Special Series · The Art of the Tease(rs)
Alien (1979)
I have a serious problem with movie trailers lately. It seems like nearly every preview that’s released is about 2:30 minutes long and gives away almost every aspect of the movie, acting more like a CliffsNotes version of the movie being advertised rather than something to entice an audience into coming back and seeing the full product.
In this day and age where all aspects of a movie are fairly well known before an inch of footage is seen, the subtlety of a well-crafted “teaser” trailer is totally gone…and I miss it…I miss it a lot. So I decided to go back to some of the teaser trailers I fondly remember and, in a way, reintroduce them. Whether the actual movie was good or bad is neither here nor there…but pay attention to how each of these teasers work in their own special way to grab the attention of movie-goers.
Let’s start? Shall we?
I’m going big right away…my numero uno favorite.
The One-Sheet
Lobby Card
Plot: On the long trip home to Earth, the crew of the commercial towing ship Nostromo is woken early to investigate a mysterious signal from an uncharted planet. What they bring back on board turns their ship into a deadly trap.
Released: May 25, 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Box office: $78.9 million domestic
Trivia:
- The first teaser trailer was a rapid-fire series of still images set to Jerry Goldsmith’s electronic music from Logan’s Run, and it carried the same line as the Bill Gold teaser poster: “A word of warning…”
- The famous tagline “In space no one can hear you scream” was written by copywriter Barbara Gips, wife of poster designer Philip Gips, after the couple saw an early screening of the film.
The Taglines
A word of warning…
Also on the campaign: “In space no one can hear you scream.”
Why It Works
Besides being one of the best movies ever made, Alien from director Ridley Scott (Prometheus) boasted a truly kick-ass trailer that only hinted at the terror to come. While it’s a bit longer than a traditional teaser, the absence of any narration or dialogue and quick edits of scenes/characters that would soon become part of movie history help to make this one for the record books. I especially like how the edits get faster and more intense until all hell breaks loose. How could any sci-fi/horror fan see this trailer in the theater and not get a little tingle of excitement? It’s not only one of the best teasers ever…it’s one of the best trailers ever.
Bonus fun – check out the teaser poster above. Though Alien would eventually run with the famous tagline “In space no one can hear you scream,” there’s something equally ominous about “A word of warning” that’s used on the early promotional poster.
Written by Joe Botten
Joe Botten is The MN Movie Man, a Twin Cities film critic writing spoiler-free reviews since 2012. He also writes for Loud and Clear Reviews, a Rotten Tomatoes approved site. Find him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
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