The Best Thing about Movie Trailers Was This Guy…

It was reported today that Don LaFontaine, 68, has died. Why do you care?

Because Don was *THE* movie trailer voiceover artist. He had worked forever in the Hollywood movie industry, and his enticing baritone voice was famous for intoning his trademark phrase, “In a world where…[insert crazy movie plot summary here]… only one man can save them… “.

NOW you know who I mean, don’t you? I can see you nodding your head in realization that it’s THAT guy. What a shame.

Going to the movies and enduring and endless loop of terrible, terrible “trivia” questions, 10 minutes of commercials and what feels like HOURS of coming attractions, you’d always perk up a bit and pay attention when you heard Don’s voice at the start of a promo.

Admit it. I know I did.

LaFontaine had worked on over five thousand movie trailers in his career. Lately he was even so renowned that he even got work satirizing himself in fake movie trailers! His was a unique voice in the blathering, babbling cinematic noise pollution that surrounds us.

I’m sure his death has left many movie marketing folks a little speechless today.