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12. Independence Day (1996)
By IFC
on 06/25/2009
Watching the "Independence Day" teaser today, it’s impossible not to note its influence on subsequent summer blockbusters, its every facet now a bedrock cliché of the season’s cinematic entertainment. In quick, minimalistic bursts, the trailer provides the only information one requires. On July 2nd -- cut to shots of enormous, ominous shadows covering beloved national monuments like the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial -- "They Arrive." Then, there are multiple shots of diverse citizens turning their eyes upward to stare in horrified awe at the sky, images that stoke the central mystery while simultaneously presenting a state of affairs the audience can naturally project themselves into.
On July 3rd, "They Attack," a message that leads directly into the unforgettable sight of the White House being obliterated by a UFO laser blast. Still need more enticement to see the film? July 4th is “The Day We Fight Back”! Portentous tease + cataclysmic payoff + promise of all-out retribution: Roland Emmerich’s trailer laid out, for a generation of filmmakers to come, the surefire recipe for marketing a big-budget sci-fi spectacle. --Nick Schager
I guess you guys haven't seen the trailer for The Hughes Bros.'s Dead Presidents, huh? What about Forest Gump? I think those are the 2 greatest of all time. Gump is better than the movie. And Dead Prez is the best ever.
Oh... what about the SW Ep 1 teaser? Maybe you should call this the best film trailers on YouTube! LOL. Dead Prez is probably too hard for you to locate.
I think The Dark Knight, Iron Man, and 300 should be included!
Clerks? No love for the Clerks trailer? Sigh.
Honorable mention for the Grindhouse fake trailers? "Don't" was brilliant.
Great list, by the way. Thanks for including 'Man Who Wasn't There'
Seriously? We have to click 50 times just to get the damn list? No thanks.
Like clicking 50 times is soooo hard, right? But you guys forgot about There Will Be Blood!!
50 PAGES?!!! Get back to work researching how to post an article. No Digg for you.
50 PAGES?!!! Get back to work researching how to post an article. No Digg for you.
GREAT article and flawless pick for #1. I actually did a lil piece on that trailer at our own movie blog, so I'm elated to see as your top pick. Yay trailers!