LET'S TALK: TEASER TRAILERS

The most powerful tool at any studios disposal is undoubtedly the teaser trailer. Throughout the history of cinema, studios have used the teaser trailer to entice audiences all over the world to find the answers to the questions proposed in their sixty second clips. Teaser trailers work phenomenally well in planting an idea in our minds of what wonderful things we might see in our local cinema. They tells us, "We can't show you. You must see it for yourself".

And so with the release of 20th Century Fox's superb teaser for Ridley Scott's Prometheus, I've decided to take a look back at some of the greatest teaser trailers of our time. From horror, to sci-fi, to superhero epics, these trailers not only excite and intrigue, they often go on to become more popular and revered than the movies they represent. Find the list below.

SUSPIRIA 

Showing only about 25 seconds of footage, Suspiria's teaser is probably my favourite of all time. It's a beautiful and terrifying compilation; showcasing the wonderful lighting and direction but also giving you a the briefest taste of the horror that lies ahead. And that closing image of the slashed-up old hag dribbling blood while holding a knife above her head...really great stuff. The perfect teaser. 

HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES 

This teaser was released by Universal before director Rob Zombie had even begun principal photography. The ad was meant to pique the morbid curiosity in us all by hinting at the "worst crime in American history", similar to that of the poster of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre which proclaimed, "Who will survive and what will be left of them?". Mostly released on VHS copies of other horror titles, the teaser for House of 1,000 Corpses is extremely effective. The imagery is extremely macabre, with hundreds of little wooden crosses surrounding investigative teams as they pull body after body out of the dirt. And what's even better is that the way the teaser is shot, it's almost as if we are an onlooker at the scene, desperate to know but excluded from the grizzly details. And the only way to find out said details? Go and see House of 1,000 Corpses. 

SUPERMAN RETURNS 

Regardless of the quality of the completed film, the teaser trailer for Superman Returns embodied everything a fan could ever want from a big screen adventure for the man of steel. Each hallmark in the life of Kal-El is brought to life by director Bryan Singer and we get a test of how his life will eventually go from small town boy to savior of the world. The accompanying John Williams music takes the trailer to another level; one of cinematic wonder so strong it'll leave you with goosebumps. And massive plus points for this teaser ending with our hero in an almost meditative state above the planet earth. Beautiful stuff.

PSYCHO 

What a great little quirky teaser! For such a dark, terrifying film. A fantastic piece of advertising; director Alfred Hitchcock gives us, the audience, a tour of the set of his newest thriller, Psycho. The motel, the house, the grounds, all are explored as Hitchcock remains deliberately secretive as to what kind of crime actually took place here. Was it a theft? Rape? Murder even? Of course, Hitchcock eventually indulges us and shares some of the building's secrets. And right as he's explaining the ghastly murder that took place in the motel's bathroom...well, watch and see. It's a powerful teaser trailer that sucks you into the mystery of it all and leaves you with more questions than answers. 

TOBY JONES, SIENNA MILLER JOIN BBC2'S THE GIRL!

A quick one; Toby Jones (The Mist, Infamous) will play legendary master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, in BBC2's upcoming drama The Girl. Joining the British actor is model-cum-actress, Sienna Miller. Miller will play Tippi Hendren, the star (and object of desire for the director) of The Birds & Marnie. 

The TV film is said to be focusing more on Hitchcock's infatuation with the actress and their relationship on and off screen. A seeming friendship with mutual gain that ended in bitterness and animosity. The Girl should make for wonderful television. Consider me intrigued. 

PETER WELLER JOINING STAR TREK 2 = PERFECTION

The hard working folks at Variety got wind that Peter Weller is joining the cast of J.J. Abrams hotly anticipated, Star Trek 2. The actor is, of course, known to you and I as Robocop; the greatest police officer of all time. Er, at least in film. Weller brought his wonderful presence to Robocop and it's sequel Robocop 2, as well as standout episodes in 24, Dexter and the mind-bending sci-fi series, Fringe. Let me explain why this is such terrific news. If you've seen the aforementioned episode of Fringe (titled White Tulip), you know how magnificently humble & wise Weller comes across in character and presence, so if Abrams has cast him in a role aboard the mighty U.S.S. Enterprise, then we should rejoice. After the announcement that the director will shoot his latest film in 3D, my hopes were slightly dashed for the sequel. But with this I find them rejuvenated! A fine actor for a fine sequel? I do hope so.

