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.