I doubt even the most avid Clint Eastwood fan would claim Firefox was one of his better movies. I remember buying this US one-sheet at a film memorabilia fair in Nottingham before the movie had been released in the UK. From the poster it looks promising, with a great image and tag-line….but that’s about as…
Torn Curtain
Here are a pair of posters for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1966 thriller Torn Curtain. Like several of Hitch’s later movies, Torn Curtain is rather uneven, old-fashioned and boring in places. I saw it years again on TV and have not revisited it since. Stars Paul Newman and Julie Andrews try hard, but don’t have much chemistry…
Scarface
Here are two very different posters for two very different versions of Scarface. The original 1932 movie is a terrific and hugely influential gangster picture chronicling the rise and fall of Italian immigrant Chicago gangster Tony played by Paul Muni. Directed by the great Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hughes, the movie faced multiple…
Summer Storm / Magnificent Obsession
Here are two very old posters for movies directed by Douglas Sirk. Now, I must admit I am not particularly familiar with Sirk, beyond him being name-checked in the 50s-style diner scene in Pulp Fiction (where a “Douglas Sirk Steak, bloody as hell” is on the menu). Sirk was active predominantly in the 50s and…
A Fistful Of Dollars
Here are an interesting pair of posters for the Belgian release of Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western classic A Fistful Of Dollars. The first poster is from the first release in 1964 and is interesting because while it name-checks star Clint Eastwood (in his first leading role), the image is that of a generic cowboy, with…
The Spiral Staircase
Now here’s a rarity: this is a Swedish poster (the only one I own) for this 1946 film noir. I have this poster up for sale here, but if nobody buys it soon I may opt to hold onto it and get it framed. I really like the very graphic visual, which I think captures…
Assault On Precinct 13
John Carpenter’s original Assault On Precinct 13 is one of my all-time favourite thrillers. This movie is a master-class in how to make a low-budget exploitation classic. Carpenter shows a sure-hand throughout, beginning with the ear-worm electronic theme tune he composed himself, and he expertly builds the tension before bringing all the characters together in…
Godzilla
Christmas is coming, but sorry I do not have any festive-themed movie memorabilia to post, so this red and green Godzilla poster will just have to do! I’ve seen various Godzilla movies over the years (including the rather mediocre recent reboots), but frankly I do not remember if I have ever seen the original 1954…
Coogan’s Bluff / House Of Cards
Spot the difference? This is an interesting example of movie poster artists copying each other… Both Coogan’s Bluff and House of Cards were released in 1968. I’m unsure which one went to market first, but you can bet that one of these artists got lazy and simply copied the design of the other poster. The…
Dune
David Lynch’s 1984 version of Dune is widely recognised to be something of a disaster. The producers probably thought they were investing in the new Star Wars. What they got was weird and incomprehensible beyond belief. Lynch himself subsequently disowned the movie and whilst it has become something of a cult, campy favourite, my memory…