Movie Poster Blog

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest

2005-08-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

Recently a Comic-Convention was held in California, the biggest of its kind. If you're a sci-fi fantasy nut, you either were there, or wished you were. Screenings of new movie trailers, meeting some of hollywood's biggest stars and all types of memorabilia could been found within the walls of the San Diego Convention Center. Any information on the upcoming sequel to the extraordinarily popular Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean was eagerly anticipated by many. A minimal amount of teaser posters for the sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest were given out to only a select few who attended. The poster features conceptual art intending to give us a look at perhaps a transformation of a ship captain into a mutated part octopus, part lobster man-thing. Other then eBay, the only other place you're going to find this poster is Movieposter.com.

Corpse Bride

2005-08-10T12:53:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are srict impulse buyers like myself, after seeing the advance poster for Corpse Bride, I think you will agree that this outstanding piece of film art would belong on any wall. I choose to write about posters that stand out in the sea of printed material out there. When i saw this poster come in, my eyes immediately lit up. Not many posters get it all right, the combination of color, font, effect use of white space, all those elements that hit a cord in your mind that instinctively draws you to the image. I saw Nightmare Before Christmas when it first came out and I loved Edward Scisscor Hands for its out of this world imagary.

There is also a banner that shows us a few of the other characters that live in this dead world and more of the eary scenery.

Tim Burton keeps me coming back for more of his non stop creative rollercoaster.

Brothers Grimm

2005-07-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

Grimm times for the movie making industry calls on desperate measures. Bring in a supernatural tale of monsters and demons, and add Matt Damon as their vanquisher and you could just entice audiences back to the theater going experience. The Tale of the Grimm Brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, originated in Germany as 2 story telling siblings captured the hearts of children in Europe. The tale of the Brothers Grimm has been told over and over, on streets, stage and later on film in 1963. Remaking this account of the real life story tellers has Matt Damon and Heath Ledger traveling through Europe, scamming villagers into believing that the supernatural is out to get them and only the Brothers Grimm can protect them. Eventually, myth becomes reality and the sly duo is put to the test when a true power confronts them.

There are 5 1 sheet advance posters for this film. The first featuring the main characters, Jake and Will Grimm, and the others showcase some examples of the Gimm tales. Catchy phrases known well to all at the top of each poster. An ere scene of little red riding hood skipping through a dead forest and what seems to be the evil step mother of sleeping beauty are just some of the examples.

Here are the advanced styles.

March of the Penguins

2005-07-28T12:39:00.000-04:00

By far the hottest selling poster right now at movieposter.com is the regular one sheet for the documentary on the Emperor penguins of the Antarctic, March of the Penguins. This film appeals to children of all ages and despite the brutal heat, cools the soul as it depicts the migration and mating patterns of the gentle birds. The poster contains beautiful vibrant colors and gives us an example of the relationship between a mother and child penguin. Not many documentaries make it to the big screen, film creators take a chance when they apply their effort and resources in making them. This may push National Geographic to reward their fans with more tales of reality.

Dark Water

2005-07-07T14:43:00.000-04:00

The stunning Jennifer Connelly is currently in the spotlight, doing the circuit of talk shows trying to promote her new film Dark Water. It would seem that this film is a year late to come out. The mediocre success of modern day horror flicks has prompted the makers of "The Ring" to create yet another supernatural tale of haunting ghosts terrorizing the occupants of an old apartment. Suspense works on many levels, and the story line doesn't necessarily need to be entirely original for the special effects team to get their point across.

From the trailers, Dark Water seems to have all the same elements that made people jump in their seats for The Ring. I personally think that believing what you're seeing on screen is what is important for scare factor. The Japanese release of The Ring titled "Ringu" to me contained no more suspense then the Little Mermaid. A bit of black makeup under your eyes doesn't make me believe you're dead, I just won't get frightened by something I can see in a crowd in a concert. Dark Water, much like the American release of The Ring, depicts ghosts that fade in and out of reality, act and look like they are indeed dead, and that is what will scare my pants off.

Jennifer Connelly as of late is showing us the many sides of her acting ability. Leading in A Beautiful Mind and now delving in the horror genre. She seems perfect for this role.

Other Jennifer Connelly posters:

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

2005-06-30T15:38:00.000-04:00

Other then a pay for what you get deal on ebay, the only other place you are going to find the advance 1-sheet for the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, is Movieposter.com. The poster hit our shelves this week and we were all excited to get the poster up on our site. Many emails have come our way requesting the poster and we look forward to making all the Narnia fans out there happy.

I took a look at the trailers and behind the scene footage provided on the apple trailer site, and it looks like they are putting a great effort into detail for the costumes and characters. They mention creating 60 different species that grace the lands of Narnia. Visually, this film will most likely give the Lord of the Rings a run for its money. I wouldn't doubt if this film won a few academy awards for its trouble.

Anyway, happy long weekend to all those in Canada.

King Kong

2005-06-27T15:53:00.000-04:00

The king of all monsters, King Kong hits a theatre near you this coming Christmas, and with Peter Jackson behind the wheel, you know this is going to be good. I have seen a teaser trailer on the net and I am extremely excited to see the NBC trailer tonight at 9 pm. Kong has long been a favorite of the monster movie genre for children of all ages. The awesome power of the giant ape, mixed with the sensitive generosity, turns King Kong into a hero rather then a foe of the human race.

The Original artwork featured on posters from the 30's depict a brutish menace, void of fear for the humans that enslave and try to destroy the unnatural ape. We know from the original story that Kong is captured and put on display for paying customers who dare to witness the bizarre. The 1st teaser poster doesn't really give any hint into the story line or even an image of what Kong might look like. The text looks like it could be etched onto the side of a cave wall, or as some people assume, written on a curtain.

The film itself was shot on the beautiful island of New Zealand, the same place as the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We know there will be a Skull Island, home of Kong, amongst the jungle life of the south pacific. We also know that the film sets itself in the 1930's, which keeps true to the original story. Nothing is worse then trying to include a story in which the timeline doesn't permit, a la Godzilla 2000. Rumors say that Andy Serkis ( voice and motion of Gollum ) will use his talent to mold Kong into a walking, jumping, smashing, lifelike character on the screen, rather then the claymation ancestor of the original film.

So for all you Kong fans, or anyone looking for the next blockbuster worth seeing at the theaters, check out the NBC trailer tonight on any NBC owned station from 8:55 to 9:03.

Size does matter!

