Movie Posters
I want to write and draw comics, but I think movies are what I'm most passionate about as a fan. I also really like a lot of movie posters, and here are some of my favorites.



Midnight Cowboy

This is one of my top favorite movies ever, but that's not why I like the poster. I think I like it because New York tends to be depicted as a very grey, dark place in paintings. I grew up in New York and I never thought that was a good way to show it. I like this poster because it makes New York look bright and colorful and full of energy. The two main characters look a little overwhelmed, like they're stranded in all this light and movement- which is a pretty good summary of what the movie is. I also like how, despite the bright colors, the expressions on their faces are still grim and sort of hopeless. I think it's kind of a cheat to use faded, dark colors to convey those moods.



Casablanca

I really like these old style posters, which show the faces of the cast kind of floating in space. Its strange how little things like the way the title is written, and the slightly red tint of the whole thing, can make the image so unique, even if many posters might have a similar format. I also like Bogart's facial expression. He looks like he's running, or maybe deciding whether he needs to fire his gun or not. He looks kind of scared, even. Today in movie posters, if a guy is holding a gun, he looks determined and steadfast and badass. I think Bogart's face in this poster shows a lot more urgency and excitement. I think that modern posters of a guy with a gun walking grimly towards the viewer just look boring and static, which is why I like this one so much.



Wings of Desire

This is from a german film about a guardian angel who falls in love with a human. The way the angels are shown in the movie is really subtle and nice. They're just middle-aged men in dark coats, and you only see their wings briefly. I like how this poster makes the movie seem kind of epic, with the trapeze woman swinging through the clouds, and the statue rising up like it could fly. But then you notice the little man sitting calmly on the shoulder, like he's worried about something, and you focus on that, and it sort of brings you back down. That's sort of what the movie is like- it's about these big, epic things like angels and mortality and good and evil, but the actual story is very small and subtle.