The Studio Sounds Off: Oscar?! I Hardly Know Her!

It’s Oscar season and the Academy has made another monumentally bad decision. But even if they won’t air the awards they give to the people who actually make movie magic, you better believe we’ll air our opinions on our favorite movie posters of all time. And we’re making everyone’s favorite traffic manager play along too.

Check it out!

Annetta: Vertigo

One of the iconic graphic designers of the 20th century was Saul Bass (whom I had the honor of meeting when I edited a design magazine). Part of his genius in designing logos, posters and movie title sequences (check out Psycho’s title sequence) was to create images that stripped away literal meaning to capture the essence of an idea. I HAD to pick one of his movie posters and went with Vertigo, perhaps his most famous poster. And then just for beauty and horror, here’s The Silence of the Lambs. The idea of using Dali’s image of a skull with naked women (look closely at the moth’s body) supposedly came from the director Jonathan Demme (whom I served many times when I waitressed at Dojo Restaurant in the East Village — he was a great tipper lol).

Brooke: Everything at Mondo

I love revival screenings almost more than first-run features, so it only makes sense that many of my favorite posters are likewise an act of revisitation. The best place to find such works? Mondo, beloved creators of niche art and artifcacts that delight collector types. Each of Mondo’s artist-created posters is offered on a limited print-run basis and then they’re gone forever. Or until they pop up on Ebay for a pile of money. What I love about Mondo’s wares, other than the platform they give some seriously talented artists, is that the work is created with the clarity of time. The posters themselves become as reverential and referential as a tribute tattoo. Some are extremely minimalist with an “if you know you know” bent. Others are maximalist, bursting with affection for the mise en scene. Still others are painstaking recreations of a certain scene or expression. These, of course, are off-set by wonderfully artistic and absurdist takes on iconic images. I’ve collected a few of my personal favorites below as a kind of primer to the Mondo lens on the world. Go empty your wallet here

Daniela: Polish School of Posters

My favorite posters all come from one place: POLAND! They really decided to ditch the old movie poster formula ([Insert Protagonist’s Giant Portrait Here] + [Potpourri of characters in action poses underneath] + [Hope for the best, maybe sprinkle spoilers]) and went all out on maximalist bold graphics, dynamic compositions and KILLER Typography! It was almost imposible to pick favorites for this…. but look at the range here! Talk about breaking the rules! Nerd out with me with an intro to the Polish School of Posters

Dave: Intacto (Not to be confused with Encanto…)

I have always loved the poster for the Spanish film Intacto. The poster itself tells a story in color, layout, and design. The striking image of a blindfolded man running grabs the viewer and I immediately want to know more about this world. The frames surrounding the central image house talismans of luck and give just a bit of context but add to the layers of intrigue. Alas, I wish I could say the film itself lives up to the promise the poster creates.

Jason: Alien Vs. Predator

Early in life, I got a toy from the Aliens franchise and became obsessed with that universe. Then I saw Predator, with Arnold Shwarzenegger, and became obsessed with that. Then, one day, I was walking by a movie theater and saw this AVP poster. It was a religious experience. For the next six months, until the movie came out, I was insufferable. “Is it August 13th yet? How about now?” As we all know, the movie sucked. But the magic of the poster will live on forever, somewhere in my shriveled black heart.

Kristie: Silence of The Lambs

My all-time favorite surrealism artist has always been Salvador Dali. I grew up not far from his museum in St Pete, Fl and frequented a Dali-inspired break from reality. (If you have not been, I highly recommend it. They went through an architectural design overhaul some years ago and the double-helix staircase as the centerpiece does not disappoint.) But we’re not here to talk about art museums and melting clocks—Salvador Dali was the one who introduced me to the thoughtfulness of every inch on a canvas or pixel on a screen. He showed me the depth a piece of art can have when you layer meaning on top of meaning of meaning and then hide more meaning in a visual metaphor or hidden symbol. That brings me to my favorite movie poster. Not only a great film but also fantastic poster design takes a page out of the surreal world where we pray the characters stay–Silence of the Lambs.

Maranda: Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction has some of the best variations of movie posters for sure. It also happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I think the classic movie poster does such a great job at encompassing all that the movie is about - and really telling a story before you even know what the story is. And what people have done with the various variations are so creative too! The minimalist-style posters of Uma Thurman and John Travolta’s silhouettes dancing, or Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta with their guns drawn, there is just so much creativity behind each and every one. I think the use of color is also something that stands out because its just so strong and in-your-face, that it leaves you guessing for sure.

Moira: The Lobster

The Lobster has one of my favorite movie posters. I am specifically drawn to this poster for its minimalist design, absence of color, and composition. The negative space at the center of the poster captures my attention before my eyes move to the hands and face of the actor. This incomplete image leaves me with a feeling of loneliness. Add to that the lack of color and that feeling deepens. The longer I look at this poster, the more I try to complete the image by folding myself into the empty space. But that would ruin the imperfection of the image and I like it a little broken.

Tammy: Encanto (Not to be confused with Intacto)

I’m going with my family’s favorite movie right now, Encanto. We watch this movie daily and are always mesmerized by the gorgeous visuals and awesome tunes. The movie poster is bright, intriguing and captures the essence of the Columbian mountains and the uniqueness of the Madrigals family — including their magical casita. I also love the expression on the main character’s face. Mirabel draws you in with her eyes and is clearly trying to tell us something about herself and her eclectic family.

Tatiana: The Hobbit

I have to go with this movie poster for The Hobbit. I very much adore the Lord of the Rings movies and also found The Hobbit movies to have many meaningful themes and scenes that made me feel warm and happy inside, just like the three Lord of the Rings movies. For that reason this poster holds a special  place in my heart as the hobbit Bilbo Baggins leaves his home to embark on his journey. I feel this poster really captures the spirit of adventure and courage that the story of The Hobbit embodies; encapsulating that anyone can be significant and play a major role in their own story, as long as they possess the courage and curiosity to take a chance.

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