2005-06-23T15:36:00.000-04:00

... and I'm not talking about that god awful Gozilla movie from 1998. When it comes to collecting movie posters, size can be the determining factor, whether it be collecting large size original pieces, or buying smaller pieces to fit that perfect spot above your dresser.

A few years back, the main focus of poster collecting was the bigger the better. Collectors couldn't wait to find their next 6-sheet or 3-sheet, owning a "piece" of the theaters they remember going to as children was worth any cost. Once people realized how rare the larger sheets were, it became a race to get as many as you could find, from all corners of the globe. The movie poster collecting trend has seemed to almost reverse itself. People are always asking where they can get smaller versions of posters, right down to 11 x 17 inches, pushing big poster companies to find means to get their hands on the desired sizes. In this post, I will outline the different sizes posters came in and will look at some of the reasons for the dimension changes.

Since the explosion of modern cinema, theaters went to great lengths to spruce up their lobbies in hopes of attracting weekly visitors. Having an extremely large banner high up on the lobby walls, advertising the movie of the week was the best way to get a mass of eager eyes to dedicate their following Friday evening to another night at the theater. Before the invention of the light box, the 6-sheet was the main advertisement for the movies. For those tighter spaces, the 3-sheet was used in the 6-sheets place. Measuring 81x81 inches, the 6-sheet often came in 4 pieces, but it is not uncommon to find them in halves instead of quarters.

6-Sheet

3-Sheet

As theaters became more glamorous, long narrow windows and skinny corridors were built to add atmosphere. Film studios scrambled to come up with sizes of posters to fit in these tighter spaces and so window cards, half sheets and door panels were created. The smaller sizes gave studios the opportunity to advertise many more of their films which now demanded larger budgets to produce. Poster size dropped from the 6-sheet down to 40x60" and 30x40". Half sheets measured at 28x22" and inserts at 14x36" looking more like large scale bookmarks. Window cards were positioned at the box office beside the ticket window as a last glance of what was to come.

40x60"

30x40"

Insert - 14x36"

Window card - 14x22"

Half Sheet - 28x22"

The traditional 1-Sheet has long been the favorite of collectors. Movie posters today are made primarily 27x40" and most often are printed on both sides to allow light from the theaters light boxes to shine through. If you are a serious collector and are looking for rare 6-sheets, 3-sheets, half sheets and inserts, movieposter.com is the best source for these items. No one on the net has the selection of vintage film art we have.

Remembering the 80's

2005-06-21T14:33:00.000-04:00

Whenever I have trouble finding anything on T.V. to watch I know that my DVD collection is always there for me. Reminiscing my childhoood, I went out and picked up some movies that I remember watching in my early days.

Growing up in the 80's, coming home after school to watch the Transformers with a big bowl of fruit loops was daily ritual for me. Television, playing in the park, and watching movies was pretty much all I cared about. Being a little tyke, I didn't get to see too many films at the actual theater, but my mother was an avid renter of videos from the local "Video 99". She would bring me in the store and I got to eat the complimentary popcorn while she browsed the new release section. Periodically I would glance over at the adult section and stifle a laugh.

Many of the movies that were released during the 80s featured kids and teens in adventurous situations and I quicky related to the characters. I still get a chill up my spine when i see a commercial for Back to the Future, or Stand By Me on TBS. Movies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Goonies and Roger Rabbit all stand out in my mind and will always touch the heart of any 80's baby.

Working at a poster store, I am blessed to be reminded daily of the joy I felt as a skinny kid wearing short shorts and my Thundercats t-shirt.

Just for you 80s babies out there, I'm posting my favorite collection of movie posters from the best decade yet ;)

X-Men 3

2005-06-17T09:41:00.000-04:00

When we last saw the X-Men, they were trapped in their airplane, Gene Gray was stopping an enormous tidal wave from crashing down on them, All had seemed lost. From what we know reading the comic books and watching the afternoon cartoons, is that this is only the beginning in a new chapter for the group of mutants. There are so many characters in the X-Men world, we have only witnessed a fraction. Surely by the end of X-2, fans expect to see the dark phoenix arise. From reading the short cast list provided by imdb.com, I am extremely excited to see characters like, Juggernaught played by Vinnie Jones (of Snatch, and Beast played by Kelsie Grammer (of Cheers and Fraser).

Set to be released May 2006, the X-3 plot is still under development, the cast not entirely picked. We have been however given the first Advance teaser poster, and what a teaser it is. One thing is certain, that wolverine played by Huge Jackman is involved in this sequel. We see Wolverine's 3 claws prominent on the face of the poster. The X-Men advance posters never really gave us much to work with before when it came to predicting the story or mood of the film. The advance posters for X-1 and X-2 showed us little more then the "X" logo branded by Marvel.

Devils Rejects

2005-06-15T14:29:00.000-04:00

I can't even imagine what it would take to be rejected by the devil. It's a good thing we have Rob Zombie to put it into images for us. When I agreed to see the first Rob Zombie movie House of 1000 Corpses in theatres, I wasn't sure what to expect. I have never been a big horror fan, I've seen my share of Freddy, Jason and Chucky Flicks. Most of these "scary movies" I find to be humorous. The supernatural never really made me feel the sense of fear, I know that ghouls and goblins aren't real and can't hurt me. The horror films that do produce the goosebumps on my arm and cause the hair on the back of my neck to stand are the ones that portrait real people, psychotic and estranged from the real world, living in the dark, preying on the innocent. Zombies, Vampires, Clawed beasts are all great characters but almost always get slayed in the end and everyone is happy. If you want to scare the bejesus out of me, you're going to have to make me think this could happen to me.

I thought I had seen the most gruesome imagery that could be shown in a movie theatre, but I guess Mr. Zombie still has the creativity and insight to freak us out. The House of 1000 Corpses poster features the house of torment, occupied by the family from hell. The advance style poster for Devils Rejects gives us a look at the main characters, seemingly based on the family that terrorized the innocent. The regular style poster is reminiscent of the Saw posters, dead limbs and a blood stained floor. I am lead to believe that there might be yet another style to come out.

Bewitched

2005-06-13T12:48:00.000-04:00

My personal pick for comedy of the summer is going to a new step on Nicole Kidman's ladder. Comedy is something new for the Aussi born actress and there is no better co-star and coach then Will Ferrell to guide her through the humor genre. The master of sketch comedy has teamed up with an oscar winning bombshell to re-produce the classic 60's television show "Bewitched". You didn't need to live during the 60's to get this plot. Attractive mysterious woman uses her twitch to stir up trouble and confuse the masses.

