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Platoon / one sheet / USA

13.08.14

Poster Poster
Title
Platoon
AKA
--
Year of Film
1987
Director
Oliver Stone
Starring
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Richard Edson, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Richard Edson, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
Final
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1986
Designer
Bill Gold
Artist
Unknown
Size (inches)
27 2/16" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
860115
Tagline
The first casualty of war is innocence

An iconic image on this one sheet for the release of Oliver Stone‘s Academy Award-winning Vietnam war classic, Platoon, one of a three films that the director made on the subject (the others being Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven & Earth). The script, which was written by Stone, is based on his own experiences as an infantryman who served in tours of duty during the Vietnam war. He had signed up in 1967 after dropping out of Yale University and specifically requested to see combat in the war that had seen the first ground troops sent to the country two years earlier. Stone served in two different divisions for over a year and was wounded twice,  receiving several medals, including a Purple Heart.

The film follows Charlie Sheen‘s army grunt Chris Taylor (a proxy for Stone) who is serving as part of Bravo Company, 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian Border. Taylor is fresh into the field and is treated with disdain by the more experienced soldiers (an incredible ensemble of acting talent, including Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Keith David and Forest Whitaker) who have all been in country for months, and he is quickly made aware that his presence is inconsequential. After a few skirmishes in which some members of the division are killed, Taylor is eventually accepted into the group and discovers the grinding boredom and rampant drug use amongst his fellow soldiers. Tensions between two sergeants, the ill-tempered, battle-scarred Barnes (Berenger) and the pleasant, more reasonable Elias (Dafoe) reach breaking point following an incident involving innocent villagers. Upon returning to base, the issue of a court-martial for illegal killing is raised and when the division is sent out on their next patrol, things reach boiling point, leaving Taylor fighting to survive against the enemy as well as members of his own team.

This one sheet was designed by the great Bill Gold who is best known for his working relationship with Clint Eastwood that has lasted over four decades. He worked on the iconic one sheet for Dirty Harry and went on to design the American poster for every Eastwood film since, which includes the brilliant one for Clint’s last Western,Unforgiven (1992). Gold has also designed posters for some of Hollywood’s greatest directors, including the likes of Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, with artwork by Philip Castle) and Alfred Hitchcock (Dial M For Murder).

Born in New York City in 1921, Gold studied illustration and design at the Pratt Institute before starting his professional design career in 1941 in the publicity department for Warner Brothers. One of his earliest designs was for the classic Humphrey Bogart filmCasablanca and within a few years he went on to become the head of the studio’s poster department. In 1962 he started Bill Gold Advertising in New York and then spent the next four decades creating hundreds of memorable poster designs and collaborating with some of the best illustrators in the business, including the brilliant Bob Peak.

Gold started to design less posters towards the end of the 1990s, with only a handful of posters for Eastwood films being credited to him. His last poster was for the 2011 film J. Edgar (directed by Eastwood), which Gold agreed to work on after an unsuccessful period of retirement following the poster he worked on for Mystic River in 2003. He continues to live in Upstate New York and in 2011 a book was released to coincide with his 90th birthday called Bill Gold Posterworks, which features 450 pages worth of his incredible designs and details his creative process. Unfortunately, it has an eye-watering price tag that has prevented me picking a copy up but I hope that one day a more affordable version will be released.

Platoon / Thailand

20.04.15

Poster Poster
Title
Platoon
AKA
--
Year of Film
1987
Director
Oliver Stone
Starring
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Richard Edson, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Richard Edson, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp,
Type of Poster
Thai
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
Thailand
Year of Poster
1986
Designer
Unknown
Artist
Kwow
Size (inches)
21 7/16" x 30 12/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

This is the original Thai poster for the release of Oliver Stone‘s Academy Award-winning Vietnam war classic, Platoon, one of a three films that the director made on the subject (the others being Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven & Earth). The script, which was written by Stone, is based on his own experiences as an infantryman who served in tours of duty during the Vietnam war. He had signed up in 1967 after dropping out of Yale University and specifically requested to see combat in the war that had seen the first ground troops sent to the country two years earlier. Stone served in two different divisions for over a year and was wounded twice,  receiving several medals, including a Purple Heart.

