Trailer Cliches

[waste of chops]

I think this covers every trailer cliché, save for the use of "Bishop's countdown" from the score to Aliens.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbhrz1-4hN4

That could be the first set of YouTube comments that didn't make me want to punch humanity in the soul.

[Pie Pie Eater]

If it's a film where the protagonist has some sort of talent, then any love interest in the trailer will be accompanied by the words "he/she was the x he/she din't know how to y" as in the following examples:

Mathematician: She was the puzzle he didn't know how to crack
Chef: He was the dish she didn't know how to heat up
Actuary: She was the market he didn't know how to predict
Matador: He was the bull she didn't know how to tame

etc etc ad infinitum.
I'm sure there is comic potential in people coming up with some of these, but I don't have the skillz

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Beefeater: She was the beef he didn't know how to eat.

[The Boston Crab]

I cackled.

[Saucer51]

Serious, worthy dramas with lots of flowing dresses, will play exerpts of classical music whilst panning across a large expanse of greenery, usually clifftops but with no suicidal overtones. If the theme is a little more gritty or sinister, the music will be staccato and intense with nano-second flashes of different scenes all leading to a one-scene meltdown. Rain will feature somewhere. Usually dripping down the face of a black caped, fallen woman.

A rom com. Jaunty music, music that winks at the viewer but stops to suddenly display the set up of the story before starting up again

A barnstorming, man against it all saga which will feature the protagonist throwing his arms wide whilst the camera pans up and away until he's just a dot on the landscape. Music will be dramatic but quiet enough so that  his "yippee" is heard.

Any trailer that starts with a jingly twinkly sound is not for adults.

[Cohaagen]

Trailers for comedies, particularly kiddies ones, have been abusing The Russian Dance from The Nutcracker for about 25 years now and it triggers involuntary teeth-grinding every time I hear it, because I know I will never be able to experience Tchaikovsky without having a mental picture of an American family having to cope with a visit from a cute talking alien, a fish-out-of-water experience in London, England, or owning an unusually large dog.

That is a brilliant avatar by the way, SavageHedgehog - "it's your wife...she's dyin'!"

[AsparagusTrevor]

Yeah, I think first one I remember seeing was Mrs Doubtfire or some such, and countless other similar films since.

[Desi Rascal]

war movies have to show the platoon either drilling on the parade ground or throwing their caps in the air in jubilation then cut to battlefield explosions and same guys scurrying for cover.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Someone's already commented on the tendency of comedies to throw in a quick bit of "bonus" business after the credits/website stuff. It happens, yeah, but that sort of thing is far more of a horror film trailer cliche.

Heartbeat. Title And Credits.
Heartbeat. Website.
Momentary Silence. Black Screen.
RAAARRRRGH!!! Usually-Not-Very-Scary Monster/Ghost/Beefeater hurtles towards screen.

Yawn.

[AsparagusTrevor]

Horrors are often showing clips of the audience too, really over the top jumping and screaming like they've never done at any film I've ever seen. 3D ones will show the audience being attacked by stuff in the film, My Bloody Valentine, Saw 3D, Final Destination etc.

[waste of chops]

Any film trailer that has nightvision footage of the audience shitting themselves (or even vox pops from people who've seen a preview raving about what an awesome film it is) flips a switch in my head from "Might go and see this at the pictures" to "Download the Blu-Ray rip when it comes out"

[Puffin Chunks]

Clint Mansell - Lux Fucking Aeterna