Film Preview: Interstellar (2014)

Poster

Trailer Link

Release Date:

November 7, 2014

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.”

Poster: C+ / B / A- / B- / B+

Review: I’m not sure what I should have expected from a teaser poster whose plot is kept heavily confined and secret, but as a suggestion of what’s to come, it works as best it can.

(#2-#5) All four designs feel a part of the same picture, exploring different aspects of the film’s locales and establishing a variance that’s rare in series poster design. Of these, the stargazing third design is easily the best, while the fifth design is just slightly more visually compelling than the second poster. The fourth simply requires familiarity with the trailer to have any impact.

Trailer: A / B / B / B+

Review: (#1) I first saw this trailer on IMAX and I can definitively say, it looks great on the big screen. Having said that, this is undoubtedly a teaser, but what a gorgeous, titillating teaser it is. Even without knowing this was the next Christopher Nolan film, the slow emotional and aural build pays off with a rare vertical title placement. Everything is calculated to create the perfect foundation for a brilliant marketing campaign.

(#2) From teaser to full-blown trailer, Nolan has a keen understanding of how to titillate the audience without giving away his undoubtedly pristine plot synopsis. The trailer doesn’t quite live up to the expectations of the teaser, but it suggests at least that there may be more to this film than we initially thought.

(#3) The plot thickens. At least, the trailer seems to think we’re ready to know about the film’s plot, at least a little bit. That little bit is enough to encourage an audience unsure of what to expect from a science-fiction film helmed by Christopher Nolan. This one should go a long way to appeasing those who wanted more from the prior outings.

(#4) As we get closer to the film’s release, the trailers are doing a more compelling job of selling the film to the audience, moving beyond surreptitious hints and loosely exploring the premise and purpose of the film’s storyline. So far, the film has built enough interest to position it as a potential big hit.

Oscar Prospects:

It’s Christopher Nolan, so of course it will be an Oscar contender, but it’s impossible to know more about the super-secret project at this juncture. It will undoubtedly compete in the sound and visual effects categories, probably Original Score, Editing and Cinematography, possibly even Art Direction. Beyond that (Picture, Director, acting, screenplay), we won’t know until a new trailer releases or we start hearing reviews of the film.

Revisions:

(December 29, 2013) Original
(June 1, 2014) New Trailer (#2) / New Poster (#1)
(August 10, 2014) New Trailer (#3)
(October 5, 2014) New Trailer (#4) / New Posters (#2-#5)