The advance and regular style posters are some of the most vividly colored posters I've seen all year. A lot of effort was put in to enhance the quality of image and the fact that glossy paper was used further produces an eye catching effect. There is something about simple images with the right combination of colors and white space that draw me to a poster.

If you're into Will Ferrell flicks or was a fan of the Bewitched series, I strongly recommend picking up the poster. It will bring any wall to life.

Lobby Cards

2005-06-09T12:07:00.000-04:00

Imagine a time when movie trailers didn't exist. No advance peek at some of the best scenes from the movie you had been waiting all year for. No catch phrases sticking in your mind until the opening day. Imagine actually having to walk down to the closest theatre and walking through the lobby, staring at pieces of paper 14" by 11" to get some idea of what the newest releases had to offer. The Lobby Card was the standard form of "trailer" for movies up until the mid 80's when they were phased out of North America. Usually coming in numbered sets of 8, the lobby cards would serve its purpose as a kind of story board for the film. The card set would start with a title card, displaying the credits and possibly the main characters, and then subsequent scene cards with actually stills of the main actors, mid scene, giving you an idea of the costumes and sets used in the filming. A few dead cards would be part of the set again to give you an idea of the set and ambiance of the film. Lobby cards are much more rare then posters and only the foreign market still gets the privilege of acquiring this artwork.

Here are some cards from some more popular titles over the last few decades.

Comic Book Adaptations

2005-06-02T15:15:00.000-04:00

What would this summer be without another pair of comic book adaptations, full of special effects and enough hype to keep you up at night. Fantastic 4, from the creative minds at Marvel Comics and Batman Begins by D.C. Comics, are this summers line up.

Decades ago, kids paid pocket change to read graphic novels about heroes with super powers defeat the forces of evil. Put popular faces on these characters and beef up production with hundreds of million dollars and you have a recipe for a blockbuster. It has been pretty much hit and miss with this genre of movies. Using an actor that isn't believable as a hero, or limiting your story to boy meets girl, girl dies, boy gets revenge, will negatively affect ticket sales. In the past, these movies were attempted but people saw through the cheesy effects and poor costume design. Now seems to be the best time to market the idea of the super-natural to us. Advancements in visual effects and filming techniques, now allows viewers to feel the intensity and power that original writers of these stories intended.

As the 1990s came to an end, children's television was saturated with super heroes in cartoon form. Those kids (including myself) are now in their late teens and early 20's and line up to see their favorite heroes once more in live action. The first re-issue of hero movies were immediate successes. X-Men, Spiderman and even The Hulk made production companies see the light when it came to profiting handsomely and have opened the flood gates for movie studios to go ahead and make much more. The amount of money generated from DVD sales and merchandise alone have secured the future for the comic book genre.

Some of the best films based on comic books made to date include:

Spiderman

X-Men

Hellboy

Sin City

British Quad vs. US 1 sheets

2005-05-30T16:09:00.000-04:00

For roughly the same price, you can acquire most of your favorite movie poster titles in a style unfamiliar to most North Americans. The British Quad style has been around for a long time and isn't very popular on this side of the Atlantic. We, here in the west, seem to determine status by size, and the bigger the better. We size up things by moving our eyes from top to bottom and then back up again, width seems to play no part in the examination phase. The British Quad however features for the most part, the same image as the US 1 sheets, but just stretched out on a horizontal print.

I personally prefer the British Quad to the US 1 sheet for a few reasons. The B.Q. is bigger in overall area, being 40 inches wide and 30 inches high, this usually gives more room for a stronger title and room for more effective negative space. The US 1 sheets almost always have the title and credits at the very bottom of the print. Any deviation from this method looks un-natural to the common movie goers eyes because for the last few decades we have become used to viewing the movie and then seeing the credits at the end of the film. Posters are art and should be taken as art first and foremost. It seems that poster artists who create B.Q. styles have much more freedom at their disposal then those marketing the US 1 sheets to us.

Lets throw the regular B.Q.. and 1 Sheet styles of I, Robot together and see what they came up with:

Granted that the vertical version isn't much anyway, the horizontal gives way to a much nicer image. Without the restriction of placing the image within the letter "I", the designers of the B.Q. were able to make a much better effort at portraying the nature of the film. The tile text situated across Smiths chest gives it a much stronger impact then sitting alone at the bottom of the poster atop a boring black background. Not all British Quads titles differ this much from the one sheets, most simply stretch out the same image and add little extras that otherwise wouldn't fit on the vertical sheet.

Here is a great example. The advanced style for the Incredibles, horizontal and vertical. By having more space on the sides, the illusion that there is a dangerous explosion happening behind them is more apparent by adding more fire then in the vertical image.

As a collector, I prefer to have both versions of posters. I surely doubt that movie theaters nation wide are going to start displaying B.Q.'s in their light boxes because of my humble opinion. If anyone reading this has made the decision to pick up a British Quad of their favorite poster and allow another style of art to grace their walls, then I feel I have accomplished something.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2005-05-27T09:53:00.000-04:00

When all else fails and the creative bug just isn't biting, remaking original classics seems to be the safest bet for movie studios looking to lure crowds into theaters world wide. Not everyone had the privilege to see the original Ocean's 11, featuring the ultra cool Rat Pack, or saw the little Volkswagen beetle Herbie tear down the track in an impossible race, or witnessed a society of gorillas and orangutan living together, riding horses and enslaving humans in the 1968 release of Planet of the Apes. Remaking these classics have proven immediate success for Production companies opting to take the easy road like their partners over at the Music Studios who have found fulfillment in re-mixing classic songs from the 70's and 80's.

I remember sitting in class in the late 1980's and reading aloud a chapter from a novel written by Roald Dahl. I had no clue at the time, being a 9 year old child that there was a movie out there that coincided with the book. It wasn't until I started working here that I regained interest in the Wonka franchise and actually went out to rent the 1971 release of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. When I heard that there was a new Johnny Depp poster coming in I was pretty excited, after all he is my favorite actor. As Willy Wonka, the obsessive, neurotic candy factory owner, it will be interesting to see how Depp molds the character originally played by Gene Wilder.

I guess it's not such a big deal that Production companies take ideas from generations past and market them to us today. They are classics for a reason, and if we loved these movies when we were younger, why shouldn't the next generations of young creative minds have the same opportunities we did. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see movies made before the 80's and if remaking them into big budget productions with tones of special effects and wardrobe sets is going to be the only way the youth of today will get to see them, then I for one am willing to forgive the studios for taking a few years off of creating original work.

