It’s the end of the month, so it is time to reflect, relax and rewind our way back through the one-sheets, banners, promotional artwork and posters released in the last calendar month, highlighting some of the ones we though were noteworthy. It’s a little section we like to call Best Posters.
This month’s poster selection has more Eisner Award winners than you can poke a stick at. Why you’d be poking sticks at Eisner winners, we don’t know. What’s wrong with you?
Let us know in the comments below if we’ve missed your favourite, we got it wrong, or better yet, if we got it very right. Now to kick things off a little differently.
We don’t like to get negative in a column entitled ‘Best Posters,’ but’s it’s hard to avoid mentioning this month’s most talked-about poster. To quote DC and Marvel illustrator David Yardin (via Twitter), “Do movie studios realise people are laughing at & judging their MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR movie due to their bad Photoshop posters? It doesn’t even have to be a hand drawn poster; just use an artist with a good eye & is good with Photoshop, if manipulating photos.” This is a textbook example of what we don’t look for in a poster: clumsy Photoshop, three characters appearing multiple times, Tony Stark’s head is at least twice as big as the star, and it also appears to be on fire. This is a major studio release, and as the rest of the films show below prove, it’s not that hard to get it right on a smaller budget. Now, back to the good stuff.
Clusterwhoops
BATTLE OF THE SEXES
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks) direct this film about the infamous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Devoid of stars Emma Stone and Steve Carell, the minimalist poster even has classic folds in it as though it were a paper poster. We already love this film.
THE BEGUILED – Designers: P+A
If we weren’t already super excited by the release of Sofia Coppola’s film, for which she has already won Best Director at Cannes, then this elegant poster would sell us completely. Note that the film’s singular male character is cut off by the poster’s edges, along with Elle Fanning’s positioning in relation to Kirsten Dunst and Nicole Kidman.
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
Is this poster everything? We’re not sure, but it sure is bright and pretty.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – Designers: Paolo Rivera
Eisner Award-winning comic book artist Rivera gives Mondo his take on the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. We love the way the artist takes a leaf out of the layout for the older EC Comics books, such as Tales From the Crypt or The Vault of Horror.
HELLBOY: RISE OF THE BLOOD QUEEN – Designer: Mike Mignola
With the surprising news that Neil Marshall would be directing a new Hellboy film starring David Harbour, the character’s creator (another Eisner Award winner) has crafted a promotional teaser that has us even more excited for the reboot.
HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES
It’s the year of Neil Gaiman (or is it Stephen King?), and following the ongoing success of American Gods, an adaptation of his 2006 short story is soon making its way to the big screen. It’s also John Cameron Mitchell’s first feature since 2010’s Rabbit Hole.
KILL SWITCH – Designers: Ignition
There’s a series of great posters for this upcoming American-Dutch sci-fi film, but the great thing about this poster is that it’s a poster for itself. Meta.
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER
Even before the global cult hit of The Lobster we loved director Yorgos Lanthimos’ outright weirdness in Dogtooth, Attenberg, and Alps. If this poster is any indication, or its Cannes Film Festival award for Best Screenplay, then it will be equally and engagingly weird.
MAKYAJ – Designer: Berkcan Okar
We may never know what this film is about, and while a simple Google search could probably tell us, we’ll just admire the seemingly infinite patterns of Yilmaz, Bayrak, and Alben.
MOTHER! – Designer: James Jean
One of the most talked-about posters of the last month, Jennifer Lawrence really puts her heart into it, or pulls it out or something. Artist James Jean (yup, another Eisner Award winner) brings his inimitable style to Darren Aronofsky’s new film. Let’s just hope it’s better than Noah.
OKJA – Designers: BOND
Yeah, go on. Explain that one.
POWER RANGERS
While the film didn’t do so well commercially, its posters have appeared at least three times in this column. Spider-Man: Homecoming, eat your heart out. Unless J-Law gets there first.
SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP – Designers: LA
“Ms. Bartsch’s name,” said the The New York Times, is “the night life equivalent of a couture label, thanks to the numerous extravaganzas she staged in cities from Montreal to Miami.” Amazing work for a store mannequin.
WOODSHOCK – Designer: Kellerhouse Inc
A poster that lives up to the title of the film.
WONDER WOMAN
The Chinese poster for the fourth film in the DC Extended Universe is unlike any other. While we could comment on the depiction of the titular character, what’s up with Steve Trevor?
xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE – Impossible Series
For the home release of the third instalment in Vin Diesel’s other franchise, the studio commissioned a series of posters recreated scenes from the film. This is one we want to try at home.
