Great movie posters of the decade

I liked this The Pleasure of Being Robbed poster from a year or two back quite a bit:
Pleasure of Being Robbed
(from http://www.impawards.com/2008/posters/pleasure_of_being_robbed.jpg )

Along with what will most likely always be my personal favorite, the original version of the poster for Control:
Control
(from http://www.gamersrage.com/taso/control.jpg )

I'm really glad you can seaparate a bad movie from it's well-designed poster. Sidenote: I HATE the Running with Scissors poster. It just looks gross.

Maybe it's because I just watched it, but the Moon (2009) poster is one of the best I've seen in years.

http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2009/04/10/moon-poster-2.jpg

Some great choices. I can never get the "Hard Candy" poster out of my head.

Agreed ... agreed ... agreed ... agree- OH ZOOLANDER WHAT NO EUGH LIES YOU CRAZY?

I feel like I got rick scrolled.

I'm a fan of this poster for Moon:

http://www.rianmiller.com/wapo/may09/moon_poster.jpg

Also, this poster for The Bank Job:

http://www.rianmiller.com/wapo/may09/bankjob_poster.jpg

The #1 at theauteurs.com was Funny Games.

The "Why So Serious?" one with Ledger behind the fogged glass was a fantastic poster.

Your selection is much better than the Auteur's one.

Love the "From Hell" poster.

Great choices, all!

I thought the Precious teaser poster (http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Precious-Posters_i5268767_.htm?AID=1577398651) was incredibly evocative.

Also, I think the 30 Days of Night poster, like the movie itself, was criminally underloved. http://www.allposters.com/-sp/30-Days-Of-Night-Posters_i2800165_.htm

Though the Jennifer's Body poster was nearly identical to the first season True Blood poster. (http://www.amazon.com/True-Blood-TV-Laminated-Poster/dp/B001XUVPJ6) Not precisely sure which one came out first, but I think HBO may have beaten them to it.

I guess I'll be one of the first to say "You left off the 'Why So Serious' poster for The Dark Knight!"

http://www.impawards.com/2008/dark_knight_ver4.html

I also enjoy Zack and Miri Make a Porno's famous unapproved poster:

http://www.impawards.com/2008/zack_and_miri_make_a_porno.html

(Which itself is a ripoff of a Good Luck Chuck poster, but I'd rather look at Elizabeth Banks than Dane Cook.)

I think the choice of The Death of Mr. Lazarescu was pretty silly on the site you link to -- not only is it chosen because it's a *bad* poster, it doesn't make sense to anybody who hasn't seen the film. Surely a good poster should be good in its own right. That one just looks like an ad for a foreign version of Scrubs.

I like The Back-up Plan poster because it shows my favorite actors, Alex O'Loughlin and Jennifer Lopez. http://twitpic.com/s0b2e
RT@backupplanmovie http://twitpic.com/s0b2e Here is the new theatrical one-sheet for The Back-up Plan!

Is that Jennifer's Body or the True Blood novel? Almost identical.

Among those not mentioned so far, I'm partial to http://scriptreadersdigest.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/minority_report2.jpg

Also a fan of http://absolutemichigan.com/blogs/tcfilmfestival/files/2008/07/oss117_affiche.jpg

Good list. No House of the Devil though? What about Moon?

what are the details with the kate bosworth movie?
searched everywhere on her imdb profile for it and couldnt find it and on wikipedia it says christina ricci is now attached to the role. wonder if they'll change the concept of the poster too.
i like the choice of the choke one. always stood out to me.stepbrothers is a recent one that comes to mind, found it much more amusing than the movie itself:
http://30tocure30.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/step_brothers-poster.jpg

Add another cheer for the Moon poster. Another 2009 pick: the US poster for In The Loop:

http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/in-the-loop

I agree with Rian Miller. The Moon poster is definitely my favorite!

although Outlander's poster was quite remarkable as well.

http://thewarrenreport.com/wp-content/uploads/outlander-poster.jpg

Punch-Drunk Love:

http://images.themoviedb.org/posters/4825/65017_punch_drunk_love02_full_122_392lo.jpg

Sweeney Todd:

http://www.aintitcool.com/images2007/sweeneylarge.jpg

Black Snake Moan:

http://www.aintitcool.com/images2007/bsm-1sht-small.jpg

Mr. Ebert, long time first time. I am surprised by many of your choices. My comment regards your last selection, Zoolander. Zoolander is one of my favorite 'goofy' comedies, but you gave it an absolutely scathing review, as it came shortly after September 11, and contained a subplot regarding the assassination of a Muslim head of state. I wonder if now, eight years later, your opinion of the film has changed at all; your initial reaction seemed visceral rather than intellectual. Do you find your opinion of the film now that you've had time to reflect? Or do you just plain not care for it anyway? For that matter, have you watched it a second time? Thank you in advance, and thank you for the excellent blog.