War of the Worlds

2005-05-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

If there is one director that needs no trickery to entice audiences it would be Steven Spielberg. This summers release of the War of the Worlds will make Independance Day look like Marry Poppins. Further advancements in digital technology, provided by long time friend and peer George Lucas's ILM industries, will shock and awe movie goers to new heights. Each trailer released brings us one exciting step closer until we can witness the 2005 adaptation of H. G. Wells original masterpiece. In 1938 Orson Wells successfully shocked the nation with an interruption radio broadcast a day before Halloween, claiming that "huge flaming objects" had landed on a farm. People believed that this innocent radio broadcast of a play was actually happening live and it's no surprise that a film was made almost a decade later. The George Pal produced film set the bar quite high for subsequent science fiction films to follow.

The original 1953 one sheet features an ominous hand not of this world venturing from beyond the heavens to terrorize the humans down below. Red flames shoot towards space giving the impression that all has been lost to an invading force. It is apparent that certain psychological methods were used to add to the already frightening image. I admire the subconscious tie between the issues that were affecting the nation and the imagery used in the print. The idea that someone was watching or spying on you, and the use of the red colored flames seemed to suggest a connection with the communist threat Americans felt. If you saw the poster for the first time and never heard of the play or radio broadcast you might not have known who the hand belonged to. Was it an alien? Was it the hand of god? The French and Italian one sheets portray the true nature of the film with images of space ships shooting rays into cities and crowds of people. Any piece would be a collectors dream to own.

If you're looking for a poster that spells "TEASER" in an image, look no further, the marketing teams at Paramount made sure add that element of anticipation when they designed the advanced style posters for the 2005 release. The first resembles the logo for the film Ben Hur, and then the second, which combined with the regular style foreshadows how the film will play out. The advertising staff was sure to remind viewers that this movie will indeed be a summer blockbuster by choosing the right visual effects to give the poster a 3-D feel. They've also used the 1953 poster as inspiration, with the gnarled alien hand very prominant on the poster.

Displaying your posters

2005-05-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

Movie posters are a unique 20th century artform and making sure your poster looks its best up on the wall is of utmost importance to collectors. Classic style frames will always be the quickest and easiest way to display the prints, however, more stylish, professional and cheaper ways are soon becoming the standard for those who really want their film art to stand out.

My personal favorite method for exhibiting posters would be having them plax mounted. Unlike traditional frames, plax mounting your poster keeps an everlasting look that is glare free. This stylish alternative is easy to clean and is U.V. protected. All you need is either a sturdy nail or dry wall plug and screw (which comes included) and your poster transforms from just a piece of paper to a fine art piece.

I took a few pictures to demonstrate the clean stylish look of the plax mounting technique:

If you are looking for an in-expensive and interchangeable method for poster display, lightweight poster hangers may be what you're looking for. Many sizes and colors ensure that any poster you have will fit and blend nicely with the contour of the hanger edge. Weighted at the bottom, the hanger will hold your poster flat against the wall without having to pin or tape your poster which will cause damage and decrease the value.

Here is a size and color chart for our hangers:

Size (inches)

24 inch Black Deluxe
24 inch Chrome Deluxe
24 inch White Deluxe
27 inch Black Deluxe
27 inch Chrome Deluxe
27 inch Gold Deluxe
27 inch White Deluxe
36 inch Black Deluxe
36 inch White Deluxe
40 inch Black Deluxe
40 inch Chrome Deluxe
40 inch White Deluxe

A midway point between the plaxing and hangers is poster sleeves. Made of acrylic, the sleeves protect the posters from dirt and other nasty elements. If placed on the right wall, the poster will seamlessly blend against the wall, and with the added bonus of the "Now Showing" and "Coming Soon" slip that is included, your room will imitate a theater more so then if you use the simple hangers.

Kings of Comedy

2005-05-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

If there is going to be any slap stick, over the top comedy I will rent these days, it's going to be a movie by either Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell or Owen Wilson. When they collaborate on a project the laughs just increase exponentially. It seems that the big comedic four-some lend their talents to one another, producing the best possible humor on the big screen today. Zoolander displayed the comedic genius of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, then Stiller used the talent of Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball.

About to hit the screen, The Wedding Crashers promises to shine through the dark clouds of the spring and lighten everyones' spirits for the summer. The pair will sway their way into weddings, drink with the grooms parents, date the bridesmaids and act like total fools without repercussion. If all this wasn't enough, throw legendary actor Christopher Walken into the mix and you've got a recipe for a classic written all over it ;D

The advance poster highlights the comedic nature of the duo as they pose, appearing tipsy from the open bar.

Star Wars: A history of art

2005-05-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

I have recently come across a gem!!!

If you are a Star Wars lover or an original poster collector you are going to want to read this over and over.

originally written in 1999, one month before Phantom Menace came out, Movieposter.com's very own Manager wrote an article on the history of Star Wars Posters. He includes indepth commentary on the artwork as well as the estimated prices for each title. I hope you all enjoy the hard work he put into the piece.

The Star Wars Phenomenon

Coming to you this year. The countdown has begun. With a little more than a month to go the most anticipated event in movies this year...this decade!...in motion picture history!!...will explode across the screens of the world. Get out of the way, give this juggernaut a wide berth because the wake from this behemoth will wash away everything in it’s path. Titanic will be sunk again, James Cameron will be water logged and all will be right in the universe again. Just kidding. The hype and mass hysteria surrounding this movie is almost that bad. Unless you’ve been stranded on a deserted island (to borrow a cliché), we all know that it’s the latest installment in the world’s most popular series of films. Episode One - The Phantom Menace is set to be unveiled on May 19th (I think).

When the film was first released back in 1977, it changed the look of science fiction forever and also changed the way films would be marketed and promoted as well. It started an avalanche of merchandising that has generated in excess of 1 billion dollars and counting. An unprecedented demand for everything from toys and lunch boxes to clothing and jewelry to disco records, trading cards and a myriad of promotional posters followed. Anything with the Star Wars title attached became instant collectibles that still garner high prices more than 20 years later. For our purposes, let’s concentrate on the one sheet posters used to entice and pique the public’s curiosity. A good number of these posters have become the most sought after, the most expensive and memorable pieces of movie art in the past quarter of a century. Strip away the hyperbole and platitude and one is still left with a great collection of movie posters. Quite a number are drawn by Drew Struzan, the leading movie poster artist today. It’s more like the only poster artist but more on that later. His posters have that certain quality that make them damn good in my opinion.