The film follows Charlie Sheen‘s army grunt Chris Taylor (a proxy for Stone) who is serving as part of Bravo Company, 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian Border. Taylor is fresh into the field and is treated with disdain by the more experienced soldiers (an incredible ensemble of acting talent, including Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Keith David and Forest Whitaker) who have all been in country for months, and he is quickly made aware that his presence is inconsequential. After a few skirmishes in which some members of the division are killed, Taylor is eventually accepted into the group and discovers the grinding boredom and rampant drug use amongst his fellow soldiers. Tensions between two sergeants, the ill-tempered, battle-scarred Barnes (Berenger) and the pleasant, more reasonable Elias (Dafoe) reach breaking point following an incident involving innocent villagers. Upon returning to base, the issue of a court-martial for illegal killing is raised and when the division is sent out on their next patrol, things reach boiling point, leaving Taylor fighting to survive against the enemy as well as members of his own team.

The artwork on this Thai poster is by the artist who signs his work Kwow, about whom I’ve been able to discover little beyond other titles he worked on. The figure kneeling with his arms up references one of the most iconic scenes of the movie, which also appeared on several international posters for the film and was painted by Mike Ryan (the original artwork was sold at auction in 2014).

Platoon / one sheet / international

10.07.15

Poster Poster
Title
Platoon
AKA
--
Year of Film
1987
Director
Oliver Stone
Starring
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Richard Edson, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Richard Edson, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon, Johnny Depp,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
International
Year of Poster
1986
Designer
Unknown
Artist
Mike Bryan
Size (inches)
27 2/16" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
--

An iconic image on this one sheet for the release of Oliver Stone‘s Academy Award-winning Vietnam war classic, Platoon, one of a three films that the director made on the subject (the others being Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven & Earth). The script, which was written by Stone, is based on his own experiences as an infantryman who served in tours of duty during the Vietnam war. He had signed up in 1967 after dropping out of Yale University and specifically requested to see combat in the war that had seen the first ground troops sent to the country two years earlier. Stone served in two different divisions for over a year and was wounded twice,  receiving several medals, including a Purple Heart.

The film follows Charlie Sheen‘s army grunt Chris Taylor (a proxy for Stone) who is serving as part of Bravo Company, 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian Border. Taylor is fresh into the field and is treated with disdain by the more experienced soldiers (an incredible ensemble of acting talent, including Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Keith David and Forest Whitaker) who have all been in country for months, and he is quickly made aware that his presence is inconsequential. After a few skirmishes in which some members of the division are killed, Taylor is eventually accepted into the group and discovers the grinding boredom and rampant drug use amongst his fellow soldiers. Tensions between two sergeants, the ill-tempered, battle-scarred Barnes (Berenger) and the pleasant, more reasonable Elias (Dafoe) reach breaking point following an incident involving innocent villagers. Upon returning to base, the issue of a court-martial for illegal killing is raised and when the division is sent out on their next patrol, things reach boiling point, leaving Taylor fighting to survive against the enemy as well as members of his own team.

This one sheet features a shot from a pivotal scene in the film where Elias is left behind during an evacuation to escape from advancing Vietcong troops. The shot was used on most posters for the film’s release across the board, but not on the US one sheet. This poster is in fact a one sheet printed for use in English-speaking international countries (note the lack of MPAA rating). It most commonly appears without the white border and measuring 25″ x 39″ but this is the full-size 27″ x 41″ bordered version.

I had always assumed the image was a photograph but I only recently discovered it’s the work of the American artist Mike Bryan who also painted the fantastic and iconic Robocop one sheet. Heritage auction house sold the original paintings for both posters in March 2014 and included with each was a note from Bryan himself. The platoon one can be read here.

