Stuff You Should Know

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Short Stuff: The Voice of God

Explore episode Jul 15, 2026
TV & Film
'In a World…' — The Origin of a Phrase

Short Stuff: The Voice of God · Jul 15, 2026 TV & Film

'In a world…' was LaFontaine's invention, and his explanation for it is brilliantly simple: it sets the scene of a feature film in just a handful of words. What reads as cliché now was a genuine creative breakthrough that shaped how movies are sold.

Where this was said

'In a World…' — The Birth of a Catchphrase

At 11:35 · chapter starts 11:05

The conversation arrives at what LaFontaine is most famous for: the 'In a world…' phrase that became the ur-catchphrase of movie trailers. Chuck pulls from sources including the New York Times obituary and donlafontaine.com to explain that LaFontaine also pioneered phrases like 'a one man army,' 'nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,' and 'no way out.' But 'In a world' was the money phrase, and LaFontaine himself explained why: it's an incredibly efficient mechanism for establishing the premise and tone of a feature film in a matter of seconds. Josh notes there's no definitive historical proof LaFontaine literally invented it, but he's universally credited with it, and no one has mounted a serious counter-claim.

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