Star Wars
The first poster released in the Star Wars series was drawn by Howard Chaykin in a comic book style. It highlights our trio of heroes (Luke, Leia and Han) and their evil counterpart Darth Vader. I guess the artist chose this style to hint that Star Wars would be an epic space movie in content and a comic book in style and execution. The poster was printed by 20th Century-Fox in 1976 to promote the movie at that year’s World Science Fiction Convention in Kansas City. As few as 1000 posters may have been printed. It’s a good looking poster measuring 20 x 29 inches, much smaller than a standard one sheet. The scarcity would be commonplace in the search for Star Wars posters.

The first and second advance posters are almost identical except for a minor variance in the letter “W” contained in the title. The silver mylar posters announce the release of the movie in big block letters and are relatively simple and straight forward by any standards. The first advance is also much more reflective and has a metallic chrome finish as opposed to the second advance poster which has a duller finish. However the first advance is valued three to four times more than the second advance. That poster is also one of the most valued in the Star Wars series. Why? For one thing, very very few of the first advance were printed. Second, it’s that minor variance in the font. I can’t hazard a guess as to why such a slight difference would make for such a high value. One possible rationale - this poster is extremely attractive due to it’s rarity and the difference in the title’s font. Sometimes minor variations such as changes in poster art, ratings, tag lines, etc. make certain posters highly desirable. Another hypothesis - some Star Wars collectors are downright fanatical and will pay whatever price to acquire this particular poster. Thus driving the price way beyond what is considered reasonable.

The Star Wars advance poster style “B” is more familiar to the general public. It’s an ordinary poster except for the fact that it contains one of the most unforgettable tag lines in motion picture history. No exaggeration either. Mention “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...” to any moviegoer and 99% of responses will be Star Wars. It just goes to show how deeply ingrained this movie has become in the public’s psyche.

Next up we have the original Star Wars triumvirate of regular one sheets. The regular style “A” poster is the version most people associate with the film. With artwork drawn by Tom Jung (a poster artist who went on to create posters for The Right Stuff, March Or Die and others) the style “A” poster, without overstatement, is probably one of the most recognizable movie posters in the world. Almost everyone knows the image of Luke Skywalker, light sabre held above his head, with Princess Leia looking defiant and the loyal droids R2-D2 and C-3PO by his sides. Of course they are shadowed by the every present Darth Vader. To give the poster an epic scope of good verses evil a formation of X-Wing fighters and the Death Star can be seen in the background.

Style “C” is the least familiar of the three posters. Curiously there is no style “B”. This version was intended for the British release and not for the US market. It is rumored that as few as 500 were printed and most of the original print run was destroyed. Anyway it features large images of Luke, Leia, Han and Darth Vader against a backdrop of Tie-Fighters and X-Wing Fighters engaged in a space dogfight. The artwork is by Tom Cantrell. Of note, besides the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, the poster features Obi Wan Kenobi, Grand Moff Tarkin and Chewbacca for the first time. An overall dramatic poster of very good artwork.

Style “D” in my opinion is the best of the three. Charles White III was initially commissioned to do the artwork. He subsequently invited Drew Struzan, an acquaintance and former student, to collaborate with him on the composition. This marked Struzan’s first association with the Star Wars legend. What they composed was a dazzling and incredible retro-looking poster that harked back to the days of the matinee serials and cliffhangers of the 1930’s and 40’s. It’s a remarkable poster within a poster concept. Everything from the fonts to the style of illustration reminded you of the posters one may have seen 30-40 years ago. A modern masterpiece that pays tribute to the golden age of movies. Due to the noteworthy artwork this version is a favourite among collectors.

Also of note is the half sheet format. A half sheet poster measures 22 x 28 inches and is printed on thicker bristol board type coated paper stock. More on the different formats later. Usually the other formats feature the same artwork as the one sheet but this is the one exception. The half sheet has some of the same visuals as the one sheet but also features new imagery. Again artwork is by Tom Jung. It’s a majestic poster consisting of the well-known Luke and Leia poses, a large Darth Vader head shot, X-Wing fighters and the final medal presentation ceremony that closes the film. A very desirable addition to any collection.

And that brings us to what is perhaps the most rare Star Wars poster of all. It’s a scarce poster that was released to commemorate the first anniversary of the Star Wars release. The poster is charming in that it pictures a large birthday cake, inserted with a singular candle, surrounded by the original toy figures. It’s an attention-grabber and so few were printed that the value is in the neighbourhood of some of the classic campy science-fiction posters of the 1950s’ heydays.

Star Wars was re-released in 1979, 1981 and 1982. The posters are very similar in nature - Luke and Leia in front of the title. The posters use a small portion of the original Tom Jung artwork. Only the 1982 re-release poster is somewhat noteworthy in that it contains a banner promoting the “Revenge Of The Jedi.” The posters are unspectacular and ordinary - meant only for the collectors looking to have every poster.

Star Wars Titles Estimated Value
Luke Skywalker $1000 - $3000
First Advance - First Version $1500 - $2000
First Advance - Second Version $400 - $700
Advance Style “B” $150 - $300
Regular Style “A” $300 - $500
Regular Style “C” $200 - $400
Regular Style “D” $300 - $500
Half Sheet $200 - $400
Happy Birthday Poster $1500 - $2000
1979 Re-release $50 - $100
1981 Re-release $50 - $100
1982 Re-release $75 - $125

The Empire Strikes Back
This time around there is only one advance poster and what an advance poster it is. A simple yet striking poster featuring Darth Vader against a star field backdrop. It’s not seen very often and is somewhat rare in nature.

The style “A” regular version, with artwork by Rodger Kastel, is the most sought after of all the Empire posters. It’s a very noteworthy poster because it’s also known as the “Gone With The Wind” style. The poster pays loving tribute to that movie by emulating that famous embrace on that well known poster from 1967. The emerging love story between Han Solo and Princess Leia parallels that of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’ Hara in terms of their love/hate relationship and the red hot passion. However, the poster is not without controversy. Billy Dee Williams who portrayed Lando Calrissian is not pictured on the poster. As the myth goes Billy Dee Williams made it known that his character had enough screen time to warrant being pictured on the poster. Apparently, at the time, the powers that be felt the character did not. The poster was soon pulled from distribution making it one of the most sought after in the series and of the past 25 years. On a personal note, this is the poster that started me down the obsessive road of poster collecting. I just can’t stop no matter what!!! Sorry.