Beauty / quad / advance / UK

20.07.15

Poster Poster
Title
Beauty
AKA
Skoonheid (South Africa)
Year of Film
2011
Director
Oliver Hermanus
Starring
Deon Lotz, Charlie Keegan, Michelle Scott, Albert Maritz, Sue Diepeveen, Roeline Daneel, Drikus Volschenk
Origin of Film
South Africa | France | Germany
Genre(s) of Film
Deon Lotz, Charlie Keegan, Michelle Scott, Albert Maritz, Sue Diepeveen, Roeline Daneel, Drikus Volschenk,
Type of Poster
Quad
Style of Poster
Advance
Origin of Poster
UK
Year of Poster
2012
Designer
Sam Ashby
Artist
Sam Ashby
Size (inches)
30" x 39 14/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
Love - Envy - Obsession

This is the advance quad poster for the UK release of the first Afrikaans-language film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival, 2011’s Beauty, which was directed by Oliver Hermanus. Set in Bloemfontein and Cape Town, the film is a drama that is intended to highlight the bigoted attitudes towards homosexuality in South Africa, which forces men like François van Heerden (Deon Lotz) to lead a closeted life. François has become bored with his marriage to wife Elena Michelle Scott, is frustrated with his daughter’s behaviour, and is bored of his job at a local sawmill. He is shown to be regularly meeting a group of gay men at a remote farm where they engage in sexual activities and then return to their families.

After meeting Christian Roodt (Charlie Keegan), the handsome son of an old friend, at a wedding he becomes obsessed with him and begins to fake reasons to travel to Cape Town where Christian lives with his family. When he sees his daughter relaxing on the beach with Christian, François starts to descend even deeper into his dangerous obsession. After spending a drunken evening out in Cape Town, he calls Christian asking him to pick him up and when the pair drive back to François’ hotel an incident occurs that neither are prepared for. The ending is fairly ambiguous but we’re led to believe that life will be no happier for the married man.

This fantastic UK quad was created by Sam Ashby, a London-based graphic designer who has worked on a number of film posters, including quads for films like Weekend (2011). According to this interview, Sam used to work at the poster design firm AllCity as Head of Design before leaving to set up his own studio in 2010. His website hasn’t been updated in a number of months so I’m not sure if he’s still active as a film poster designer.

It’s worth noting that I bought this poster directly from the UK distributor Pecadillo Pictures and it’s printed on thicker paper than standard quads. The printing quality is not as high as would usually be expected.

Nightbreed / quad / UK

22.02.17

Poster Poster
Title
Nightbreed
AKA
Cabal (France, Italy)
Year of Film
1990
Director
Clive Barker
Starring
Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, Hugh Ross, Doug Bradley, Catherine Chevalier, Malcolm Smith, Bob Sessions, Oliver Parker
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, Hugh Ross, Doug Bradley, Catherine Chevalier, Malcolm Smith, Bob Sessions, Oliver Parker,
Type of Poster
Quad
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
UK
Year of Poster
1990
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
30 3/16" x 40 1/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
The masters of the macabre join forces... with the Nightbreed

This is the UK quad for the original release of ace British writer/director Clive Barker‘s 1990 film Nightbreed. Based on Barker’s own 1988 novel Cabal, which was the sixth and final entry in his celebrated series ‘Books of Blood‘, the film was notoriously a flop upon its original release. The director has been candid in the years following its release and maintains that studio interference and a lack of understanding of how to market the film ultimately hampered its release. Having scored a hit with Hellraiser (1986) on a budget of just under $1m, 20th Century Fox gave Barker over 10 times that for Nightbreed, but with it they took away the freedom he had on the previous film. Ultimately the studio made extensive cuts to the film just before release without Barker’s input and marketed it as a slasher film, which was far from accurate.

