So after I posted my article on The Truman Show I looked at the poster of the movie I used. It’s a really cool image, made upf several hundred small pictures to form Jim Carey’s face. Then it occurred to, have I ever discussed movie posters here?
Oh sure I’ve shown them in connection with movie’s I was going over, but I’ve never really done my favorites. I’ve discussed magazine covers, TV Guide covers, and more than a few comic book covers but never movie posters. Comic Book covers and movie posters share the same purpose, when done well they tell a story all on there own to make you interested enough in the product to make you want to check it out. Sure some would say trailers do that, but the thing with that is trailers don’t last. Oh ok in this modern cell phone age you can watch a trailer 10000 times if you want but in my day you saw it once or twice, and unless it left a MAJOR impact it was up to that poster image to remind you of the movie and make you want to check it out. Back in the stone age when we had video rental stores, the covers of the boxes were always displayed prominently to get your attention to either remind you of the movie or pique your curiosity and want to learn more.
Now I wanted to make this my favorite, video box covers or movie posters that I always loved and remembered. So obvious iconic choices may be missing. Like I said yesterday, this is not an analysis just for fun. And I will try to keep it to actual posters used when the movie came out in theaters or VHS for the first tine, but considering all the variants to some of these I may slip up.
Back to The Future
This is a perfect one to start with. Not only is it my favorite movie, but the poster was designed by Drew Struzan who is a name you should know. He’s an artist who has done some of the most iconic movie posters of all time. And yes there will be more of them coming. As for this one, the cover is so simple it’s perfect. I’m not usually a lover of painted images but Struzan gets the likeness’s so perfect how can you resist?
Adventures in Babysitting
Ok I didn’t want this to be a Drew Struzan tribute but these are just to cool to ignore. This poster makes the movie look soooo much cooler than it is! And yes I did leave off Harry Potter, sorry about that.
Star Trek
One of the few posters I honestly remember seeing in a theater lobby was this for Star Trek IV. I have no idea why it isn’t even that remarkable. Something about it got my attention and I loved it. It nay have been the lighter town of the poster, which make sense since the movie itself has a lighter tone, or the fact that it’s so different from the Star Trek posters that came before it.
To be fair that was the teaser poster. There is a more common poster which is just plain AWFUL
What the hell guys? We’re supposed to read that text, right? I mean this looks like a parody poster!!!!
On the other hand I always loved this one for Star Trek III. Just a beautiful image with the haunting visual os Spock hovering over our heroes
Star Trek posters were usually pretty basic. Even the Next Generation movies. Though First Contact's is pretty cool.
Batman Forever
I had this poster in my room when I was in college, and always loved it. I’ve talked about how I loved this movie (and how I have reneged on that a tad in my old age). The poster is great because each actor is in character, and reminds of you something in the movie. Rather than just standing there smiling at you. That almost NEVER works.
Take this for instance :
I didn’t want to talk about awful posters but this one is almost infamous. Before this awful movie even came out the poster was being picked on. Why is Bruce Willis’s name over Melanie Griffith’s head? Why are the letters barely visible, did you want us to read it? Seriously what does the poster tell you, aside from the fact these three are in it? This movie was a bomb as soon as the poster came out!
If you’re gonna just have people standing there you gotta do something with them.
Take this one for example…
Beetlejuice
It’s the same thing as the Bonfire one, just the three stars standing there, but man is it done up! Geena Davis is wearing a wedding dress which is a plot device, Alec Baldwin is headless and of course Michael Keaton’s loud character draws your eye right into the image. I always forget that at the bottom three more characters are standing there. This is how you get people interested in your movie!
Bad posters are a thing, just like back comic book covers. For example:
what is the movie about? Arnold getting an eye exam?
Not all painted posters work. I get they didn’t want to do a photo shoot with Pryor and Reeve but couldn’t they have made Reeve not look pissed to be in the movie?
Yep someone looked at this one and said, “yeah, having there backs turned to the audience isn’t stupid at all!!!”
Finally, as awesome as Die Had is this poster is AWFUL. Why is it in black and white? Why is the building more prominent than Willis? And what is with all that text, am I supposed to take a day of from work to read all of that? The last two lines would have been sufficient. Good thing the movie rocks!
Ok Ok Let’s go back to good posters…..
Nightmare Before Christmas
I’ve never seen this movie but love the poster, It so simple and yet it captures the mood of the movie so wonderfully, Just this image alone is enough to make the movie iconic.
Titanic
Romance posters are a hard sell, because what can you do besides the tired “standing there and smiling” cliche. But Titanic really did a great job with this beautiful image.
The Fugitive
This is one those covers that is so cool it’s been homaged over and over. It really conveys the action you’re in for with this movie.
JAWS
You’ll notice most of these are 80’s and beyond. I am not a big fan of the posters they had in the 70’s. They just seemed, silly. However you gotta admire this one for just how simple and effective the image. Any questions?
E.T.
This one is even more simple. And even more effective
Disney
Of course one thing Disney knows how to is market their products. This whole list could be just them! But here are a couple :
(stop seeing it!!!)
Jurassic Park
I talked about Drew Struzan but anther big name is John Alvin, who has done some amazing work in movie posters also. I already showed some of his work, and another famous is this for Jurassic Park. One missing is his big one, Blade Runner.
The Dark Knight
This was a very serious Batman movie, and the poster really conveyed that!
Wonder Woman
Loved these, man were they beautiful and simple at the same time.
Finally, I said I didn’t want to do a “Drew Struzan” tribute but there was simply no way to not mention his most well know and iconic of posters.
Star Wars Trilogies
Yeah he did the Star Wars movie posters and they are amazing, even if the movies are not always perfect.
Whew, that’s all I got for now. Are there more? Are you kidding??? Did I miss your favorite? Comment and let me know. Since I kind of ignored Marvel here I’ll leave you with one more very recent poster that is just amazing!
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