The problem was rectified when the poster was soon replaced with a different version that pictured Williams. Style “B” features a grand image of Darth Vader as the centerpiece. The Darth Vader image is flanked by Luke Skywalker on one side and Han and Leia and Lando on the other. The poster also features the first appearance of Stormtroopers. The artwork is very good but it doesn’t even approach the desirability or value of style “A.”

The second installment was re-released in both 1980 and 1981. Both posters featured similar artwork by Tom Jung and were very similar in overall design as well. Again the artwork conveyed the epic scope of the space adventure. And the focus of the posters was again on Darth Vader. These two posters also showcase the Snow-walkers (from that incredible ice planet battle sequence) and Master Jedi Yoda. Two worthy additions to a distinguished collection of posters.

The Empire Strikes Back Titles Estimated Value
Advance $200 - $400
Regular Style “A” $400 - $600
Regular Style “B” $100 - $200
1981 Re-release $75 - $125
1982 Re-release $50 - $100

The Return Of The Jedi
As most Star Wars collectors know, the advance posters (the first without the release date the second with) for the third installment was very quickly withdrawn when it was pointed out that Jedi Knights do not take revenge. Very few were ever used by theatres. As the legend goes there were approximately 8,000 to 9,000 of these posters printed and George Lucas decided to sell them to the fans through his fan club. Within 3 days all were gone! All of these posters were tri-folded. That is just three fold lines instead of the usual four lines giving you 8 folded boxes. The impressive poster was drawn by Drew Struzan. It featured a red and black speckled background with a large profile of Darth Vader’s helmet. In the foreground are the silhouettes of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader engaged in their final confrontation pitting father against son. Thanks to the poster being pulled from distribution, it may very well be the most sought after poster in the whole Star Wars trilogy. Others may have higher market values but this is the one most requested.

The replacement poster, style “A”, was actually suppose to be the advance poster but it was rumored to have been incomplete when the deadline approached. Therefore they went with the Drew Struzan version. It was just unfortunate they chose the wrong word to include in the title.
Artwork is by Tim Reamer and it features a pair of hands holding a light sabre pointed upwards. In the distance, an image of the new Death Star can be seen. This poster is rather ordinary and flat by Star Wars’ standards but it’s still alright. No Star Wars Saga poster can ever be bad in my books.

Style “B” is a much more pleasing and eye-catching poster. The poster features a collage of the good and evil characters including our favourite slug - Jabba The Hut. As usual Darth Vader and the Death Star looms over everyone ominously. With artwork by Kazuhiko Sano, the Style “B” regular version is the poster most people associate with the Jedi movie. Yet another fine example from a consistently pleasing series of movie posters. This is one of my favourites.

The 1985 re-release poster features face shots of Luke, Leia, Han, Yoda, the droids, Lando and an ewok plus an exploding Death Star. It’s a return of Tom Jung artwork. Full circle for the artist who created one of the most recognizable movie posters in the world let alone the series. It’s a decent poster, a bit uninspired, virtually forgotten but still somewhat desirable.

Return Of The Jedi Titles Estimated Value
Advance (without date) $500 - $1000
Advance (with date) $500 - $1000
Regular Style “A” $50 - $100
Regular Style “B” $75 - $150
1985 Re-release $40 - $75

Various Formats
And now a word about the other poster formats. What I described above are the US one sheets. I’ve bypassed the foreign versions because we would be getting into a whole new area with completely different artwork and dimensions. Through the years, various types of posters were made to accommodate different methods, circumstances or situations of displaying the printed material. Movie theatres were constructed to varying designs, shapes, capacities, etc. Depending on the individual theatre, some had ample space to display posters while others were limited in what they could do. I think the movie studios designed posters of varying measurements to furnish the theatres properly. If you aren’t familiar with these formats, here’s a small chart (excluding 24 Sheets that were meant for outdoor billboards).

Insert 14 x 36 inches
Half Sheet 22 x 28 inches
30 x 40 30 x 40 inches
40 x 60 40 x 60 inches
3 Sheet 41 x 81 inches (may come in 1-2 pieces)
6 Sheet 81 x 81 inches (may come in 3-4 pieces)

The above formats, excluding the 3 and 6 sheets, are printed on thicker card stock bristol board type coated paper. This higher grade of paper enhances the vibrancy of the colours, allows the ink dots to be smaller to increase the sharpness and clarity of the image and are far superior to the standard one sheets. These formats are rarely requested due to the fact that they were discontinued around 1985. Nevertheless, printed in less quantity and higher in quality, these posters are much more rarer than the one sheets and subsequently should be that much more sought after. They are not because many people are unfamiliar with these formats. As for the 3 and 6 sheets they are even more rare then their smaller counterparts. The unfortunate thing about these formats are their large sizes - difficult and very expensive to display. Does anyone have a free wall by chance? Anyway, the images on these alternate posters are the same as the one sheets.

Over the past few years the trend in the hobby has been towards large paper (larger formats). Collectors know that these large formats are extremely rare and not many have survived. The 3 and 6 sheets are worth anywhere from $750 to $2000 US while in most cases inserts and half sheets are valued a bit less then the one sheets and 30 x 40’s and 40 x 60’s are valued more then their one sheet counterparts.

Special One Sheets
Besides official one sheets, a multitude of special posters were produced either for media events, for purchase through the Lucasfilm Fanclub or for the mass market. Posters were made to highlight everything from individual heroes and villains, star systems, planets and spacecraft schematics to the unsavory cantina and very minor characters to satisfy the demand and curiosity of fans worldwide. To discuss them all would entail a 20 part series. Therefore to narrow our focus, I’ve basically selected those that were made in the one sheet format to commemorate the releases of the films.

To start off, two posters were produced to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Star Wars. The first of the two was a simple mylar poster of silver and black with a logo that read “Star Wars: The First Ten Years 1977 - 1987.” It was alright. However the second one was much more splashy. A limited edition of 3000 were originally produced with Drew Struzan commissioned to do the artwork. To make the poster more commemorative he chose to have the poster printed on rag archival paper. A very thick textured paper stock gave the images a slightly faded, muted and aged look and feel. The artwork featured a large image of Luke Skywalker in the foreground and a large image of Darth Vader’s head in the back. Also featured were Obi Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Princess Leia, the Millennium Falcon and the Death Star. Yet another beautiful piece from Mr. Struzan. Oh, by the way, he signed and numbered all of them. So it’s just that much more harder to obtain and that more much coveted.