TOP 5 OF 2011!

It's coming to the end of 2011 and with only 3 major releases left (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol & Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows), I thought I'd go ahead and make my annual Top 5. For those wondering why now, simply because I probably won't get to see the aforementioned titles until 2012, as this season is always a busy one for me. So, without further adieu, my Top 5 films of 2011.

5) SOURCE CODE - DUNCAN JONES

Source Code is intelligent, thrilling and masterfully directed by Duncan Jones. His previous film, Moon, highlighted his ability to squeeze the best out of each of his actors and Jake Gyllenhaal gives a career best here. The screenplay (written by Ben Ripley) is tight and full of twists, keeping you compelled until the credits roll. Like a great novel you can't put down, if you haven't seen Source Code, I highly recommend doing so. 

4) RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - RUPERT WYATT 

An awesome, awesome reinvention of the classic sci-fi series. Honestly, who thought the suits at 20th Century Fox would allow Rupert Wyatt the freedom to create such a wonderful, intelligent and exciting blockbuster? I was completely wrong about this one. To the point that I'm now adamant that Andy Serkis should take home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in March 2012. Here's hoping the institution recognizes his outstanding work in Apes. Hail Caesar! Hail this movie! 

3) I SAW THE DEVIL - JEE-WOON KIM

South Korea's answer to Se7en; Jee-woon Kim's I Saw The Devil is a monster of a film. Starring two superb actors (Min-Sik Choi of Oldboy & Byung-hun Lee of A Bittersweet Life), the film sees a special agent turn the tables on the serial killer who slaughtered his wife. The hunter becomes the hunted and ultra-violence commences. Certainly not one for the squeamish and while I'll probably never sit through it again, I'm really glad I caught it. 

2) HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN - JASON EISENER 

Jason Eisener's Hobo With A Shotgun is a wonderful ode to the trashy films of the VHS-era. Rutger Hauer dirties it up as the hobo; a wandering soul in search of cash to start up his own lawn-mowing business. When the hobo encounters the town's brutish mayor and his two maniac sons, he realizes there is a more important task at hand; the destruction of the town's scumbags, pimps and dealers. Hobo With A Shotgun is a symphony of neon-glow violence conducted by a capable and interesting director. If I had seen this film when I was a young teen, I've no doubt it would have become a monthly midnight watch for sure. 

1) 13 ASSASSINS - TAKASHI MIIKE

A strikingly beautiful film by gonzo director Takashi Miike. This gets my number one spot due to the culmination of great acting, writing, direction, costume design, set production, etc. The climactic action sequence is certainly the best of the year and could very well be one of the best battles ever filmed. A truly great film with a wonderful sense of camaraderie between the samurai. Oh, and I almost forgot; 13 Assassins has, quite simply, the vilest villain of the naughties. Check this out immediately.

And so that's that. Another year finished! Honorable mentions go to Drive, Hanna, Crazy Stupid Love and X-Men: First Class! 

Skyfall, or How Bond Got His Groove Back.

The first (so far as I know) images of Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond have landed over at Just Jared. The images may seem like your run-of-the-mill paparazzo shots, but could they reveal something about the upcoming 007 adventure?

A snapshot of an aged, tired special agent at Trafalgar Square. Although Bond is as sharply dressed as usual, could this be an indication of a world-weary, fractured James? Martin Campbell and Craig briefly toyed with this persona in 2005's Casino Royale, with Vesper Lynd lightly scratching away at Bond's tough exterior, exposing an isolated orphan who became Britain's deadliest weapon. So could Sam Mendes follow through with this idea and give us a side of Bond we've never been shown? I certainly hope so, as Quantum Of Solace felt like a step backwards into the sociopathic-chic of Pierce Brosnan's 007. 

Rumors swirl that this will be Craig's last outing as the iconic hero, so it could be a real turning point for the franchise if Mendes set his Bond in our world; a world in financial crisis, fascistic policing and intruding tabloids. And what could be more interesting than seeing 007 strive to be his usual world-saving self when governments seem bent on destroying themselves? 

Come on, Skyfall. Don't disappoint!

