A Friday List - Movie Trailers

As many of you know, Friday nights at the Brave Astronaut Launch Pad is Movie Night for LBA. Tonight however, I am at Ford's Theatre, watching the new production of "The Rivalry," depicting the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, which grew as a result of their famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. The play opened on January 22 and is on a short run, closing February 13. I am not sure what's on the agenda for screening at the Launch Pad.

One of the best parts of going to the movies for me are the trailers that precede the feature presentation. It's an opportunity for me to see what films are coming out that I might get to see one day. (I should take this opportunity to give the shout-out to my MIL, who came into town last weekend - took LBA to see "The Princess and the Frog," brought dinner for all of us, and then babysat so Mrs. BA and I could get out to the movies. We saw "Up in the Air" and it was really good.

Some time ago (this has been sitting in my Google Reader star list for several months), IFC came out with a list of the Top 50 Trailers. Something I learned from the article? Trailers are called such because they use to follow the feature presentation. Who knew?

Here's the list. Discuss. I do tend toward the older films as so many of the modern films try to have a huge "impact" on the moviegoer (perhaps due in part to our limited attention spans). I also dislike those trailers that reveal the big jokes from the movie - so that when you finally see the movie, it is very anti-climactic. I'm sure there is something to be said here that the majority of the trailers that make this "Tops" list, are mysteries or thrillers.

50. Night of the Iguana (1964)

49. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

48. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

47. Magnolia (1999)

46. Watchmen (2009)

45. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

44. The Big Sleep (1946)

43. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

42. Little Children (2006)

41. Maximum Overdrive (1986)

40. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

39. Zabriskie Point (1970)

38. Face/Off (1997)

37. The Strangers (2008)

36. Spider-Man (2001)

35. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

34. The Minus Man (1999)

33. Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

32. The Matrix (1999)

31. Corruption (1968)

30. Femme Fatale (2002)

29. Point Blank (1967)

28. The Bishop's Wife (1947)

27. A Night at the Opera (1935)

26. Speed (1994)

25. Real Life (1979)

24. Schindler's List (1993)

23. Red Eye (2005)

22. Sin City (2005)

21. Strange Days (1995)

20. She's Gotta Have It (1986)

19. Unbreakable (2000)

18. Sleeper (1973)

17. Charade (1963)

16. GoldenEye (1995)

15. Pulp Fiction (1994)

14. Garden State (2005)

13. Mr. Sardonicus (1961)

12. Independence Day (1996)

11. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

10. The Shining (1980)

9. Mission: Impossible (1996)

8. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

6. Citizen Kane (1941)

5. Comedian (2002)

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

3. Cloverfield (2008)

2. Psycho (1960)

1. Alien (1979)