Memorable Movie Trailers from the First Century of Hollywood Filmmaking

For some moviegoers, the most important part of going to the theater is seeing trailers for upcoming attractions. For many films, trailers actually can be more entertaining and memorable than the movies they are promoting. Here are 10 memorable movie trailers that have stood the test of time:

"E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial": The summer of 1982 turned out to be a real bonanza for movie lovers, with blockbusters like "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Rocky III" dominating the box office for weeks, even months, in many cities. Before that crucial summer, however, a quiet, understated trailer for a little movie called 'E.T.' popped up in theaters. More of a teaser than anything else, Spielberg's marketing team had everyone excited about this movie by what they did not show, namely the cute little Extra-Terrestrial himself.

"The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8^th Dimension": Audiences got their first look at "Buckaroo Banzai," the now famous bowtie-wearing physicist/surgeon/musician, in a wild little trailer. The preview starts with a montage of images followed by a musical clip that shows all the important characters. Peter Weller ("Robocop") is perfectly deadpan as a doctor who can perform neurosurgery, drive a car through a mountain and then jam with his band at night. Still, no one has fully explained why that watermelon was in "Buckaroo Banzai" in the first place.

"Hardware Wars": A "Star Wars" parody designed as a movie trailer, "Hardware Wars" recreates several key scenes from Lucas' original film, using household appliances instead of toy models. Flashlights take the place of light sabers and a waffle iron is used to represent an imperial star cruiser. In the years before VHS became commonplace, "Hardware Wars" kept the "Star Wars" fever burning hot and was the best free advertising that George Lucas could have hoped for.

"Don't": One of the fake movie trailers featured in "Grindhouse," the preview for "Don't" pokes fun at those countless schlock horror films of the 1970's. As the narrator speaks, he advises the characters to "Don't go into the house" and "Don't look over there." By the end of the trailer, the narration has been reduced to just the word "Don't" repeated over and over again.

"Ghostbusters": The original teaser trailer for "Ghostbusters" arrived in theaters during the fall of 1983. Simple and a bit cryptic, the trailer featured stars Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd departing their official "Ecto 1" emergency vehicle while surrounded by a crowd of adoring fans. That "Ghostbusters" teaser kept interest in the comedy high until the movie became one of the blockbuster hits of 1984.

"The Time Machine (1960)": The trailer for the 1960 version of "The Time Machine" is memorable because it gives a tasty glimpse of the genius of George Pal. A master of stop-motion animation, Pal directed this adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic story about a man who travels hundreds of millennia into the future. Shot in the heavily descriptive/teasing style of the 1960's, "The Time Machine" trailer shows Pal's brilliant work and Rod Taylor's star quality in the lead role.

"Fantastic Voyage": Another highly descriptive trailer from the 1960's, the teaser for "Fantastic Voyage" features a booming voice over that encourages audience to take a journey through the human body along with the cast. In many ways, this memorable movie trailer actually gives too many details away, showing several of the detailed "body sets" used during the filming of "Fantastic Voyage."

"History of the World Part 2": Nobody can get people interested in a movie quite like Mel Brooks, and his fake trailer for his never-produced sequel to "History of the World" still causes confusion to this day. Offering teasers such as shots of Adolph Hitler performing in an ice show, the "History of the World Part 2" trailer appeared at the end of the movie during its 1981 run in theaters and on home video. Many people who purchase the DVD expect to find a part 2 in stores, but despite many rumors, Brooks has not crafted a sequel as of yet.

"Rollerball (1975)": Featuring the inimitable actor John Houseman, this well-constructed trailer shows one possible future in which corporations have replaced traditional governments. The "Rollerball" trailer also shows James Caan wearing a futuristic outfit that looks like a combination of roller derby garb and protective football gear. The most chilling moment of the "Rollerball" trailer comes at the end, though, when one character says "It (Rollerball) was never meant to be a game."

"Misery": To tease audiences into theaters, the trailer for "Misery" has the camera following a car through a scenic, snow-covered landscape. With beautiful music playing in the background, the car and driver spin out of control, setting up the Stephen King inspired horror that is to come.

Resources:

http://www.slashfilm.com/tag/grindhouse-2/