It's Not Just Movie Posters… It's Art!
In some ways, these images topped with large texts in bold fonts is commissioned by film studios and distributors to entice us to enter the theatre, it is also their way of crediting the casts and the main staff behind the making of the film. Moreover, through detailed drawings, lavish photographs and catchy taglines, it is the studio's way of giving the motion picture a unique identity that will forever be associated with it no matter how well it will perform in the box office.
While showing you some of what I think the best movie posters –both mainstream and indie films – for the past century, might as well give you a brief history and evolution of what was then a simple movie advertisement; and what it has become today as a work of art.
As said earlier, movie posters were accompanied by an outdoor canopy structure right on the façade of the movie houses as well as a set of lobby cards –most of which were press photographs/scene takes for "sneak peeks"– to effectively promote the movie. Here, the common routine is to bill the title of the film, names of the main casts and at times, the director of the picture.
In the early days of movie posters, the only purpose of film posters was to stand as advertising collateral for exclusively market the flick by various theatres. It was then returned to the distributor upon the movie's end of run. The production of posters and theatrical trailers as well as the distribution of all media collaterals for marketing the film were done by the National Screen Service. The company ran from as early as 1940 up to the 80s.
L'Arroseur Arrosé was considered the first ever movie poster released in 1895.
Photo courtesy: moah.org via Wikipedia
The 1927 Fritz Lang-Classic Metropolis is deemed as the holy grail of movie posters. Designed and painted by German artist, Heinz Schultz-Neudamm to promote the film, the poster was auctioned for a record high of $1.2M by Ralph DeLuca
Photo courtesy: IMDB
Consistently ranked as number 1 greatest movie of all time, this 1941 Orson Welles-billed and directed film revolutionized and lauded for its lighting and cinematography styles and techniques, particularly for its extensive use of "deep focusing" which emphasizes the detailed portions within the depth of field of the picture. This is the movie poster from its theatrical release.
Arguably Akira Kurosawa's greatest masterpiece, 7 Samurai set the whole new level of benchmark in filmmaking upon its run in 1954, making it the highest grossing movie in Japan at the time, and one of the most influential films ever made. And even the American cinema gave a respectable nod and hats-off to the movie with a well-deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction and Costume Design, as well as a respectable and well-received remake in 1960 called "The Magnificent Seven". The poster seen here was the original 1954 Japanese theatrical release version.
Probably because of the naughty yet playful approach of the visuals, this movie poster is pone of those many iconic movie posters of all time! And all the while, it was thought and believed that the leg seen on the movie poster was Anne Bancroft's. After 4 ½ decades, actress and model, Linda Grey "stepped in" and revealed that was in fact her stem. The price for Grey's limb cameo? $25 and a lifetime pop culture recognition… At least for her limbs!
The minimalist poster for this 1972 crime drama epic by Francis Ford Coppola depicts a hand holding a marionette depicts the film's central theme of the story. Having the power to pull all the strings, just like the way the main characters control and use their business and the people around them for their own advantages.
This is the initial theatrical movie poster for this 1977 space-epic by Tom Jung. Although for some strange and still undetermined reason, George Lucas commissioned Tim Hilderbrandt to recreate Jung's masterpiece. With the central theme still intact, changes can be seen in the color scheme, style, rendering and some details, including the lightsaber.
It only takes a simple approach to leave a mark to everyone's mind. This is what the poster for this David Lynch 1979 surreal horror film. The poster depicts the iconic scene of the character, Henry Spencer blown with a cloud of eraser shavings.
During the post-production of the film, the studio and director, David Fincher had some slight glitch on how to promote the movie due to its extreme violent content. An ad firm, to whom the studio sought help, suggested to use a bar of pink soap for its title card. After some deliberation, they vetoed the said proposed material, went for the soap anyway.
This brilliant and somewhat homage to The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night album cover encapsulated the movie's essence in terms of its central theme which is obviously music.
While showing you some of what I think the best movie posters –both mainstream and indie films – for the past century, might as well give you a brief history and evolution of what was then a simple movie advertisement; and what it has become today as a work of art.
As said earlier, movie posters were accompanied by an outdoor canopy structure right on the façade of the movie houses as well as a set of lobby cards –most of which were press photographs/scene takes for "sneak peeks"– to effectively promote the movie. Here, the common routine is to bill the title of the film, names of the main casts and at times, the director of the picture.
In the early days of movie posters, the only purpose of film posters was to stand as advertising collateral for exclusively market the flick by various theatres. It was then returned to the distributor upon the movie's end of run. The production of posters and theatrical trailers as well as the distribution of all media collaterals for marketing the film were done by the National Screen Service. The company ran from as early as 1940 up to the 80s.
L'Arroseur Arrosé was considered the first ever movie poster released in 1895.
Photo courtesy: moah.org via Wikipedia
The 1927 Fritz Lang-Classic Metropolis is deemed as the holy grail of movie posters. Designed and painted by German artist, Heinz Schultz-Neudamm to promote the film, the poster was auctioned for a record high of $1.2M by Ralph DeLuca
Photo courtesy: IMDB
Consistently ranked as number 1 greatest movie of all time, this 1941 Orson Welles-billed and directed film revolutionized and lauded for its lighting and cinematography styles and techniques, particularly for its extensive use of "deep focusing" which emphasizes the detailed portions within the depth of field of the picture. This is the movie poster from its theatrical release.
Arguably Akira Kurosawa's greatest masterpiece, 7 Samurai set the whole new level of benchmark in filmmaking upon its run in 1954, making it the highest grossing movie in Japan at the time, and one of the most influential films ever made. And even the American cinema gave a respectable nod and hats-off to the movie with a well-deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction and Costume Design, as well as a respectable and well-received remake in 1960 called "The Magnificent Seven". The poster seen here was the original 1954 Japanese theatrical release version.
Probably because of the naughty yet playful approach of the visuals, this movie poster is pone of those many iconic movie posters of all time! And all the while, it was thought and believed that the leg seen on the movie poster was Anne Bancroft's. After 4 ½ decades, actress and model, Linda Grey "stepped in" and revealed that was in fact her stem. The price for Grey's limb cameo? $25 and a lifetime pop culture recognition… At least for her limbs!
The minimalist poster for this 1972 crime drama epic by Francis Ford Coppola depicts a hand holding a marionette depicts the film's central theme of the story. Having the power to pull all the strings, just like the way the main characters control and use their business and the people around them for their own advantages.
This is the initial theatrical movie poster for this 1977 space-epic by Tom Jung. Although for some strange and still undetermined reason, George Lucas commissioned Tim Hilderbrandt to recreate Jung's masterpiece. With the central theme still intact, changes can be seen in the color scheme, style, rendering and some details, including the lightsaber.
It only takes a simple approach to leave a mark to everyone's mind. This is what the poster for this David Lynch 1979 surreal horror film. The poster depicts the iconic scene of the character, Henry Spencer blown with a cloud of eraser shavings.
During the post-production of the film, the studio and director, David Fincher had some slight glitch on how to promote the movie due to its extreme violent content. An ad firm, to whom the studio sought help, suggested to use a bar of pink soap for its title card. After some deliberation, they vetoed the said proposed material, went for the soap anyway.
This brilliant and somewhat homage to The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night album cover encapsulated the movie's essence in terms of its central theme which is obviously music.