Great Movie Trailers of 1999

 by Adam Riske

Some of my favorite trailers for movies celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

Varsity Blues



There was something thrilling about seeing the MTV Productions logo before a trailer back in 1999. It was like an announcement to get ready because I was the target audience and I needed to see whatever movie was about to be promoted to be a member of good standing for my generation. I love Varsity Blues and this trailer is just as great. First, James Van Der Beek is crushing the narration and the big speeches, Amy Smart is twanging it up, it has anthemic music, etc. This trailer is so good it made me want to play high school football (I didn’t) because how else could I be a hero? I see this trailer and I want to run through a wall by the end.

The Matrix



This trailer does a really good job of showing you a lot of the film’s groundbreaking special effects and action sequences without giving away everything. It’s the type of great movie where all that stuff will play even better with context. The trailer also raises intriguing questions like “What is The Matrix?” (which I’m like, yes, I’m curious, what is it?) and “What the hell is all of this? It looks cool. My mind is boggled right now.” I also appreciate that the trailer ends showing off Bullet Time because it launched a movement of dude bros imitating that (including myself) to make their friends laugh and/or hurt their backs.

Life



I’ve always thought Life (1999) was underrated. You don’t hear many people talk about it anymore, especially in the conversation of films from 1999. I think it works best as a drama and less as a comedy, which makes the movie all that more interesting since it’s led by comedy giants Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. The pairing of those two alone is enough hook to get you to see the movie. Also, because of this trailer, I’ve heard “You gonna eat your cornbread?” in my head whenever I’ve had cornbread. Maybe that’s a mental illness? I like the part at the end of the trailer when Martin Lawrence says “…one of my toes in the bottle.” His delivery (and Eddie Murphy’s reaction) makes me laugh every time from what I’m assuming is an ad lib. P.S. The soundtrack to Life (1999) also rules if you can get past the fact that R. Kelly produced most of the songs.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace



There was no way I could leave this trailer off the list. It was (is?) probably the most buzzworthy trailer of all time with people going to theaters just to see the preview. I’ve grown to like The Phantom Menace (it doesn’t all work but there’s enough standout sequences where I sometimes feel like revisiting it), but this trailer promises what looks like something on par with the original trilogy. The cool thing is, even after having seen the movie multiple times, the trailer still tricks you into thinking The Phantom Menace way better than it is. Podracing! Darth Maul with a double-sided lightsaber! Queen Amidala costumes & makeup! It all works.

Tarzan



Tarzan is on the lower end of my ranking for movies of the Disney late-'80s/early '90s renaissance, but I sure do love the trailer for it. There’s so much swinging and running and jumping and climbing. It’s like me after I get an arthritis treatment. It’s also just a pleasure to watch Disney 2D animation again for a couple of minutes. We really lost a lot when the film industry decided that computer animation was the next, better thing.

Summer of Sam



I love how well this trailer captured the movie’s frenzied, sleazy vibe. If you haven’t seen Summer of Sam yet, I would highly recommend it. It’s weirdly dismissed when it comes to discussion of the great works of Spike Lee. I also love how many major filmmakers in 1999 were basically saying “let’s close out the century with an enormous swing.” This trailer alone should have been nominated for an Oscar. Why isn’t that a category? It should be.

Runaway Bride



Cold off the heels of Pretty Woman, it was still pretty exciting back in 1999 to see Julia Roberts and Richard Gere re-teaming for another romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall. I miss when a movie could be about a hot shot USA Today reporter sniffing out a big “runaway bride” profile for GQ Magazine. Those were the days. This trailer was good already and then it ends with a trifecta of The Police “Every Breath You Take,” a killer Gere speech, and an effervescent Roberts monologue that almost made me tear up. Great fucking trailer!

The Story of Us



This trailer makes The Story of Us (which I remember being okay at best) look like the greatest human saga of love & relationships ever committed to film. Whoever put it together should be enshrined in the Academy Museum. Rita Wilson’ nails that toilet paper rant. She’s an underrated ranter. What The Story of Us trailer reminds me of the most is how the montage during the last minute (set to “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams) is basically played out the exact same way in the movie. I was beside myself when I saw that. It felt like such a cheat. I want to see a montage of my own life set to “Classical Gas.”

The Talented Mr. Ripley



The best thing about this trailer is it upends your expectations that the movie is going to be this stuffy, pristine affair where it’s instead an engrossing, creepy character study/ thriller. Also, the voiceover (Don LaFontaine?) is so great. I miss trailers having voiceover. I also miss how good Gwyneth Paltrow movies were in the '90s. We really did have it all.

These are just a few of the great trailers from 1999 movies. What are some of your other favorites?

Also, if you’re looking for more 1999 movie content, consider subscribing to the F This Movie Patreon, where Patrick is hosting a year-long series of podcasts covering landmark films from the great movie year of 1999.