Lights! Camera! Artwork!

You like picture shows? Of course you do, everyone does. Me, I like em more than you, but that's neither here nor there...

I believe the film biz to be one of the deepest apexes of creativity. You've got hundreds of people furiously pouring their everything into one entity. Actors, writers, editors, set designers, makeup artists, conceptual artists, costume designers, sound engineers, visual effects artists, animators, musicians... you're hard pressed to find a type of creator not involved in a movie's production at some point or another. These people and positions are all imperative to the film's success, but there's one person (or persons) that often time get the shaft once the lights go down and the credits roll. And they were there first, wetting your appetite and giving you fodder for the water cooler months before you bought your ticket. I'm talking about the movie poster designer, of course.

There's no doubt that movie posters are engraved in the walls of time and pop-culture. Some are as recognizable as the golden arches and "Just Do It". Movie poster art is branding to the extreme; not only does it have to resonate with you, it has to entice you, engage you, and make you invest your money, your time, and your imagination. I think a lot of people don't give nearly enough credit to just how wonderful and creative these pieces of art can be. But in a time of floating heads, the movie poster seems to be a fading art form... but every once in a while we see one that makes us do a double take.

Here are a few of my favorite movie posters from throughout the years. This is in no way a definitive list of the best designed posters of all time, these are just some that have caught my eye as some really epic work (click each image to enlargesize it).

Mean Streets - A wonderful use of color, negative space, and type.

Dirty Harry - Love the depth in this one combined with the jarring bullet hole leading to the title.

Funny Games - The portrait itself is phenomenal. It truly captures the essence of the flick. The typography and placement is perfect too.

The Thing - One of the legendary Drew Struzan's best pieces. It's so "pulp" and terrifying and beautiful.

Lord of War - One of the most innovative portrait-style posters ever created.
The Dark Knight - This one completely steps out of the typical stuff for the action-hero genre. It's totally inventive and unsettling, and shows a tremendous amount of work.

Again, this is merely a fraction of pieces that I adore... what are some of your favorites? Leave a comment after the beep.