[REVIEW] Movie Posters: Year in Review (Part 1)
As 2007 draws to a close, it's time to revisit the magical land of film posters. In part one, I'm going to talk about my favorite posters from this past year. Part 2 will focus on the most awful crimes against man.
The following posters are NOT in any order...they simply reflect posters I liked throughout the year.
Paris, Je T'Aime
This poster was on my "so far" list from six months ago. It still holds up as an amazingly strong design. The details and color create such an amazing feeling. I've never been, but this poster seems to really capture the ultra-romanticized vision of Paris perfectly.
The Savages
It's a vector! There seem to be a lot of these lately. This poster feels, to me, like an action figure package...very fun.
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
I'm always a sucker for Tim Burton....and this is as Burtonesq as it gets. The monochromatic photo with a hint of red, really drives this design home. However, what sold it for me is the subtle red peeking through the floorboards. The type treatment I can take or leave.
El Camino De Lose Ingleses
Another one that was on my "so far" list (though, in a different version). The shapes, type and photo all combine to create a wonderful mix of classic and modern design. However, could there be MORE logos at the bottom??
30 Days of Night
It's hard to make design look spontaneous and messy without looking lazy and illegible...this poster pulls it off very nicely.
I'm Not There
This and the next poster on this list are unique. It's not uncommon for a movie to explore different visual languages and release several posters in different styles. It IS uncommon to have more than one of those styles be successful. This poster is GOOD, not GREAT....but GOOD. I can see what they're doing with the type, but it's not my taste. What sells it for me is the tag line (which I suppose is more a marketing thing than a design...but whatever).
I'm Not There (2)
I think this poster very elegantly tells you everything you need to know about this movie.
My Kid Could Paint That
A different version of this poster was on my "so far" list... However, I like this one better because the kid is cuter and the art is better in this photo.
King of California
A TAD creepy, but the warmth cannot be denied.
El Orfanato
This one is on the list for style...but not actual execution (the same goes for Planet Terror later in this list). I love the classic, dirty feel, but I have a lot of little issues (like, why isn't the logo off-white like the paper? Why that image? etc...).
Dedication
There's a lot of posters doing this style (even a few one this list), but I find it very charming. Handwriting lends so much character to a potentially staid design.
Descent
Typography, sucks. Upside down image of Rosario Dawson naked, awesome (if not a little strange looking).
Good Luck Chuck
As much as it pains me to give this movie any credibility...I really like this alternate poster.
Everything's Gone Green
Connect the dots! Brilliant!
Planet Terror
Much like El Orfanato, this poster has some GREAT style elements, and it draws your eye like crazy, but it feels a little dead to me.
Across The Universe
There were actually other posters from this film I liked better...but I think this one is very classy none-the-less. The classic Beatles typeface, and the spaciness of space make it a winner for me.
Black Snake Moan
The movie was very average (despite countless topless instances of Christina Ricci)...but the poster is so cool looking. His head is the O!
The Darjeeling Limited
The photo is very nice, but I LOVE the hand-written text...it's so classic. What I also love, is that the graphic design present in the poster, exists in the film as well (the credits appear to be hand written at the end).
Cashback
How uncomfortable is THIS? It's so very strange and unsexy in a sexy way.
Year of the Dog
Handwriting (and neon green) prevails once more as we finish up part 1 of my 2007 Movie Poster Review.
See you in part 2.
4 comments:
The Savages poster is positively amazing(I've been reading Salinger, so bear with me). Many of these are personal favorites of mine. I love hand-drawn lettering and graphics/illustrations on movie posters, topic permitting. Many winners this year I'm happy to see...
There is alot I can say here about all these posters. But one i will have to comment on is the across the universe poster. I can see what the designer was going for here, but I feel like they were forced to put in the actors heads into the strawberry. Those heads upset me to the extreme. Its just that one extra step that should have been killed.
I agree with most of your poster choices, as they all seem to have an element of difference and unique-ness to them. I think the only two that I feel don't really have the quality that the others do are the posters for 'My kid could paint that' (which i feel is horrible photoshoping and the typework is just plain boring) and 'Across the Universe' (that really isn't cohessive and seems outdated in all the wrong ways. The colors also don't work for me too well. It's a little all over the place).
I don't see where there's any photoshopping in the "My Kid" poster...It's just a photo of her in front of one her paintings....the text is boring, but it's not dead to me.
In terms of the Across the Universe poster...I never even noticed their faces...maybe I blocked it out. I just love the shapes.
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