The story focuses on a man named Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) who has been having vivid dreams about a city called Midian where monsters are accepted and live peacefully with each other. We learn that his girlfriend Lori (Anne Bobby) has encouraged him to see a psychologist named Dr. Phillip Decker (the cult Canadian director David Cronenberg). Decker tells Boone that he’s been suffering from a type of psychosis, is responsible for multiple murders and that he should turn himself into the police. In reality, it’s Decker who is a serial killer and he’s attempting to use Boone as a shill to cover his crimes. After being hit by a truck on his way home, Boone wakes in hospital where he meets a man named Narcisse who talks about accessing Midian before mutilating himself with a pair of blades. 

Boone follows Narcisse’s instructions and makes his way to an old cemetery in the middle of nowhere (the film is set in Canada). Once there he is confronted by a pair of monsters, Peloquin (Oliver Parker) and Kinski (Nicholas Vince), who block his request to enter Midian. Peloquin attempts to eat Boone, biting his shoulder before the latter breaks free and escapes the cemetery. Outside he is confronted by Decker and a squad of police officers and when Decker falsely shouts that Boone has a gun, he is gunned down by the squad. After Lori visits the morgue to identify Boone’s body, the bite given by Peloquin causes him to reanimate. He returns to Midian where he meets a whole host of monsters who call the city home. This time he is accepted into the city after being touched by the blood of their deity Baphomet. Meanwhile, Lori wants to understand why Boone traveled to Midian. She is eventually allowed into the city and discovers that it is a refuge for monsters after centuries of them being hunted to near extinction by humans. Unfortunately Decker has tracked her down and he plans to destroy the city and the monsters within.

One of the things that the studio struggled with is that the monsters are ultimately depicted as being the ‘good guys’ and this was obviously something of a departure from standard horror film tropes. The film has incredible production design and make-up effects, particularly the look of the various monsters in Midian. Despite critical and commercial failure in 1990, Nightbreed quickly garnered a cult following and for many years fans had been calling for the release of the longer cut that Barker had promised existed. An unofficial ‘Cabal cut’ was compiled using VHS-quality material a few years ago but in 2015 the original film elements were found and a special director’s cut released by the American video label Scream Factory, much to the delight of horror fans around the world.

This British quad differs greatly from the disappointing American one sheet and includes several photographs of the Nightbreed and is dominated by an image of David Cronenberg. The minor spoiler (for those that were yet to view the film) that he is the masked killer obviously didn’t bother the distributors! The tagline also makes a deal of the fact that Cronenberg and Barker were working together, perhaps understandably.

The Wicked Lady / one sheet / USA

29.08.17

Poster Poster
Title
The Wicked Lady
AKA
--
Year of Film
1983
Director
Michael Winner
Starring
Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates, John Gielgud, Denholm Elliott, Prunella Scales, Oliver Tobias, Glynis Barber, Joan Hickson, Helena McCarthy
Origin of Film
UK
Genre(s) of Film
Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates, John Gielgud, Denholm Elliott, Prunella Scales, Oliver Tobias, Glynis Barber, Joan Hickson, Helena McCarthy,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1983
Designer
Unknown
Artist
Unknown
Size (inches)
27 2/16" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
830033
Tagline
She's wild. She's wicked. And she really knows how to whip up a good time.

The Wicked Lady is a period drama that was directed by the late Michael Winner and was based on the 1945 film of the same name. Faye Dunaway stars as Barbara whose sister Caroline (Glynis Barber) is due to marry wealthy landowner, Sir Ralph Skelton (Denholm Elliott). Seemingly devoid of any scruples, Barbara seduces Ralph and takes her sister’s place at the wedding. She soon grows bored of just being the wife of a wealthy man and decides to take up highway robbery, depriving wealthy coach travelers of their jewels and other trinkets. Eventually she meets and falls in with a real highway robber, Jerry Jackson (the late Alan Bates), and the pair step up their game by robbing gold bullion-filled stage coaches. Eventually their sloppiness catches up with them and people around Barbara begin to suspect she has some involvement in the robberies. 

The film was a critical and commercial failure and was compared unfavourably with the original film. Dunaway’s character is totally unlikeable and her performance is nothing short of bizarre. Perhaps the worst aspect of the film is the pointless nudity, including one really cringeworthy sex scene by a fire, with a stockings removal setup that’s tortuously long. You can practically hear the sleazy Winner rubbing his knees at the back of the set. Despite a strong cast on paper this is a squandered opportunity.

