Movie trailer are usually the very first piece of film edited for a production. They can often be put together by companies that have no idea what the Editors and Directors are going to include in the final film. Sometimes shots from scenes that are removed or even re-filmed can be found in the trailers. A monument of the directors original vision to the film, that for one reason or another, never made it into the final film. We look at our Top 10 Trailer Scenes Cut from the Film.

Creepshow (1982)

In the campy trailer for Creepshow, we see a brief scene of Bedelia Grantham in the morgue identifying the body of her lover Glenn Quentin. It’s an important moment that builds on her character and her relationship with Glenn. The scene was even depicted in the comic book adaptation, written by Stephen King with art by Berni Wrightson, but sadly failed to appear in the movie.

The Omen (2006)

The 2006 remake of the Omen has a chilling sequence that was not in the film. The short but terrifying scene features Damien sitting on a swing. The Sequence opens on a black dog sitting on a roundabout, in the background a Damien sits on a swing, gently moving back and forth. As the camera moves around the playground, Damien looks at the camera, completely breaking the fourth wall. Leaving us unnerved as the film fades to black. Obviously an homage to the original films ending, this sequence should have made it into the final cut of the film.

Dawn of the Dead – 2004

The teaser for Dawn of the Dead features scenes within the mall that never made it past this first look of this killer hit. Shots of the survivors playing basketball, sipping coffee and riding bikes failed to show up in the film, whilst a shot of the sun rising over the mall seems to have been made specifically for the teaser.

Alien 3

The original theatrical trailer of David Fincher’s controversial Aliens 3 saw quite a few scenes that were cut from the final film, including Charles Dance carrying an unconscious Sigourney Weaver and the survivors trying to capture the creature. The film went through re-shoots and re-edits, that resulted in a completely different film, so many of the trailers scenes were no longer part of the movies plot. The 2003 Assembly Cut was the directors original edit and thus restored the scenes from the trailer. Though they still kill Ripely at the end.. damn you Fincher!!!

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

The teaser trailer for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, consists solely of a single shot of Jason Voorhees’ grave. The Camera slowly pans through the graveyard, revealing the head stone which is struck by lightning and explodes. The Coffin suddenly rises from the ground, opening to reveal nothing inside. A similar scene happens in the final film, but is very different: Tommy Jarvis and his friend exhume the corpse themselves, then Tommy attempts to stab it with a metal rod, causing lightning to strike it and channel into Jason. Whilst it was likely that this shot was filmed specifically for the trailer, it a cool and creepy moment that would have been better than the films, Frankenstein styled resurrection. Jason just IS alive.

The Green Mile

The teaser trailer of The Green Mile had an entire sequence of my Jingle that was missing from the cinematic release. The beautifully shot scenes see Mr. Jingles running over the buckles and arms of the electric chair, a perfect analogy of the films life and death theme. We even see him rising to greet Paul Edgecombe as he enters the room. The two disc DVD of the film, includes a featurette called “The Teaser Trailer: A Case Study”, which includes comments from the director, producer and storyboard artist.

The Evil Dead – 2013

The bloody red-band trailer for the remake of the Evil Dead had a couple of scenes that never made it into final version. Most notable are the Bruce Campbell inspired chainsaw scenes and the creepy as hell “We’re gonna get you” song, both of which are nods to the original films. Why the song was dropped is anyone’s guess, as it was by far the nastiest thing that ever emerged from the 2013 adaption.

Black Christmas – 2006

With out doubt, Black Christmas has one of the most notoriously misleading trailers out there, with shots that were filmed specially for the teaser. Yep, the studio realised that the film was pretty bad and just went ahead and made a load of crap up for the trailer. The girl trapped under the ice and another getting pulled backwards by some crazy Christmas light machine were never in the final film, and we kind of wish they were, as the 2006 flick was mediocre at best.

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

The teaser for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan uses an amazing shot that never made into the final production. It’s a long, slow pan, shot of Jason staring out at the New York skyline. Whimsical New York music plays, as big and ugly stares out at the city, almost hypnotised by it’s majesty, as the bright lights glitter in the darkness. And why not, Jason has been stuck in Camp Crystal Lake all his life. Jason suddenly turns to camera as a woman walks by, followed by close up’s of people screaming. It’s humorous, fun and dark, yet it never appeared in the film.

Warlock

A very prominent scene from the trailer of Warlock was missing when the film finally made it’s way onto the big screen. A shot where the Warlock declares himself the new Satanic Messiah, standing next to a frozen body, was cut after this story line was removed from the film. Negative reactions from test screenings forced the studio to remove this sub-plot and re-shoots removed the “channeler’s” original much more violent death. Actress Mary Woronov originally went topless and the devil’s eyeballs emerged from her breasts. The body freezes and the Warlock stomps her to pieces to free the eyes. Hence why he says that she will be the first to lay EYES on the new Messiah. Sadly, this sequence is lost to the realms of the edit room floor.