What makes us want to see any movie? Is it really the actors anymore? If that’s the case, why do big name actors have so many movies that are losing money at the box office? What makes people want to go a see a movie is quite simply the trailer. Yes, that 2-3 minute snapshot of a film is the thing that draws us in. And, when dealing with genres, horror movies, aside from science fiction, seem to have all the others licked. In fact, the time constraints and story constructs of the trailer seem perfectly suited to this genre.
How so, you may wonder? Well,horror moviesneed only have a few elements to make them workable. In fact, 2-3 minutes might be too LONG for sneak peeks at these films. At their core, a horror film needs to have thrills, chills, girls, guys andgore. Yet, you don’t want to reveal too much. However, that is where the horror genre is able to exploit these structural elements to their fullest potential.
So, is that all you need to have? Will people flock to your movie over that of one with a name actor if you present them with the requisite elements? No! This is the film business, right? The elements need to be put together in a way that is tantalizing to the viewer. Then, once you have that, if your film can also be interesting, unique or feature a surprise that promises to be one of those two, you just might have a film that will make viewers part with their dollars or hit BUY or RENT on their On Demand remotes.
And what better way to both display this and continue to celebrate Halloween than give you a list of the “13Scariest Horror MovieTrailers Ever Made”? We know you remember them. They were the ones you saw in a theater or rewatched on DVD because you liked them so much.
They were the ones that had something about them that made you feel like you were going to be scared like never before. They were the ones that made you fall in love with this crazy, fun, quixotic genre called horror films. Or, maybe you are new to these films and want to know what all the hype is before you spend your precious time watching them. Think back to when you were a small child. Sometimes, the trailer was the only part of any given horror movie you were allowed to see. And it still worked, because the short spools of film still had all of their scary parts!
Do you remember any horror movie trailers that scared or scarred you as a kid? Chances are, a movie trailer first introduced you to some of Hollywood’s scariest boogie man. Before you really got to become intimate with Freddy, Jason and Michael, these are all probably creeping shadows you first witness in a sneak peek not meant for your eyes. That first introduction is possibly what still makes them scary to this day.
Most of the best scary trailers were made way back in the day, as you may see by our list. In the 70s and 80s, trailers weren’t as slick as they are today. They were truly terrifying pieces of blood-soaked cinema cobbled together by some maniac in a studio dungeon somewhere. These collections of horrifying images were made even more terrifying by a lack of structure and narrative. It’s like being thrown in a pitch black room without a flashlight before hearing someone scream, ‘Run!’ These are the monsters that lurk in your closet at night. These are the things that give you nightmares!
And sometimes, a trailer can bring you to the edge of your seat with complete silence, as is the case with the first Alien movie. Trailers know how to play into your emotions, banging out beads of sweat like a coal miner digging for that elusive blood diamond. There are creatures of the night, serial killers, killer animals, space creatures, boogey men, babadooks, bleeders, slashers, and screamers. They’re all here. And they want to munch on your guts and get deep inside that shallow brain of yours. Nesting, resting and ready to strike without a moments notice!
Whatever the case may be, sit back, heat up some popcorn, read our list and sample what we think are the horror movie trailers that really told it like was! We’ve also included all of the trailers, so you’re able to bath in the blood, scream along and get a fear boner just like Pete and Kevin!
131The Exorcist1973
With its ominous opening and red letters, nobody knew quite what was coming when this trailer burst onto the screen. Whether it was the image of the demons being on the screen for a few seconds, or young Regan (Linda Blair) writhing on the bed in full on possessed mode…IfThe Exorcisttrailer didn’t scare you, then you’ve got serious horror movie issues. The world had never seen a film like this before. Sure, this thriller was based on a best selling novel, but nobody thought that what was on the page could be converted to the big screen. Man, was it ever! This trailer also features the striking songs ofThe Exorcisttheme which continued to haunt the film and viewers long after it first aired. DirectorWilliam Friedkincertainly rose to the occasion with this film. This trailer was probably one of the few times where non-horror fans were intrigued enough to see a film that non-horror movie fans would’ve otherwise stayed away from.
Opening with the voice of a man that sounds like he’s on the radio,The Evil Deadtrailer works because it simply throws viewers into it. There is no build up, no need to establish characters or story, rather the titles appear (backed by thunderous organ music) and we are left to fend for ourselves. Add to this the images of bloody axes, doors flying open, people crying, and rampant pandemonium that seems to take place inside a tiny cabin and you have a trailer filled with “Oh Sh*t!” moments. When you consider that this thing hit screens in 1983, that makes the effect ofThe Evil Deadeven that more groundbreaking. There is a real sense of horror as we briefly see the characters deal with the situation that has befallen them. We don’t have to care too much. We don’t have time for moments of nuance.Sam Raimiand Co. seem to be saying, “Hang on tight for less than two minutes and have your minds blown!”