I’m unsure who is responsible for the art on this American one sheet so if you have an idea please get in touch. It’s not to be confused with the artwork that was used elsewhere around the globe, including the British quad, that was painted by Brian Bysouth.

1941 / one sheet / teaser / USA

18.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
1941
AKA
1941: allarme a Hollywood [Alert/Alarm at Hollywood] (Italy) | The Night the Japs Attacked (USA working title)
Year of Film
1979
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Treat Williams, Slim Pickens
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Treat Williams, Slim Pickens,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
Teaser
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1979
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
27" x 41 1/16"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
WILD BILL WANTS YOU to see "1941" at your local theatre

1941 / one sheet / Style D / USA

18.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
1941
AKA
1941: allarme a Hollywood [Alert/Alarm at Hollywood] (Italy) | The Night the Japs Attacked (USA working title)
Year of Film
1979
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Treat Williams, Slim Pickens
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Treat Williams, Slim Pickens,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
Style D
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1979
Designer
Unknown
Artist
David McMacken
Size (inches)
27 2/8" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
A comedy spectacular!

1941 / B2 / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
1941
AKA
1941: allarme a Hollywood [Alert/Alarm at Hollywood] (Italy) | The Night the Japs Attacked (USA working title)
Year of Film
1979
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Treat Williams, Slim Pickens
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
John Belushi, Ned Beatty, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Treat Williams, Slim Pickens,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1979
Designer
Unknown
Artist
David McMacken
Size (inches)
20 7/16" x 28 15/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Barry Lyndon / 30×40 / USA

18.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Barry Lyndon
AKA
Beri Lindon (Serbia)
Year of Film
1975
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Starring
Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger (as Hardy Kruger), Steven Berkoff, Gay Hamilton
Origin of Film
UK
Genre(s) of Film
Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger (as Hardy Kruger), Steven Berkoff, Gay Hamilton,
Type of Poster
30x40
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1975
Designer
Bill Gold
Artist
Charles Gehm
Size (inches)
30" x 40"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
75/218-4
Tagline
--

Close Encounters of the Third Kind / quad / UK

18.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
Quad
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
UK
Year of Poster
1977
Designer
Unknown
Artist
Unknown
Size (inches)
30" x 39 15/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
We are not alone

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind / one sheet / UFO facts / USA

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
UFO facts
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1977
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
27" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
We are not alone

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind / one sheet / international

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
International
Year of Poster
1977
Designer
Murray Smith (Smolen, Smith and Connolly)
Artist
--
Size (inches)
27" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
--

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind / one sheet / 1980 re-release / USA

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
1980 re-release
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1980
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
27" x 40 15/16"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
--

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind / B2 / 1980 re-release / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
1980 re-release
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1980
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
20 6/16" x 28 14/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind / B1 / Spielberg style / Japanese text / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
B1
Style of Poster
Spielberg style - Japanese title
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1977
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
28 11/16" x 40 10/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind / screen print / Jay Ryan / USA

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
AKA
CE3K (USA - informal short title)
Year of Film
1977
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Terri Garr,
Type of Poster
Screen print
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
2005
Designer
Jay Ryan
Artist
Jay Ryan
Size (inches)
18" x 24"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Death Wish / B2 / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Death Wish
AKA
Il giustiziere della notte [The vigilante of the night] (Italy)
Year of Film
1974
Director
Michael Winner
Starring
Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, Steven Keats, William Redfield
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, Steven Keats, William Redfield,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1974
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
20 5/16" x 28 11/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Duel / B2 / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Duel
AKA
--
Year of Film
1971
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Eugene Dynarski, Lucille Benson, Tim Herbert
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Eugene Dynarski, Lucille Benson, Tim Herbert,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
--
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1972
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
20 5/16" x 28 10/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial / one sheet / USA

