Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Tagline for movies on TV

Sometimes, it's the tagline that gets you - next to the image in the poster, and prior to watching the trailer.  Granted that this happens during the advertisement of the movie and way before it gets filtered into cable.  But the tagline remains.  And makes you remember the movie with enough fondness to schedule yourself for a viewing when it finally airs on cable.

The best taglines are the ones that are real - that actually live up to the hype surrounding the film.  More important, they capture the heart of the film.  They are what the film is about.

Now from an old science-fiction classic that revolutionized the genre for cinema way back in 1979:

"In space, no one can hear you scream."  - Alien (how could you, with those monsters jumping for your throat before you even make a sound...    

Then, Superman (1978)..."You'll believe a man can fly!" Back then, the late, great Christopher Reeve soaring through a cinematic canvas, strapped on wires, was state-of-the-art special effects.

And when ghosts raid your house..."Who you gonna call?"  The Ghostbusters, of course (1984).

Tom Hanks radios, "Houston, we have a problem..." and everyone is on edge watching to see if Apollo 13 (1995)  will land or burn through the stratosphere.

And of course, the famous prelude to a cosmic saga that has been parodied ad nauseam:  Star Wars' (1977) "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."   

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