If you're looking to find the Star Wars teaser on this list, then you've come to the wrong place. However, if you want my opinion, I will simply say it's one of the most underwhelming trailers of the year, yet it's earned a spot on many people's top lists. Anyhow, here’s my belated list of 2014’s best trailers.
1. American Sniper - No trailer this year does tension as great as this. Focusing on sound effects and the opening of the film interspersed with flashbacks to Chris Kyle's life make an incredibly effective trailer, and the best of the year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MItGoIxoVGk 2. Whiplash – What starts off as a straightforward music-based film turns into a driving and rhythmic look at the main character’s desire to be the best and how far he’s pushed. The increasing tap of the drum resonates long after the trailer ends. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d_jQycdQGo 3. Guardians of the Galaxy – The first trailer released captured the tone of the film perfectly with a serious opening followed by the reveal of the not-so-well-known Starlord. It's a great example of a character-driven trailer that also showcases the humor and action of the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d96cjJhvlMA 4. Avengers: Age of Ultron – Now that the stakes have been raised, how do you amp up anticipation for what will most likely become one of the highest grossing movies this year? Make it bleak. We see our heroes pushed to the brink with an haunting rendition of “I’ve Got No Strings,” while Ultron's voice over toys with them in a way similar to how another villain did in an equally great trailer—THE DARK KNIGHT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmeOjFno6Do 5. Selma - It's something that's been done before, and not relatively groundbreaking, but what I like about this one is the use of driving anachronistic music from Public Enemy. It fuels the passion of Martin Luther King and the tumultuous years of Civil Rights movement exhibited in this trailer so effectively that you just want to jump up and “take a stand.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6t7vVTxaic 6. In the Heart of the Sea -- This trailer is based on imagery and voiceover and that’s what makes it so intriguing. The ethereal opening music, selection of shots, as well as the informative title cards are enough to leave you wanting to see more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-JfPjgiA4 7. Inherent Vice--there's something I like about this bizarre and borderline nonsensical trailer that I like. Whether or not it's the rhythm of the cutting or the period-appropriate music, I simply get a groovy/humorous vibe from it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUZgOQ186-A 8. Point and Shoot – It can be tough to sell a documentary, but this trailer does it the best. We’re introduced to a guy who’s been raised on action films, desensitized to violence, and looking to make something of himself. It is a concise trailer that captures everything might find out about Matt Van Dyke in two and a half minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNT8mnOSoHs 9. The Double—It’s a great example of using repetition of sound effects to drive a trailer. The incessant clicking sound in the beginning to the gradual sinister tone change of the background music make for a provocative and interesting trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG8qATRtNuU 10. Tomorrowland - terrific teaser that gives us a glimpse of a strange new world without giving away too much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k59gXTWf-A Honorable Mentions: 50 Shades of Grey – Say what you want about the subject matter, the trailer itself isn't bad at all. The music choice compliments the shot choices perfectly, and there’s enough at the tail end to tease the viewer into becoming curious about the story. Jurassic World-- If it weren't for that damn end tag spoiling the piano theme, this would've made the top ten, but on the whole, it’s a very effective trailer for getting audiences hooked back into the series. Mad Max: Fury Road—The Verdi Requiem, though an overused piece, still works here. However, the whole trailer feels like overload by the end with its giant text and crazy car crashes…maybe that was the intent, though. Birdman—It starts of brilliantly with Birdman’s VO, but becomes tonally wrong at the end with the Norton/Keaton fight.
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