In 1990, the 10th Anniversary of the original release of The Empire Strikes Back, three posters were produced (if memory serves me correctly). The first was a poster drawn by Larry Noble. Of the three this one has virtually been forgotten. It’s not that the artwork isn’t memorable, it’s the scarcity. It doesn’t surface very often and reference sources to access these images are non-existent. It’s a very nice poster featuring the Millennium Falcon trying to elude the grasp of a very large Darth Vader looming over everything. The second version is another silver mylar poster with a silhouette of Luke Skywalker atop a Taun-Taun (please excuse my spelling) superimposed over the outline of a large number 10. Another very nice poster but like the first has been forgotten a bit for the same reasons. This particular poster was limited to a print run of 1000. But the last of the trio is also the best. A gold mylar poster limited to 500 in number. An extremely rare poster with nothing more than a simple but striking head shot of Darth Vader lit from an overhead light source. The metallic gold sets off the poster while the light and shadow concept gives an air of mystery thus generating one great image. Stunning and captivating are two adjectives to sum up this one.

Moving on to 1992 and 1993, the 15th and 10th Anniversaries of Star Wars and Return Of The Jedi respectively, we find 3 more special posters. For the Star Wars 15th, George Lucas chose to finally utilize the Tim and Gregg Hildebrandt artwork in a proper one sheet format. You see, back in 1977, nine days prior to the movie release George Lucas commissioned the brothers to render artwork for his film. Although Mr. Lucas never adopted the art for the regular US one sheet (that honour went to Tom Jung as mentioned before) he did employ it as a mass market poster. It’s funny because this is the poster I remember from my earlier days and not the Tom Jung version even though both posters are very similar in style, content and composition. What sets this poster apart is the deep and rich blue colour and the spotlight on Luke and Leia. Very nice.

As for the 10th of Return Of The Jedi, the advance poster is actually the Drew Struzan artwork for the infamous “Revenge” poster. Due to being pulled from the theatres so quickly not many people were able to enjoy the artwork. To correct this problem, Lucasfilm decided to use the original one sheet design again to commemorate the film. I guess he wanted to make the poster available at a reasonable price - for we know the “Revenge” version is among the most expensive posters of the past 20 years. The regular version of the Jedi 10th Anniversary was rendered by Kazuhiko Sano. It carries forward some of the visual elements from the 1985 re-release of Jedi and style B from the original release. The poster features the destruction of the Death Star and a montage of the heroes and villains. It’s a good addition to the family of posters.

And that brings us to 1995 and the last of the Anniversary posters . The 15th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back maintains the same concept as the 10th Anniversary poster. Printed on gold mylar again but with four additional colours, the poster features a large head shot of our favourite bounty hunter Boba Fett. The poster doesn’t have as great an impact as it’s predecessor but it’s no less striking. This group of special Anniversary posters on their own constitute quite a valuable collection.

Other special posters of note include the following: Star Wars Concert poster (R2-D2 and C-3PO as a two man band), the Star Wars Radio Drama poster (C-3PO with head set standing by a microphone stand), The Empire Strikes Back Radio Drama poster (great portrait of Jedi Master Yoda looking skyward) and the three made-for-television posters for The Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (2 drawn by Kazuhiko Sano and the other drawn by Drew Struzan).

Of note, a special one sheet poster came out in 1985 for a Star Wars Trilogy showing on March 28th of that year. On that day a select 9 theatres in North America were showing the three films together only once. It has been reported that each theatre received only 2 posters. That means there are only 18 in existence! These one sheets are photographic prints of the original newspaper ads with each set personalized with the name of that particular theatre. But beware, these posters are easily reproduced because they were originally black and white.

Special One Sheet Titles Estimated Value
Star Wars 10th Anniversary (silver mylar) $100 - $200
Star Wars 10th Anniversary (archival rag paper) $300 - $500
Star Wars 15th Anniversary (Hildebrandt) $40 - $75
The Empire Strikes Back 10th Anniversary (Noble) $40 - $75
The Empire Strikes Back 10th Anniversary (silver mylar) $150 - $300
The Empire Strikes Back 10th Anniversary (gold mylar) $300 - $500
The Empire Strikes Back 15th Anniversary (gold mylar) $200 - $400
Return Of The Jedi 10th Anniversary (advance) $50 - $100
Return Of The Jedi 10th Anniversary (regular) $40 - $75

Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition
At the start of 1997, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Star Wars, George Lucas decided to release all three movies again. The re-release of Star Wars took North America by storm astonishing the experts and everyone else for that matter. By the end of their respective runs the three movies combined to gross more than $250 million. It was completely unheard of as the films shattering box office records for re-releases. Shades of 1977 again. The Star Wars Trilogy craze and hysteria, a bit dormant to this point, was exploding again as people were clamoring for the Special Edition movie posters.

First up is the advance poster featuring a simple design of a gold ingot embossed with Luke, Leia, Han, the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO and the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition title. Below the image the movie titles and their respective release dates appear. It’s a decent poster to fuel the fires of collectors everywhere and wet the appetites of fans worldwide.

However the regular posters for the three films are done in an innovative eye-catching concept that stretches over the 3 one sheets. The one sheets are self-contained on their own but placed together you can fully appreciate the scope of the images. The epic scale of the posters is seen in the arc of the main characters over the three one sheets plus the battle between the X-Wing Fighters (Star Wars poster) and the Star Destroyer/Tie-Fighters (Empire poster) flaring out and the final battle between father and son (Jedi poster). Of the three, The Empire Strikes Back poster is the most striking in my humble opinion. Once again the artwork is drawn by Drew Struzan. It’s the centerpiece of his illustrious association with Star Wars. With these posters, he has come full circle. This concept is sort of like his poster within a poster design from his first piece of work (Star Wars style D).

He is by far the premier poster artist today having drawn 25 years worth of great movie posters including my other favorite trilogy involving the adventures of a fedora wearing archeologist named Indiana Jones. His posters are dramatic and pack quite an emotional impact - very dynamic in terms of their concepts, composition, execution and overall appeal. There’s always a certain spirit and spark that permeates his consistently high quality artwork. Visit his web site at www.drewstruzan.com to view a sampling of this master illustrator’s body of incredible work. It’s a shame that more studios and film makers do not value artwork as a viable form of effective advertising. It appears only a select few artists get some work these days. Artists like Drew Struzan go underused and unappreciated.