The Walking Dead: A History Of Fucking Up.

For those of you Stateside, tonight brings the sixth episode in season two of AMC's survival horror series, The Walking Dead. The show has seen a serious amount of success; with phenomenal ratings, a third season already green-lit and an ever growing collection of officially licensed gear. But for fans in the know, The Walking Dead has also seen behind-the-scenes turmoil and major executive tampering. What had once been an acclaimed and adored horror series has, to many, become a tedious, melodramatic and badly written drama. So I ask the question, are The Walking Dead's problems stemming from creator & executive producer Frank Darabont's untimely departure or has the show been screwed right from conception?

When the pilot episode premiered last October, AMC knew they had a huge hit on their hands, drawing in over 5.3 million viewers in it's 10pm slot. Directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist), the pilot largely followed Robert Kirkman's original comic to the letter. Casting British actor Andrew Lincoln in the role of good-guy Rick Grimes, audiences were sucked into this small-town sheriff's struggle for survival in a post apocalyptic world. While the pilot was loved by both critics and audiences alike, nearly everyone could see the immediate dip in quality once the reigns had been passed from Darabont for episode two, titled 'Guts'. In the season's second episode, we met a huge group of survivors, consisting of many races, ages and religions. It's here that we realized there will forever be two types of characters in The Walking Dead; the three-dimensional and the cardboard stereotype. Rather than touch on each character so as we can get to know them, each week the team of writers ignored everyone but Rick, Lori, Shane, Andrea & Daryl. Who is Jacqui? Who is Dale? Who are the Latin-American family? What are their stories? Apparently, they don't have any.

An error in the writing team then seemed apparent to the show's network, as rumors swirled of Darabont firing the entire writing staff in favor of a freelance team that would scribe each episode individually. While these rumors were eventually quashed, it didn't help the fan's view of the show. 'Is The Walking Dead in trouble?' seemed to be question of the week, as both AMC and the show's producers failed to respond to the media. Eventually, news spilled that season two was underway and everything was going great behind the scenes. Until Monday, July 25th, 2010. Late on Monday news leaked to the internet that the show's creator had been fired and escorted off set. The rumor mill once again cranked out stories that Darabont and particular actors weren't getting along and that the director/produced couldn't handle the pressures of a television schedule. But nobody seemed to be able to explain his involvement in the show's Comic-Con panel just two days before. Could his actions have been so bad that he was fired in just two days?

The thing to remember here is that regardless of the quality of season two thus far, I'm almost certain most of what we've seen in the last five weeks deviates wildly from Darabont & co's original plan for the season. Originally, the season premiere was to be a two hour episode, with Gwyneth Horder Payton (Sons Of Anarchy) directing. Now that it's all come out, we know that Payton turned in footage that Frank found to be unusable, to such an extent that he deemed it necessary to go back and re-film certain scenes. This must have infuriated AMC (who were rumored to be looking for budget cuts to afford Matt Weiner's return to Mad Men), hence you have his firing and the sneaky manner in which it took place.

This is all public knowledge now, but it's interesting to see some of Payton's unused footage in the original Comic-Con trailer for season two. In it, we can see various locations not shown in the premiere episode, like the make-shift nursing home from season one's 'Vatos'. Did Rick travel back to the home? We'll never know. And a quick glimpse of Shane gunning down a herd of zombies teases us with some much needed action, but this was eventually cut too. So in a bid to save the show's reputation of high quality television, the show's team chopped bits & pieces together to create the 63 minute episode, 'What Lies Ahead'. And while I enjoyed it personally, the level of disappointment and anger throughout the internet was startling. Fans rushed to internet message boards to proclaim the show had 'jumped the shark' after only 7 episodes and that Darabont's departure was the kiss of death for the show. But to that I say this; season two has been on par with season one. There are many problems with the second season (the over-drawn search for Sophia, under-written characters and a meandering pace) but these are problems the show faced in it's initial run, too. Some poor decisions were made in the early days of the show's creation and they have yet to be rectified, so it will be interesting to see how Kirkman et al will confront them. And with the show's new head, Glen Mazzara, publicly declaring he will be deviating from the comic books even more, will The Walking Dead retain it's viewership? One thing is for certain, there has never been a television show with this many internal problems in it's first 12 episodes.