I thought I’d keep the movie poster conversation going a little while longer since there are so many great examples out there. So, if you’ll indulge me, I’m going to share some of my favorites. Please feel free to mention yours!
I'm seeing spots!
I LOVE THIS POSTER! Of course it would have to be foreign (it’s designed by Liliana Baczewska and was used to advertise 101 Dalmatians in Poland) because I just can’t picture it getting the “thumbs up” from an American marketing department. Too abstract. Too different. Too…um…not Disney. Way to go, Polish publicity unit!
Team Jet or Team Shark? Team Bass!
Okay, I’ve already expressed my adoration for Saul Bass. And I’m probably partial to this poster because I love love love the film. West Side Story is my all-time favorite musical because when I was but a wee Deirdre it was the first musical that sparked my interest and eventual foray into the world of theatre. You have to admit, this poster is pretty amazing. Its simple-yet-strong imagery pulls in the key aspects of the story and how it’s told – the dynamic movement of the star-crossed lovers (courtesy of Jerome Robbins) set against the grittiness of the urban locale. Yep. Love it.
Oh la la!
This is a Cuban poster for a French film. The film is Francois Truffaut’s Baisers Voles (translation: stolen kisses). The poster designer is Cardenas Rene Azcuy. I’ve never seen the movie, but this simple, sexy image makes me want to.
"The horror...the horror..."
Bold, monochromatic color scheme. Key set pieces from the film – the helicopters on their “Ride of the Valkyries,” the rudderless insanity of the Dulong bridge, the face of our “hero” Willard (aka: Martin Sheen) in half-light, half-darkness…a reflection of his inner struggle? And, of course, BRANDO. Awesome.
Please don't sue me for posting this, George Lucas!
The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the trilogy (note how I’m not even counting the most recent three disappointments in my assessment?) and I love how this image is a throwback to the star-studded melodramas of the forties and fifties. It firmly establishes everyone’s role in this particular chapter of this particular universe. The villain Darth Vadar looms large in the background. Han Solo and Princess Leia figure prominently in their too-hot-for-Tatooine pose since this is the point when their romance really blossoms. (Oh, Harrison…I think you introduced me to my libido! What. A. Man.) Luke Skywalker is smaller in scale but still smack in the center of it all. And the supporting characters (Chewy, C-3PO, and R2-D2) still get their small plot of real estate below everyone. The Gone with the Wind of space soap operas, indeed!
Feel the Keanu's energy...
Hey! How did this get here?
WHOA!
Uh oh…my computer must be acting up.
NEXT UP: I’m attending a seminar on Sunday called Cinema Language. Let’s see how fluent I am by the end of it!
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