Of note, there are variations to two of the posters. Due to the unexpected success of the Star Wars re-release, the re-release of Return Of The Jedi was pushed back one week to March 14th, 1997 instead of March 7th as originally planned. Thus, the advance poster and the Jedi poster were changed to reflect the new release date. The result - the original advance and Jedi posters command slightly higher prices then the revised versions.

Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition Titles Estimated Value
Advance (original release dates) $50 - $100
Advance (revised release dates) $40 - $75
Star Wars Special Edition $50 - $100
The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition $50 - $100
Return Of The Jedi Special Edition (original release date) $50 - $100
Return Of The Jedi Special Edition (revised release date) $40 - $75

Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace
That brings us to the present where Star Wars Saga/The Phantom Menace mania is once again gripping North America. The demand for the first two posters is extremely high right now. It is my understanding that George Lucas ordered an initial 10,000 print run of the first advance poster which features the young Anakin Skywalker casting an ominous shadow of Darth Vader. A simple yet foreboding image. That did the trick! The poster sold out in less than 2 weeks. It’s rumored that 60,000+ additional posters were printed just to fill all the back orders. The follow-up poster is commanding as much attention as it’s predecessor. With artwork by the ever-present Drew Struzan, it features a montage of the new characters and an evil face shot of Darth Maul looming in the background. Yet another jewel in the artist’s crown of top notch posters.

Star Wars: Episode One Titles Estimated Value
Advance $150 - $500
Regular $150 - $500

There you have it - an excellent collection of posters and a movie for the ages. This is one of the few times where the movie posters capture and convey the sweep and scope of a fun series of films. As a result, collecting Star Wars memorabilia is on the rise again. The posters are gaining momentum and increasing in value as the demand far exceeds the supply. Prices are headed for the stratosphere. All in all, over the past 20 years, not many posters are valued or sought after as much as those in the Star Wars family. I envision a scenario whereby great posters will precede great Star Wars Saga movies. All nine chapters.

And lastly, how do you gauge the impact of Star Wars? Well...I think it can be summed up like this.

Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn....
This could be the start of a beautiful friendship...
Bond. James Bond...
Make him an offer he can’t refuse...
May the force be with you...

Enjoy the movie.

TC.

Festival of fear

2005-05-13T09:04:00.000-04:00

How many chances do you get to see your favorite horror film star up close, without the makeup, without the axe in hand? Well unless you travel around North America, following conventions, probably not that often. Here is a chance for all you fright seekers on the east coast to mingle with the scariest of them all.

Toronto, the home of Movieposter.com, is hosting the 2005 Rue Morgue: Festival of Fear. This event promises to make lovers of the horror genre, and entice those who already can't get enough.

Reading the list of stars that will be there surprises me. I have never been to a convention like this but I have heard of the magnitude that they can reach. Here is a list of some of the actors and directors that will be there,

Clive Barker - writer/director Hellraiser

Elijah Wood - Lord of the Rings, Sin City

Linda Blair - Exorcist

Gunnar Hansen - Leatherface, Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Ken Foree - Devil's Rejects, Dawn of the dead

I will personally be attending this convention. Apparently there will be more then just the horror genre present. From the ads I've read, comic book, sci fi and other genres will be there aswell.

Mr. and Mrs. SEXY!

2005-05-09T12:06:00.000-04:00

I'm not one for hype, but I am one for gorgeous actors sharing a romantic scene. I don't really care if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie did have phone sex, or any other type of sex that broke up his marriage to Jen Aniston for that matter. Mr and Mrs Smith is going to be my summer blockbuster. Pitt and Jolie are #1 on my top hottest male and female actors list. A combo like this doesn't come around very often. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock tried in Speed, but failed in my opinion. Cruise and Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut was a pretty anticipated match, but the onscreen chemistry just wasn't there, dispite their real life marridge.

I don't think either actor has looked as good as they do now. Brad keeps in amazing shape, manages to get his body ripped before each movie and it definitely helps. Angelina will never get tired in my eyes. The new trailer depicts the steamier scenes in the movie, and there are not 2 other actors I would rather see rolling under the covers.

The Classics

2005-04-29T12:13:00.000-04:00

As a male in my early 20's, I am not too familiar with the old classic movies of the 40's 50's and 60's. Other then seeing the posters here at movieposter.com I haven't seen the majority of the classic films. It surprises my co-workers to know that I haven't seen Gone With the Wind, An Affair To Remember, Breakfast At Tiffanys and other big names. I never even thought to consider females of that era attractive, sure i hear people mention that Elizabeth Tailor was a beautiful woman, but all I know of her, is that she is self centred and seems to have had a little too much surgery. I personally wouldn't consider her attractive. I think about the female leading ladies i find attractive today like Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba, and then i see images of Audrey Hepburn and I know if she was in her 20's today, she would be as popluar and considered as sexy as any of the big named Female celebrities now.

Unfortunatly, it is almost impossible to find these classic movies to rent these days. Sometimes I wish i was born in decades past so i can experience what was once considered beautiful.

Forum Fun

2005-04-28T14:06:00.000-04:00

I have been following posts in a forum designed for movie lovers over at movieforums.com, they love to do heads up battles for some of the most popular posters out there. If anyone would like to contribute to the voting fun click here and register!

Anticipation

2005-04-27T10:51:00.000-04:00

Dun dun dun dun da dun, dun da dun...

I know you can hear it repeating over and over in your mind. Darth Vader is coming =)

I have been waiting for this for a long time. The trailers on starwars.com have depicted well the transformation of Aniken. So many quotes from the origonal trilogy stand out in my mind,

Governor Tarkin: Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Darth Vader: He is here.
Governor Tarkin: What makes you think so?
Darth Vader: A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.
Governor Tarkin: Surely he must be dead by now.
Darth Vader: Don't underestimate the Force.

Darth Vader: There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. [pauses] Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.
Luke Skywalker: I'll never join you!
Darth Vader: If you only knew the *power* of the dark side. Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father.
Luke Skywalker: He told me enough! He told me *you* killed him.
Darth Vader: No. *I* am your father

Continuity will be the key to this movies success. From what I've seen on the starwars site, it seems as though Lucas is going to re-create the first about 15 mins of Star Wars: A New Hope, in an attempt to make the series flow better, but only time will tell =)

Here are the movie posters for Star Wars: Epsode III Revenge of the Sith:

both posters also come in reprints (which are less expensive)