We’re not movie critics, and Marketing rarely covers movie advertising, but our writers and editors do see a lot of creative salesmanship in their day-to-day. They appreciate a good movie or game trailer when they see one, and have have compiled a list of their faves from the past year.
Melancholia
Get past the standard melodramatic von Trier lines like “Sometimes I hate you so much” peppered throughout. If the striking cinematography doesn’t kick you in the gut, you’ve got a Grinch-like hole where your heart should be.
Into The Abyss
Is it possible to tell an unbiased story about murder and the death penalty? This trailer would make it seem so…
Contaigion
This one was so well done (and made the illness seem so damn possible) that I couldn’t even bring myself to go see the movie (germs spread on the subway are all I can handle, thank you very much). Guess that’s not what the producers want to hear, but still, it’s a top-notch trailer.
ParaNorman
Remember how that Gears of War spot set to the acoustic version of Mad World was the perfect mix of cool visuals and sound? Ditto here. (Plus, how can you resist a kid with a tombstone alarm clock?)
Dead Island
Leave it to a videogame to beat Hollywood at its own game.
The Hobbit
A late edition to the list, but oh that dwarfy singing. What a tone it sets.