I like your choice of "Walk the Line", but this poster is the one that is REALLY great…

http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/14/1462/2WGQ000Z/shepard-fairey-walk-the-line.jpg

What about Sorority Boys?!

Actually, these are great choices. Except for Almost Famous, but maybe that's because I'm more familiar with Kate Hudson now.

I like your choice of "Walk the Line", but this poster is the one that is REALLY great…

http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/14/1462/2WGQ000Z/shepard-fairey-walk-the-line.jpg

Interesting choice. I really like the 'Man on Wire' poster. That picture is amazing. I would have added the "Mulholland Drive" poster here as well.

How could I forget All the Real Girls?

http://www.impawards.com/2003/all_the_real_girls.html

Oh! And my favorite poster of the year: Act of God.

http://www.impawards.com/2009/act_of_god.html

Have you heard of the Internet Movie Poster Awards? Here are there annual awardees -> http://www.impawards.com/awards.html

Have you heard of the Internet Movie Poster Awards? Here are there annual awardees -> http://www.impawards.com/awards.html

To The Auteurs credit, they have some great ones in the 20 runner up category (Lady Vengeance, for example).

I recall reading an article recently about the cliches of movie posters. Sadly, I am unable to find that exact article, but a search landed me on this excellent blog entry looking at some of the awful cliches of movie posters from the past decade especially: http://nicocartoons.blogspot.com/2009/09/guys-what-happened-to-movie-posters.html

I always loved the poster for The 40 Year Old Virgin. I laugh every time I see that look on Steve Carell's face.

The innocent portrait of Steve Carrell for the 40 Year Old Virgin should be on every list.

The poster for Moon is simply one of the greatest movie posters I've ever seen. As a designer, I wish I had designed that poster. It completely kills from every angle: thematically, emotionally, and as objet d'art.

Man on Wire is disciplined, stunning, perfect simplicity.

The Bank Job is mostly great in a nostalgia-trippy kind of way. But still great.

Hard Candy is one of the most clever concepts—as someone else said, it's hard to forget.

Carman is right -- the Auteurs #1 pick is the poster for the US version of Funny Games. The Death of Mr. Lazarasecu poster is actually the last one, and Adrian Curry wrote that he liked it because it totally misrepresented the movie. Some great selections here, but, with the exception of the Romanian Lazarescu poster above, I prefer the Auteurs list.

I like this one: http://www.rat.de/gnbd.jpg

It's from an awesome german movie called 'Ganz nah bei Dir'.

Mr. Ebert, if you read my post over at The Auteurs you would have seen that Funny Games was #1. The Mr. Lazarescu poster was #10 and I explained its tongue-in-cheek inclusion (guess I was asking for trouble). Glad to see we have a few favorites in common even if you think my choices were, as you tweeted, "Bleh."

Ebert: Good gravy! I was hasty and careless and did a misdeed to that excellent blog. I will correct and report. Sorry.

Afterlife with Kate Bosworth is a movie that doesn't exist. She was replaced by Christina Ricci.

Ebert: But oh, what a poster. :)

Love this list. But I'm pretty sure the Jennifer's Body poster was ripped off of True Blood's ad. Check it out. (Doesn't change the fact that's a great poster. I'm just pointing it out as something interesting.)

http://www.civin.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/jennifers-body-true-blood-poster.jpg

Any chance that "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu" poster was deliberately ironic rather than inadvertently inappropriate? I've never seen the film and had never seen the poster, but that was my first thought.

I always thought this poster for 'Lost in Translation' was neat

http://imagecache5.art.com/p/LRG/21/2110/4N7ED00Z/lost-in-translation.jpg

'Thirst' is a recent one that really blew me away from an aesthetic point of view.

http://images.fearnet.com/fearnetImages/imYQVC3rHIVlaaa1Ahraaatn5laaaw==.jpg

That "Jennifer's Body" one just seems like a blatant rip-off of a True Blood promo from Season 1.

http://goldenboat.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/trueblood_poster.jpg

I don't think that the Lazarescu poster is all that inappropriate. If the movie can be read as a very dark comedy (which it kind of is), then what better way to illustrate that than a humorously ironic poster? Granted, that probably wasn't the intention of those who made the poster. Then again, maybe it was. It's hard to tell if it was meant as a wry commentary on the movie or as a way to misrepresent the movie in order to sell tickets (most likely the latter). Whatever the intention, it's hilarious.

