Stephen King once made an interesting comparison between short stories and novels, saying that reading a novel is like being in a long, involved relationship with someone, with complex, deeply felt emotions and feelings drawn out of us if the writing is done well. On the other hand, King stated that a short story is like sharing a kiss with a stranger, where theres no deep feelings or commitments but just pure, quick pleasure. Its a great comparison; it says, in simple and concise terms, what reading a novel and short story feels like. Kings analogy works equally well when it comes to film. When we go into a movie and plunk down our cash, weve made a commitment that, for the next two hours or so, were going to try our hardest to sit through this movie. Were going to try to get into the story and to care about what happens to the characters. When we hand our money to the cashier and walk into that dark theater with our heavily-buttered popcorn and large Coke, were taking a leap of faith. Were hoping that the director, the writer, the actors, and everybody else have brought their best to the table and have put something on the screen that is worth watching. However, all leaps of faith are built on, of course, faith. While faith is hoping for something we dont know, we gain that hope based on something that we do know. Relationship-wise, its that first kiss. Movie-wise, its the trailer. The trailer gives us that little taste of what lies ahead; it shows us a little of what we can expect when the lights dim in the theater and the images show up on the screen. If the trailers good, were much more likely to commit a couple of hours to the full film. Unfortunately, it seems that making a good trailer is something thats somewhat misunderstood by studio marketers, who seem to think that the way to make a good trailer is to pump it up with all the action scenes, jump moments, and jokes possible. While all of those things are important, they arent the most important part of making a good trailer. A great trailer is one that tells us just enough about the movie to get us to wonder what else the filmmakers have in store. Thats a tricky line to straddle; its easy to tell too little, thereby confusing the audience, or telling too much, thereby convincing the audience that theyve already seen the movie for free. Its a tricky balance to achieve, but its worth it to try, because a trailer that does straddle that line is the type that pulls in people by the droves. Here are ten trailers from yesteryear that strike that balance perfectly.