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
AKA
Night Skies (USA working title)
Year of Film
1982
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
Final
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1982
Designer
Intralink Film Graphic Design
Artist
John Alvin
Size (inches)
27 1/16 x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
820073
Tagline
HIS ADVENTURE ON EARTH | He is afraid. He is alone. He is three million light years from home.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial / one sheet / 1985 re-release / USA

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
AKA
Night Skies (USA working title)
Year of Film
1982
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
Re-release
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1985
Designer
Intralink Film Graphic Design
Artist
John Alvin
Size (inches)
27" x 41"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
R850060
Tagline
The Story that Touched the World!

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial / one sheet / bike over moon style / USA

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
AKA
Night Skies (USA working title)
Year of Film
1982
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote,
Type of Poster
One sheet
Style of Poster
Bike over moon
Origin of Poster
USA
Year of Poster
1982
Designer
B.D. Fox Independent (B.D. Fox & Friends, Inc.)
Artist
--
Size (inches)
26 12/16" x 40 7/16"
SS or DS
SS
NSS #
--
Tagline
--

Unquestionably the most famous image from Spielberg’s 1982 classic, this poster was never actually used to promote the film in cinemas. The ‘fingers touching’ design is the final US one sheet and there is an advance known as the ‘spaceship in the clouds’ .

It is believed that Spielberg himself requested the poster to be designed by B.D. Fox Independent and that they were to be given out to cast, crew and other people associated with the film and his production company. There were two printings done with the only major difference being the dimensions. There are known reprints of this poster and the first time I picked one up I inadvertently bought a fake. I was able to return the poster and eventually found what I believe to be an original.

There are several guides online to recognising an original and I’ve tried to collect as many as I can here.

Mel at the now defunct Moviepostercollectors.com created an excellent guide to spotting a fake along with lots of detailed photographs.

In any event this poster (in any size) was never distributed to theaters.  The exact reason is unknown.  According to reports, it was created solely for the purpose of internal distribution to cast and crew members. (It was reported on MOPO that the posters were placed in the company lobby for employees to pick up.) Many of these posters have personal notes to/from executives and crew members.  It is known that Spielberg used the image as the logo for his company, so perhaps he did not want it released to the public.  I’ve also read speculation that Spielberg believed it gave away a major plot point from the movie.

From Dave at Cinemasterpieces.com (scroll down to find the poster):

The bike/moon one sheet is EXTREMELY RARE. Not intended for theatrical use, but rather a “Studio Issue” for cast and crew. All of the originals we have personally handled (a few came straight from former ILM employees) measure 26 3/4″ x 40 1/2 (or within 1/8″ of those numbers). There are reports from long time highly credible collectors of an authentic full size 27″ x 41″ version. This 27″ x 41″ version if authentic (we believe it is….although we haven’t seen it) is undoubtedly much rarer than the 26 3/4″ x 40 1/2″ version as few have ever come to light within the collecting community. There are also reprints/bootlegs of this poster with varying sizes…..so collectors beware!!

He also has a picture of a known fake for comparison.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial / B2 / clouds style / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
AKA
Night Skies (USA working title)
Year of Film
1982
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
Clouds style
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1982
Designer
Unknown
Artist
John Alvin
Size (inches)
20 6/16" x 28 14/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Empire Of The Sun / B2 / artwork style / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Empire Of The Sun
AKA
--
Year of Film
1987
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
Artwork style
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1988
Designer
John Alvin
Artist
John Alvin
Size (inches)
20 5/16" x 28 14/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--

Empire Of The Sun / B2 / photo style / Japan

17.05.11

Poster Poster
Title
Empire Of The Sun
AKA
--
Year of Film
1987
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers
Origin of Film
USA
Genre(s) of Film
Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers,
Type of Poster
B2
Style of Poster
Zero
Origin of Poster
Japan
Year of Poster
1988
Designer
Unknown
Artist
--
Size (inches)
20 6/16" x 28 14/16"
SS or DS
SS
Tagline
--