113Halloween1978
This trailer is just about as perfect as horror movie trailers get. Excellent music by master musicianJohn Carpenter? Check. Creepy voice narrating but not telling us what to feel or think…Basically, being creepy all by itself? Check. Taking this incredible movie and perfectly distilling it down to less than 3 minutes without giving away the farm regarding what this film is about? Check that box as well. This trailer is so perfectly paced, the footage so intricately put together that it both tells the story, leaves us wanting more, and never even comes close to giving anything away. The story of Michael Myers is both beautifully complex and sorrowfully simple. He is a killer who is determined to kill his sister. At the same time, his sister is a smart girl who ultimately has to become her brother in order to defeat him. This trailer not only plays on that idea…It depends on it and it all works incredibly well here.
104A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors1987
When you consider how dismalA Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revengewas, how could fans of this franchise not be stoked to see this trailer? They really took Freddy seriously here. So much so, that he isn’t even featured that much throughout this trailer’s 1 minute and 46 second run time. Rather, like the characters in the film, we, as viewers, have the pleasure of being slowly reintroduced to this diabolical monster. We see their fear as they discover that Freddy is indeed real, and we realize that he is coming back to the big screen. Ending with the classicFreddynursery rhyme, the trailer forA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriorsseems to be the last time that this character was delivered on the screen with the true mystique he deserves. This trailer simply foreshadows that in the most perfect of ways.
95The Texas Chainsaw Massacre1974
Opening this trailer with a voiceover telling us that the story portrayed in the film is true was nothing short of brilliant. This movie, in the trailer, looks like it was made for 30 cents. The sets look like they were dressed with Dollar Tree wrapping paper.Leatherface, the killer, looks like his costume was started and then abandoned. The filmmaking seems even more low rent. Yet, this was the idea and somehow it works to great effect in the trailer for this classic. This trailer is also edited in such a way that it just builds and builds. It is as if it is asking the viewer, can you even handle what you’re about to see? The fact that this movie still holds up might just mean that this movie outlasted us all.
86The Strangers2008
Opening with our main characters breaking up,The Strangerstrailer works because it doesn’t rely on editing. Rather, it earns it stripes because it lets us see many things the people on the screen do not. Clocking in at a little over 2 minutes, this trailer uses audio to great effect as it mixes disassociated images to tell the story of a couple being terrorized in a cabin. Like all great horror trailers,The Strangersshows us just enough to make this film a must see. Add to that that it takes a situation we have all dealt with (being alone in a house) and totally plays it without any artifice. Thescariestthing about this trailer is how little is actually needed to freak us out.
77Psycho1960
Opening with the piercing score from the great Bernard Herrmann, we are shown brief clips from the iconic shower scene, and then a litany of clips in which the true story of this film is never really revealed. In fact, in many ways, this trailer is edited like your garden variety pot boiler from the 1960s. However, one thing is certain,Norman Bateswas a role thatAnthony Perkinswas born to play. This trailer shows a great deal of action even though this movie is rather talky for the horror genre. Ultimately, this trailer’s great strength is the dialogue and how it makes us question what we expect a horror movie to be.
68The Shining1980
At a scant 95 seconds,The Shiningtrailer truly underscores the idea that less is more. We open with the elevators at theOverlook Hotelas organ music of a haunting variety continues to build and build. This trailer also gives us the credits to this movie and then eventually blood pours out of the elevator doors like Niagara Falls. This is all we see and it’s all we need to see within this tale of a man going crazy with his family at an isolated hotel. There is such simplicity to this trailer that it honestly needs nothing more to attract our attention and interest. Ultimately, this trailer and film would prove to be two of the most creepy products ever created.
59Alien1979
Space isn’t suppose to be as scary as directorRidley Scottmakes it here. Featuring fast moving footage of a planet in the nether reachers of the of the galaxy, all of these images come together to eventually rest on an egg of an alien. We soon go into footage of a space crew being scared out of their collective minds. Nothing of thealienis ever really revealed, and that works to great effect in this tone poem of a trailer. It has a richness and depth that truly elevates it within the sci-fi horror genre. The tagline of the film is, “In space no one can hear you scream,” but they sure as hell can in a movie theater or your house!
410The Blair Witch Project1999
While maybe not the firstfound footage movieever made,The Blair Witch Projectcertainly kicked off a lot of movies in this genre. This trailer looks like it was made on iMovie, and to Artisan Entertainment’s credit that was exactly what they were going for. Featuring a brief text description about how three people set out to make a documentary, we are then treated to a “WTF?” confessional about how what has happened in the film is all one person’s fault. There is mystery, intrigue and if you don’t wonder what the hell happened after screening this, you might honestly want to go to the ER and see if you have a pulse.
