Book Report — Art of the Modern Movie Poster

The bargain bin at Barnes & Noble has always been one of my favorite stops. Earlier this week, I picked up this massive collection of modern movie posters. I would say this is a coffee table book, but your table had better have good legs, because this book is HEAVY.

Art of the Modern Movie Poster: International Postwar Style and Design is just my style — tons of pictures and not many words — contained in over 500 full-color, glossy pages. The book showcases the best movie posters from around the globe, primarily focusing on the kinds of imagery you might find in an art exhibit, rather than in a seminar on Photoshop. Many of the movies are totally unrecognizable until you read the translated caption below — that’s a Star Wars poster?!?

The contents of this book will appeal to anyone who appreciates graphic design and art, as well as movie fans. You will not find posters with Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr., but you will find oil paintings, collages, and amazing typography.

I particularly enjoyed the 2-page spreads that showcased how posters for the same movie were produced in different countries. The Eastern European countries seem pretty bleak based on their poster art, while Japan is a place I’d want to visit. And, of course, France and Italy are all about the ladies — yeah, I’d go there too.

Reference books like this one are always welcome on my book shelves. Whenever I feel less than creative, books like these can provide that creative spark I may be lacking at that moment. Of course, the downside is that these books also tend to set me off on an eBay hunt to track down bizarre Polish posters from the 50’s for movies I’ve never heard of before.