Comments on: Polish movie poster gallery

Polish movie poster gallery

jonson — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:23:59 -0800

The always great (and frequently linked) RetroCrush currently has an exhibit on Polish movie posters for western films; seemingly devoid of the original branding & identity art, it's fun to try and guess what movie the images could even be trying to promote. Some are beautiful, some are amateurish, all are intriguing.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:26:13 -0800

Retrocrush doesn't like direct links to images.

By: jonson

jonson — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:34:45 -0800

d'oh! NOW who looks retarded!?!. Oh wait... I guess I do.

By: Gyan

Gyan — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:43:07 -0800

"it's fun to try and guess what movie the images could even be trying to promote" If the image names are obscure.

By: You Should See the Other Guy

You Should See the Other Guy — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:57:35 -0800

I have a number of these. Andrzej Pagowski is the shizzle.

By: jca

jca — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:06:48 -0800

RetroCrush does oh-so-briefly cite the original source of the poster images, but that site deserves a bigger mention: Polishposter.com

By: Liquidwolf

Liquidwolf — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:29:00 -0800

'Weekend at Bernies" poster is amazing. Completely blasted and irrelevant.

By: davebush

davebush — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:56:19 -0800

This really illustrates how generic movie marketing has become in North Amercia. I've seen quite enough posters and DVD packages with the standard "3 faces" design.

By: beaucoupkevin

beaucoupkevin — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:56:27 -0800

RetroCrush in "borrowing content" shocker! While not up there with CollegeHumor or The Site That Shall Go Unnamed, they're pretty fond of acting like they're awesome archivists of the internet. Most grating is when they swiped from pals of mine in the past.

By: shmegegge

shmegegge — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:26:07 -0800

wow, I wish more american movie posters looked like these. the seven samurai, weekend at bernies, ghandi, french lieutenant's woman, apocalypse now, and revenge of the pink panther are winners for me. hot damn. awesome post, jonson!

By: iamck

iamck — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:27:11 -0800

By: jca

jca — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:28:46 -0800

This really illustrates how generic movie marketing has become in North Amercia. I've seen quite enough posters and DVD packages with the standard "3 faces" design. So, foreign posters using abstract artwork, in come cases, having no relation whatsoever to the product [movie] being marketed are superior to the "Big Heads Floating in the Sky" of U.S. domestic poster art -- is that what you're saying? Because those Polish posters are examples of art, whereas the double-sided one-sheet in your local theater googleplex are examples of marketing -- there's no reason for faulting one for not being the other. Especially when they don't serve the same purpose. For example, I really don't think your mother would be able to find the Mel Brooks movie she's looking for at the local Blockbuster if the DVD cover looked like this. ;) She might want to hang it on her wall, however.

By: jonson

jonson — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:38:12 -0800

wow, beaucoupkevin, I had no idea. I won't link to them again, thanks for pointing it out.

By: davebush

davebush — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:10:24 -0800

jca - I don't recall saying the Polish posters were "superior" but they certainly are more interesting. I understand why the "floating heads" are used, I'm just tired of it.

By: Dagobert

Dagobert — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 22:03:00 -0800

Looking at these posters, I have now have this storng desire to see these movies again with Polish subtitles turned on. Some very delightful posters. I mean, Weekend at Bernie's looks vaguely interesting.

By: booksandlibretti

booksandlibretti — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:01:48 -0800

See also hand-painted Russian movie posters. I bookmarked that about a year ago, I think, because it was so damn cool I knew I was sure to want it again.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:04:17 -0800

Wow, Mandingo took me a second, but it's brilliant. And yeah, a link to "Polishposter.com [via Retrocrush]" would probably have been more fair.

By: degnarra

degnarra — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:15:59 -0800

This really illustrates how generic movie marketing has become in North Amercia. ...And in Poland. These artsy posters pretty much ceased to exist with the fall of communism 17 years ago.

By: slimepuppy

slimepuppy — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 03:17:43 -0800

These are fantastic. Thanks.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:56:44 -0800

These artsy posters pretty much ceased to exist with the fall of communism 17 years ago. That was my question. Presumably the abstract art was due to some sort of regulation about showing Western art? The Kabaret poster is my favorite.