Another month, another batch of movie posters ranging from the amazing to the laughable. Is there a design worse than Something Borrowed? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.
Snowtown
There’s a darkness to Snowtown that is certainly alluded to on this poster with its sinister framing and exceptional composition. Its big typeface, close-up imagery and flashes of colour belie the movie’s doom and gloom. It’s a good thing, too, since nobody would go and see it if the poster gave away all the rape, incest, paedophilia and torture that goes on.
Read Trespass’ interviews with Snowtown director and cast
The Tunnel
This Australian horror film wasn’t released theatrically, but instead used an ingenious marketing ploy to raise its budget by having people purchase frames, and then release via torrent. This poster takes a rather simple image of a woman screaming and turns it into a thank you card to some of the film’s many, many sponsors (the first 1000 to be exact). It makes this rather traditional scary movie just a little bit more inventive. Can you spot your name?
Oceans
The local release of this Disney documentary thankfully scrapped the annoying stripe concept of the American release and instead focused on this rather beautiful still image of a whale surrounded by a mass of calm, pristine ocean. It’s a far more placid picture, for sure, but one that better typifies the movie.
Read Trespass’ review here
Insidious
Creepy children are indeed creepy, that we know. So what better way to market your scary movie starring Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson and Barbara Hershey than by ignoring them and putting a giant creepy child front and centre? It works!
These unique concept designs, reminiscent of the posters for Black Swan, are even better.
Read Trespass’ review here
Water for Elephants
A poster as equally glossy as the movie it’s selling, but there’s something slightly off about it, don’t you think? Perhaps it’s the embers flying about for no apparent reason, the sinister Single White Female vibe given off by the elephant in the background, the tightrope walker up above appearing out of thin air or the humourous direction of Robert Pattinson’s eyesight. Or all of the above.
Read Trespass’ review here
The Hangover Part II
Hey, it’s just like the movie! Same jokes just repeated again and again! Three cheers for originality!
Read Trespass’ review here
Source Code
This local design is an altered version of the British quad, which was a rapid departure from the American concept. No matter which version Australian cinemas got to hang up in their lobby, it was going to be bad. The final version is weirdly Photoshopped and confusing. Director Duncan Jones’ last film, the lo-fi science fiction Moon, had a ripper of a poster so it’s a shame that the Source Code marketing has been let down by its need to appeal to as many (apparently blind) people as possible.
Read Trespass’ review here
Main Street
This is a poster that does absolutely nothing but say, “Here is a movie that stars Colin Firth and some other people you may like, would you care to watch?”
Something Borrowed
This hilarious piece of Photoshopping is brought to you by Colin Egglesfield’s head. You see, Colin’s forehead is apparently so hypnotic and dreamy that Kate Hudson just can’t stop staring at it! Like wise, Kate co-star Ginnifer Goodwin appears to be equally entranced by the back of Colin’s head. John Krasinski isn’t having any of this though as he stares and smirks into the heart of your very soul, urging you not to see Something Borrowed.
Lastly, can we get a cease and desist on movies about marriage replacing the letter O with a ring? Please.
Soul Surfer
I think the word we’re looking for here is “LOL”. The symbolism is killing me.
Please do return next month for a look at very real contenders for both Best Poster of 2011 (Here I Am) as well as Worst Poster of 2011 (X-Men: First Class). They are doozies, but for completely different reasons.
