~ by kevin maher ~

Each movie poster represents the intersection between art and commerce. A one-sheet reveals so much about the marketing department’s opinion of the imagined audience – and how to get those suckers to pay for the film.

A poster has a lot of work to do: showcase the star power; reflect the film’s tone; reveal the basic premise; and invite the viewer to experience some of the excitement that may (or may not) exist in the film.

In The Pre-History of the Far Side, cartoonist Gary Larson shows two versions of the same comic. In the first one, a chef has thrown a baseball towards a carnival bullseye, sending a lobster to its death.

In the second version of the same single-panel gag, Larson has the chef holding the baseball, because, he explains, this increases the tension. It’s a small choice that makes a big difference.

There are different ways to convey dramatic tension in a single image, and that’s what this video is about – like Gary Larson’s two comics, there are two kinds of shark movie posters. (You should watch the video, it’s very good.)

Right away you’ll recognize some tropes employed by b-movie marketing; most famously, the pairing of a hideous monster and a beautiful woman. Swimsuit fashions change over time, and the monsters vary from a wild gorilla to radioactive mutant, but the basic tradition remains the same – coming soon: death and the maiden.

Enjoy the video, it was edited by Paul Murphy. Produced by Kevin Maher (who is me) and Rusty Ward. And shot by Merry Rose. And it features over 30 of my favorite Jaws-style movie posters from the past 43 years.

Tobe Hooper & The Legacy of the 'Saw.

KING-O: Stephen King adaptation Bingo.

Alive With Death: 100 Great Moments in Poltergeist.

~ AUGUST 14, 2018 ~