the full trailer because of its beautiful simplicity and the voice-over. There are two versions of this - one narrated by Jor-El (Russell Crowe), and another by Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner). Both are lovely, but I prefer the former (below). I don't even like Superman but that shot of the boy with the red cape gives me goosebumps.
7. Pacific Rim
Giant robots versus monsters. Do I really need to say anything else here?
6. Star Trek Into Darkness (teaser)
The teaser and trailer are pretty similar but I'm giving the edge to the original teaser, if only because it was the first thing I saw and so I associate it with a total nergasm. Benedict Cumberbatch's menacing voice-over and all the beautiful visuals make me overlook that ridiculous Alice Eve scream.
5. Les Miserables
This is not usually my kind of film, but this trailer alone made me instantly want to see it. I think everyone can agree it is Anne Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" that is almost entirely responsible for that. Stunning. I'm not usually brought to tears by a fucking TRAILER, but yep, this one did it.
4. The Master (teaser #1)
Yes, I prefer this to the actual full-length trailer. The gorgeous 60s aesthetic, Joaquin Phoenix's frightening performance and that haunting cowbell - what's not to love?
3. Brave
The first half of this trailer didn't do much for me, but once Julie Fowlis started singing "Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain", I was practically in tears by the end of the trailer. Plus, there's Kelly McDonald's soothing accent. If you had the chance to change your fate - would you? A pity the film wasn't nearly so good.
2. Iron Man 3
Sure, it borrows from the Chris Nolan school of trailers, but damn if it doesn't give me the biggest nerd hard-on. I can ignore how Bane-like Mandarin's narration is because everything about this trailer looks amazing.
1. Prometheus (teaser AND full trailer)
I could watch both trailers over and over and over, even after having seen the film. I held off on watching these for so long, to avoid spoilers, but once I gave in, I was blown away. The way the teaser parallels the original Alien trailer gives me unbelievable goosebumps. And although the full-length trailer gives away too much, once that classic screaming noise and Noomi Rapace's "We were so wrong!" kicked in, I was practically in a state of fangirl shock. And I still am.
Teaser #1:
Trailer:
