5. “Thor Ragnarok” – Teaser
As grand, exciting and fun-focused as the last few Marvel films have been, especially ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’ Vols 1 and 2, the “Thor” films films have had a tendency to be a little too po-faced and overtly serious. Thank the Gods of Asgard that “Flight of The Conchords” and “What We Do In The Shadows” director Taika Waititi came along to show how wonderfully silly the antics of Thor and The Hulk could be. Waititi was hired for the job based on a sizzle reel he put together of other films to the sound of Led Zeppelin‘s Viking epic and Robert Plant‘s wail has never been more appropriately used in a trailer. Gladiators, spaceships and Jeff Goldblum? No wonder it struck box office gold. “We know each other…he’s a friend from work,” cries Thor, giving away just the right degree of the tongue in cheek silliness the film abounds in before launching into a gladiatorial tackle has that an aura of camp flair that would make Flash Gordon proud. In less than three minutes’ time, this teaser turned out to be something neither of the previous Thor films were: fun. – EL
4. “The Disaster Artist” – Teaser
All together now, one, two, three; “I did not hit her. It’s not true. It’s bullshit. I did not hit her. I did not. Oh. Hi Mark.” Can you recite it? Good. So can the entire crew, except for Tommy Wiseau, who wrote the script. Arguably the most notorious scene from “The Room” (simply type “oh hi Mark” into YouTube to watch several parody videos in which details are obsessively recreated), it makes for a good launchpad for the film’s promotional push. This is a brilliantly executed scene, a nice indicator of the haphazard ramshackle nature of Tommy Wiseau’s vision. After more than sixty takes to get one line right, it doesn’t matter the crew that Wiseau (James Franco) has delivered the worst performance they have ever seen; they finally have a take. The joy on Seth Rogen and Dave Franco’s faces is infectious and this is also a splendid introduction to the elder Franco’s note-perfect intonation, cadence and timing as the deluded hero Wiseau. – EL
3. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Nobody can bandy a string of epithets about like Frances McDormand and nobody would use them to open a trailer but Martin McDonagh. This is classic McDonagh territory; biting, fighting language, high drama over vintage sixties soul (the Four Tops make a fine substitute to P.P. Arnold) and violence undercut for comic effect (which he did brilliantly in “In Bruges” and less so in “Seven Psychopaths”). Some old McDonagh cast members return for another go-round (Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson‘s verbal sparring makes for cool watching), but this is McDormand’s show, stabbing dentists, kicking groins and insulting police officers. The wide shots willowing throughout Missouri show evidence of directorial flair lacking in McDonagh’s first two films (his brother John Michael’s films have tended to have a greater visual edge). But McDonagh’s not forgotten his theatrical roots, with lines like “It seems to me the police department is too busy torturing black folks to solve actual crime,” showing his facility for barbed, potent wit. And that closing encounter, as McDormand’s Mildred Hayes verbally assaults a television reporter is dark comedy gold. Priceless. – EL
2. “Black Panther” – Teaser
Our complaints that the Marvel model, while sturdy, doesn’t too often stray from their familiar, successful and well worn path are well-documented. “Don’t fix what’s not broken” seemed to be the backbone of their business model for so long. But with the premiere of Ryan Coogler’s trailer for the upcoming “Black Panther,” we’ve begun to see a studio willing to finally, after ten years, expand what the brand stands for. Coming on the heels of “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed,” Coogler has brought an exuberance to the “Black Panther” settings, with colorful set pieces, acrobatic choreography, and some impressive world-building on display, that doesn’t skimp on dramatic potential. Aside from Chadwick Boseman’s titular character and the return of Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman, these are characters we’ve yet to meet in the MCU and by the end of the trailer we can’t wait to be right in the middle of them all — and this without giving away any of the plot. It’s an energizing trailer, promising the jolt of electricity that will serve the MCU well. – AJ
1. “Okja”
The Mamas & the Papas’ wistful yet lively cover of The 5 Royales’ “This is Dedicated to the One I Love” is the most widely-known version of this famous song, and for good reason: It perfectly rides the thin line between an uplifting cheesy love song and a darker, melancholic vibe. It’s a song you can listen to and feel happy or sad, depending on your mood. Therefore, it makes perfect sense as trailer music for Bong Joon-ho’s unconventionally dark and adult take on a story that’s usually found under Disney’s family entertainment umbrella. The relationship between the cuddly giant pig creature (rendered in brilliant, hefty CG) and the adorable little girl protagonist warms the cockles of our hearts as the song builds up to the vivacious chorus, where the trailer focuses more on the action aspects of the film. Yet because of that song choice, we always feel a bit uneasy as to where this relationship will hit a snag. It’s a dynamically edited, captivating piece of marketing for a movie that was obviously very hard to pinpoint regarding which markets and audiences it should have been sold to, but that doesn’t skimp on the mixture of silliness and cruelty that makes the film so unique. – Oktay Ege Kozak
There were some amazing 2017 movies whose trailers first dropped in 2016, and which therefore ended up on last year’s list, in case you’re wondering where the “Dunkirk,” “Get Out” and “Logan” are. And there are a whole load of others that nearly made the list, though in some cases, like “Call Me By Your Name” and “mother!” we can’t actually recall the trailer being top of mind until after we saw the film, so we excluded. Other near-misses: “Thoroughbreds“; “War For The Planet of The Apes“; “Deadpool 2” “Thirst Street“; “Kuso“; “You Were Never Really Here“; “The Phantom Thread“; “Thelma“; “Gemini“; “The Beguiled“; and “The Little Hours.” And our most controversial non-inclusion, probably is “Blade Runner 2049” which is a good showcase for Roger Deakins‘ beautiful photography, but still didn’t quite sell us on the film, prior to seeing it.
Any trailer really float your little paper boat this year that we haven’t called out? Let us know below, in the storm drain that is the comments section.
