From Booklist
The film noir revival is still booming, so Eddie Muller's glossy Art of Noir [BKL D 15 02] won't immediately yield to this far more comprehensive poster survey in movie buffs' hearts. Graphic design specialist King's album isn't to be sniffed at, though. She presents hundreds of posters essentially chronologically in four chapters: "The Birth of Cinema," "The Rise and Fall of the Studios," "New Wave and Blockbusters," and "The Dawn of the Multiplex." If those titles seem to emphasize commercialism, well, this is advertising art, Bunkie! Each chapter contains, after a brief sketch of relevant film-industry history, two- to four-page subchapters grouping posters by style, director, studio, actor, nationality, or, rarely, poster artist. The color throughout seems true to the source posters, a few of which are faded. King's commentary is always intelligent (if, a few times, factually awry), though movie buffs may differ with her about how well certain posters express their movies' themes. Ray Olson
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Review
“The posters represent a great collection of design styles, whether they ultimately advertised classic movies or more obscure films. The author does a good job of describing the artwork and typography so as to explain the intent of the designers. Her level of knowledge of the subject matter is impressive and reflects considerable research. Overall, a well-written and informative book— but the visual imagery of the poster reproductions steals the show! Summing Up: Highly recommended.”
—CHOICE, April 2004 “Looking at the evolution of the film industry and the most influential directors, graphic design expert Emily King has gathered some of the most significant and influential movie posters to invade our collective consciousness.”
—Gotham, November 2003 “King’s commentary is always intelligent. … A good resource for studying practical and commercial art.”
—Ray Olson, Booklist, November 2003


Book Description
Film buffs, graphic designers, and art students will relish this beautifully produced and strikingly illustrated volume. Arranged in roughly chronological order, it brings together movie posters from around the world, starting with Charlie Chaplin film ads and the Russian Revolutionary movie posters of the 1910s, then spanning the century to show posters publicizing hits of the 1990s, including The Silence of the Lambs, Spike Lee films, and many more. The book’s sections focus on renowned individual designers, directors, movies, and genres. Important poster designers such as Saul Bass, Jan Lenica, and Juan Gatti receive particular attention, as do great directors who had strong opinions about how their films should be represented. Among the latter are Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, and Otto Preminger. All major film genres are represented—musicals, Kung Fu movies, films noir, westerns (including so-called “spaghetti westerns” filmed in Italy), science fiction classics, and others. Readers are treated to examples of movie posters not only from the United States, Britain, and France, but also to previously unpublished examples from countries as diverse as Poland, China, and Cuba. For instance, fans of Orson Welles might be surprised to see the previously unpublished Italian poster advertising Citizen Kane under its Italian title, Quarto Potere (The Fourth Estate). This handsome volume will be valued by graphic designers, poster collectors, and anyone sharing the popular passion for cinema.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Film buffs, graphic designers, and art students will relish this beautifully produced and strikingly illustrated volume. Arranged in roughly chronological order, it brings together movie posters from around the world, starting with Charlie Chaplin film ads and the Russian Revolutionary movie posters of the 1910s, then spanning the century to show posters publicizing hits of the 1990s, including The Silence of the Lambs, Spike Lee films, and many more. The book's sections focus on renowned individual designers, directors, movies, and genres. Important poster designers such as Saul Bass, Jan Lenica, and Juan Gatti receive particular attention, as do great directors who had strong opinions about how their films should be represented. Among the latter are Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, and Otto Preminger. All major film genres are represented-musicals, Kung Fu movies, films noir, westerns (including so-called "spaghetti westerns" filmed in Italy), science fiction classics, and others. Readers are treated to examples of movie posters not only from the United States, Britain, and France, but also to previously unpublished examples from countries as diverse as Poland, China, and Cuba. For instance, fans of Orson Welles might be surprised to see the previously unpublished Italian poster advertising Citizen Kane under its Italian title, Quarto Potere (The Fourth Estate). This handsome volume will be valued by graphic designers, poster collectors, and anyone sharing the popular passion for cinema.

SYNOPSIS

Viewing movie posters from the perspective of a graphic design scholar, King (M.A., Royal College of Art, London) traces key eras, genres, styles, actors, directors, and designers in the history of cinema from a 1885 French film to The Lord of the Rings. And in living color, she features exemplary film posters, including such collectibles as a 3-D poster for Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, alternate versions of posters for The Godfather, and posters for films produced far from Hollywood. The volume concludes with brief biographies of selected artists. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

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