Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are two of the most iconic and renowned filmmakers of our generation. They have collectively written, directed and produced some of the most successful movies of all time, including Star Wars, Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park (and more recently, Jurassic World, too).
While these movies may have gone down in history as some of
the best and most successful movies of all time, the movie posters used to
promote them often get forgotten about.
This is a shame, as with movies of this calibre, the movie
posters are often just as iconic as the actual movie (or not far off, at least).
It’s important to remember that before the release of a
movie, the movie poster has a hugely important job to play: it must provoke
excitement, anticipation, and most importantly, a burning desire to see the
movie as soon as it’s released.
This is a tough job, and often, renowned artists are hired
to create the artwork for said posters.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic Spielberg
and Lucas full colour
movie posters that would be worthy of any movie-lovers room. Enjoy.
#1 – Raiders of the
Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is by far, one of the greatest and
most iconic Indiana Jones ever produced, and the movie poster embodies everything
the movie is all about.
Richard Amsel, who manages to depict everything that’s great
about the film (adventure, mystery, danger, and even romance) in a single
image, created the artwork for this poster.
He also designed the posters for The Dark Crystal and Flash
Gordon: two more incredibly iconic movies of the 80’s.
He once told Star Notes Magazine: "If I paint or draw
something that takes people into the realm of fantasy, then I feel that I've
accomplished something".
This is exactly what he did with this poster.
#2 – Saving Private
Ryan
Saving Private Ryan may not be the most uplifting movie
poster of all-time, but it’s certainly one of the most iconic.
Once again, the poster manages to depict the emotional nature
of the film, portraying the loneliness of war via the beautifully shot
silhouette of Tom Hanks (the movies’ main star).
It also offers the somewhat vague and anticipation-inducing
line: “the mission is a man” – it doesn’t really tell you much about the film,
while at the same time, it tells you everything. Clever.
#3 – Star Wars
Star Wars, perhaps the most iconic and well-known movie of
all-time: movie posters certainly don’t get any more nostalgic than this.
Believe it or not, Tom Jung (the artist behind the poster)
wasn’t the first choice for this film. Instead, 20th Century Fox
first had Frank Franzetta in mind, but luckily, it fell through and the movie
studio ended up hiring Jung.
Jung is the man behind the Lord of the Rings poster
(animated) and was given the brief to create something “Frank Franzetta-esque”
– needless to say, what you see above is the result.
#4 – Willow
Willow: one of the lesser known and less infamous George
Lucas movies, yet it still makes for a beautiful and room-worthy poster.
Released in 1988, the movie was directed by Ron Howard,
written by George Lucas, and starred some big names including the likes of
Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer.
There’s no doubt about it: this is a truly 80’s movie
poster, and personally, it reminds me of the Labyrinth movie poster (which is
another great poster, by the way).
#5 – Schindler’s List
Once again, Schindler’s List is certainly not the most
uplifting movie poster, but it’s definitely iconic, if not only for it’s
simplicity.
Schindler’s List was originally released in 1993 and went on
to win no less than seven Oscars. It tells the story of Oskar Schindler: a German
businessman who saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish refugees during the
Holocaust.
The movie poster in itself may be simple, but the simplistic
imagery gives a glimpse into the emotional nature of the film.
#6 – Jaws
Jaws has to be one of the most fear-inducing movie posters
of all time, thanks to the iconic imagery of the Great White Shark about to
attack a woman swimming above.
Tony Seiniger, who has an interesting theory when it comes
to designing iconic movie posters, created it. First, he says that a poster
must be “something that nobody has seen before” otherwise it won’t get
attention. Secondly, he says that a movie poster must tell the story of a
2-hour-long movie in 30-seconds: not an easy feat.
He certainly managed to pull it off here though, and this
poster would be a welcome addition to any Spielberg-lovers room.
#7 – Jurassic Park
After being released in 1993, Jurassic Park was the highest
grossing film ever created until the release of Titanic in 1997, and this
rather minimalistic movie poster was the start of it all.
You might expect such an exciting and somewhat horrific
movie to have quite an energetic and action-packed poster, but instead, the
designer opted for this minimalistic approach.
It worked, too, as despite the minimalistic nature of the
poster, it invoked a sense of curiosity and caught your attention (mostly
thanks to the bold colour scheme).
#8 – The Terminal
Even more minimalistic than the Jurassic Park movie poster
is this promotional poster for The Terminal, a 2004 romantic-comedy directed by
Steven Spielberg.
The poster features nothing more than Tom Hanks, dressed in
his trademark suit carrying his briefcase on a white background.
For those that have seen the movie, you’ll know that Tom
Hanks is stranded in an airport throughout, with no home to go-to (thanks to an
outbreak of war in his “home” country). The white background helps to represent
this, portraying a sense of loneliness and isolation, as well as the sense of a
new life (i.e. clean slate).
#9 - E.T.
John Alvin designed this poster for E.T. all the way back in
1982.
Alvin was still in college at the time, and was freelancing
for the Hollywood Art Director, Anthony Goldschmidt.
This poster marked the start of Alvin’s career, and he went
on to create posters for Blade Runner, Gremlins, Beauty and the Beast, and many
others.
This poster also held a personal touch for Alvin (who sadly
died in 2008), as the hand featured in the poster was that of his daughter.
#10 – Star Wars
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace is perhaps the most
iconic movie poster on the list, at least for me personally.
I vividly remember the release of this movie, so the movie
poster is somewhat ingrained into my memory.
Looking at it now, it’s a somewhat chaotic and image-packed
poster, yet it’s all held together by the overbearing face of Darth Maul in the
background.
Bio: Joshua is a
movie enthusiast based in the UK. He has a particular love for action-packed
Spielberg films, yet also appreciates the murder-mystery Hitchcock thrillers of
the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. He has a somewhat eclectic taste when it comes to
films.
The Bearded Trio - The Site For Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and John Williams
THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK
THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER
THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+
THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST
CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG
CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS
CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS
Comments
Post a Comment
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment, don't be shy.