Shouldn't the Jennifers Body poster have a note attached saying it's a ripoff of the True Blood poster?

Roger, you seemed to be very fond of the "Truman Show" style. It's very cool if used correctly (thirteen ghost ain't one). Do you remember The Descent poster which similarly using the skull look-alike poster? That one is pretty cool as well.

I love the poster for Beaches of Agnes, not only on its own terms but because it catches the spirit of the movie and the woman.

http://www.cinemagora.co.uk/images/films/75/131875-b-the-beaches-of-agnes.jpg

awesome choices. recalls your sci-fi cover choices.

my favorite movie poster is the other precious poster. http://bit.ly/5kD7Jw

http://www.moviepostr.com/inglorious-bastards-poster-5953.html
For Inglourious Basterds. (The big one; the rest aren't as good.)

http://scriptlarva.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/devd-2009-2b-1_12314298271.jpg
http://www.impawards.com/intl/india/2009/dev_d_ver6.html
It's a Hindi movie called Dev.D. Not very good, I think, but visually brilliant.

Not as good as Tarkovsky's, but Soderbergh's re-make tried, and the poster always stuck with me:

http://www.impawards.com/2002/posters/solaris.jpg

My favorite:

http://hollywoodjesus.com/movie/sideways/poster.jpg

I was always fond of Spike Jonze's "Adaptation." http://bit.ly/7NfctJ

The official poster for "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," which played up the "controversy," was pretty good, too.

http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/zackandmirimakeaporno_poster.jpg

No love for this gem?

http://www.myvideostore.com/images/news/what_would_nph_do.jpg

The posters for the Saw movies may be the most creative things about them.

So my two comments didn't go through because I made links embedded in the titles of the films? I suppose you should take down the "You may use HTML tags for style" line, because that's what making links clickable is. Next time I'll not waste the time.

Love the GRACE poster.

I also kind of dig this one, (for obvious reasons):

http://www.vanguardcinema.com/coverart/quench.jpg

Can we get Carrie Rickey to weigh in on this poster debate?

Maybe her art school background could factor in design, creativity, impact and cultural relevance? Like, which posters are going to be hanging in dorms for years to come? OR get a graphic designer to this list, like Kyle Cooper. If only Saul Bass was alive.

Zoolander? Sorry, no.

I don't see anything fantastic about the "Up" poster either.

Here is a great poster that turned heads on the regional fest circuit and probably was responsible for at least half the audience for each screening. Its for a film you haven't heard about. Had it played larger fests and gotten a big deal, you might have chosen it.

http://www.cookiesncreammovie.com

no lord of war???

http://www.AmovieMasterpiece.co.uk

The 'Moon' poster was also excellent.

http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2009/04/10/moon-poster-2.jpg

I'm rather fond of the poster for Paul Schrader's Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.

http://www.impawards.com/2005/dominion_prequel_to_the_exorcist.html

Also The Descent "skull" poster is great too.

http://www.impawards.com/2006/descent_ver2.html

The movie poster from The Limey is one of my all time favorites. The movie came out in the fall of 2009, which is within the last ten years, so technically I guess it falls within the last decade.

The Limey Poster

Also, it's an homage to the Hub-Tones album by Freddie Hubbard...
Freddie Hubbard - Hub-Tones album cover

I've had the poster hanging on various walls for ten years. It's got so many holes in the corners from pins, I regret not ever getting it framed.

I mean "fall of 1999." Also, whoever mentioned The Lord of War poster, I completely agree with that one too.

Re: The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.

Like the name itself implies, shouldn't this film be read as more of a social satire, which would make the poster quite appropriate.

It's the same thing America has done with Chekhov.

I loved the "Moon" and "Hard Candy" poster!

http://filmgrounds.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/children_of_men_ver2.jpg

"the last one to die, please turn out the light."
- Children of Men

Happy New Year Mr. Ebert! I wish you a healthy and happy new year!

Is that a Roger Ebert quote I see on the "Juno" poster?? No wonder it made the list!! lol. Actually, I do agree that it is a good choice.

Some great examples of poster art here, and also on the Auteurs site. My vote for best poster of the decade is for Secretary. My complete list is here: http://armchairaudience.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-posters-of-decade.html

A great way for lesser known films to gain recognition. Kudos to Roger, the Auteurs & filmbrain.
www.ondemandweekly.com

really, really love this post....
i love the Saw poster and one of my all time favorites, Almost Famous....

I always loved the teaser poster for Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, understated yet elegant.

http://www.impawards.com/2005/posters/star_wars_episode_three.jpg

Love the Precious, Food Inc., Sin City and Juno posters. Great picks in this list!