One of the most important marketing aspects of releasing a film is the trailer.  Yes a few movie buffs will read previews, plot summaries and actor profiles before seeing a film, but, the only thing the majority of movie-goers know about a film is from the trailer.  Some lucky films carry the prestige of a name that will draw big numbers on its own such as best-selling trilogies or sequels.  However, most films rely on making a memorable trailer that will excite an audience and move them to action.  In an effort to understand how these complicated and important previews are received, we’ve broken down trailers into a few categories.

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With kids out of school and adults looking for a break to enjoy the warm weather, Hollywood is always looking to break out a blockbuster during this time of year.  Many of the highest grossing movies of all time were released during the summer.  If you’re thinking of having a movie night with friends or someone special, consider revisiting a favorite of summers past.

One of the best action adventure movies of the decade, Gladiator was technically a spring movie with its May release, but close enough.  Though a great film, it’s by no means light hearted, with intense and graphic violence scenes, but stellar performances by Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix have made this movie one to watch again and again.  Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park is another world famous film that still holds a place in the top 20 highest grossing films of all time.  Though everyone in the room has probably seen it, it’s one of those “just as good” every time you see it.

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The recent release of the third movie in the Twilight series has received mixed reviews.  Many claim that subpar acting and an inane, lukewarm plot continue to drag this series through the mud.  However, others feel that that director David Slade has finally hit the nail on the head in this film.

One of the saving graces of Eclipse was the exceptional graphics.  Human-werewolf transformations along with werewolf-vampire battles were uniquely portrayed throughout the film. And if nothing else, this movie was certainly easy on the eyes.  Though rumbles of complaint can be heard about Jacob’s (Taylor Lautner) constant lack of a shirt, the reaction in the theaters told a different story.  And the mysterious and noble Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) keeps fans coming back for more.

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In recent years Matt Damon has become one of Hollywood’s most consistently impressive leading men.  The legendary Bourne trilogy as well as Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen have all secured Damon’s status as a superstar.  Recent hits for Damon include The Departed, The Informant and Invictus.  Now it looks like Damon may be poised for another box office smasher.  The sci-fi, romance, The Adjustment Bureau is set to release September 17.  This film follows the story of a politician and a ballerina who meet by chance and fall in love only to find out they were never meant to see one another and their relationship is going against their fate.  The supposed Adjustment Bureau is in charge of monitoring every action and event in the world and ensuring that each individual’s life is followed according to a predetermined plan.  In this epic battle between destiny and free will, David Norris (Damon) and Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) must determine how far they are willing to test fate in order to stay together.  An impressive trailer reveals a film that appears to create a unique balance of romance, philosophy and science fiction in what could be a major hit for the year.  George Nolfi is the writer and director of this film and is responsible for writing a number of other screenplays in which Damon has starred such as Ocean’s Twelve and The Bourne Ultimatum.

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When he died, Stieg Larsson left three manuscripts which would go onto become bestsellers when published.  The first of the trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, was recently released in March of 2010.  Being an independent film, it was a limited release yet saw huge successes at the box office.  Worldwide, the film has grossed over $100 million.  The other two books, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest have also been turned into screenplays and released in certain European countries and will be released elsewhere later this year.  All three books were originally in Swedish and have been translated for further publication and film production in various languages.

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