James Cagney was the original movie tough guy. In his time, he was the star of various gangster classics, including Angels With Dirty Faces and White Heat, but 1931’s The Public Enemy was the first and arguably best. It became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Cagney plays a bootlegger who…
Raise the Titanic
How’s this for a would-be great bit of (re)marketing? This is a French grande poster for the 1980 movie Raise The Titanic. I’ve never seen it but it is by all accounts a bit rubbish. The movie was a box office bomb. (The quote from producer Lew Grade was “it would have been cheaper to…
On The Waterfront
“I coulda been a contender….” On The Waterfront is regularly cited as one of the greatest American movies of all-time. Upon its release in 1954, it won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, Best Supporting Actress for Eva Marie Saint (in her film debut) and Best Director for Elia Kazan. This…
Lifeforce
I remember Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce being a terrible, cheesy movie. I watched it again recently just to make sure. Yup, its dreadful beyond belief. Its a lamentable come-down for the director of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Despite a large budget and some impressive practical effects, it manages the feat of being both batshit crazy…
Cry Danger
Here’s another cool poster for a movie I don’t think I have ever seen. Cry Danger is a 1951 film noir, with a plot centering around the old staple of a man sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit. He is played by Dick Powell. Powell had an interesting career, to say…
Rumblefish
Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumblefish is one of the more visually striking movies of the 80s. It was shot back to back with Coppola’s similarly themed, but far less stylish, The Outsiders. Rumblefish has a deliberately avant-garde style, shot in high contrast black and white, with lots of noir overtones. The experimental approach extends to the…
Viva Las Vegas
There are a ton of so-so Elvis movies and Elvis movie posters out there, but this is one of the better examples of both, I think. 1964’s Viva Las Vegas is notable for the chemistry between Elvis and co-star Ann-Margret (which was real – they began a well-publicised affair on-set). Aside from giving us the…
Escape From New York
This cult classic from John Carpenter gave the world the iconic character of Snake Plissken (what a name!). After working together on the TV movie Elvis, Escape From New York was the first theatrical release for the Carpenter/Kurt Russell partnership. Together, they made several more movies, including the classic The Thing plus, regrettably, the lamentable…
The KIllers
Ernest Hemingway’s 1927 short story has been filmed several times, including a 1946 version with Burt Lancaster. Don Siegel’s 1964 version stars Lee Marvin as one of the titular killers, and also features Ronald Reagan (as a baddie) in his final acting role before turning to politics. It was originally shot to be a made-for-tv…
For A Few Dollars More
I have collected or nearly collected various posters over the years for Sergio Leone’s follow up to A Fistful Of Dollars. Once upon a time I owned the UK quad, but sold it (which I now regret), although I don’t think its the greatest design. I have been tempted to buy the French grande, which…