The best vintage film posters to hang in your home
Whether you’re looking to celebrate a seminal classic or frame a throwback blockbuster, these are the greatest big-screen artworks money can buy
With the imminent release of 1001 Movie Posters: Designs of the Times, it had us thinking: what happened to truly great cinematic artwork? Once intricately drawn and designed, hand-painted and highly original, these one-sheets and quads have become fairly monotonous of late, following the same, formulaic blueprint prominent in today’s ceaseless run of intertwined universes and endless franchises.
But, if you look at posters from the past, you’ll realise what an art form film promotion once was. Back in a world without social media and motion posters, these designs were the main way to sell a feature – and they only had a limited stretch (typically either 27x40in or 40x30in) of slogans and suggestion with which to do so.
That’s why we recommend hanging a vintage film poster in your home. Whether it’s a blockbuster you’ve got a personal connection with, or just a piece of art you admire, having one framed will immediately tell guests of your appreciation of a more rose-tinted time when creativity seemed to be a little more considered. Here are the best to buy…
Choose a cool, failsafe classic
What’s the coolest film you’ve ever watched? Something by Scorsese? Or starring Steve McQueen? How about an early Tarantino? Whatever the answer, seek out the best promotional poster for it and affix it to the wall of your living room – because, even if you’ll personally never reach Big Lebowski or Quadrophenia levels of cool, your digs will always benefit from a dose of slick cinematic sophistication.
Chief among our picks is Cool Hand Luke, 1967’s boiled-egg barnstormer of a prison drama starring Paul Newman. Alternatively, Taxi Driver is a classic – an iconic collaboration between Scorsese and Robert De Niro, the essence of which is captured here on a violet, violent one-sheet. Or, for double star-power, go for this newspaper-riffing All the President’s Men poster, featuring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
If you’re seeking a killer edge, go for a gangster thriller
But tread carefully. Opting for a gangster-film poster may seem like a good idea, but it can be a tricky thing to pull off. First, ask yourself: are you the sort of person who should be hanging a mob montage on your wall? If you’re a junior accountant, or a geography teacher, or in another particularly restrained job, perhaps not – after all, doing so can look a little try-hard if your persona doesn’t match up.
Even if you do fit the bill, stick with the essentials. The poster for Scarface is iconic, and is muted enough to go with most décor. The Godfather, similarly, is both fairly pared-down and a choice so timeless it requires no justification for purchasing. Or, for something a tad less obvious, this Get Carter poster features a hardened Michael Caine.
Centre your collection around one actor (we recommend Steve McQueen)
Few actors jumped around genres like Steve McQueen did. He starred in westerns (The Magnificent Seven), war films (The Great Escape), sci-fis (The Blob) and even romantic comedies (The Honeymoon Machine). So, if you’re looking to create a feature wall of film posters, all linked together by one actor, we can think of few better options than the King of Cool.
It also doesn’t hurt that McQueen one-sheets looked good. Some appear sketched and painted with watercolour, such as the evocative imagery for his 1971 racing drama Le Mans. Others feature flawed – but, ultimately, endearing – taglines, like the brilliant design for The Hunter. And some are blocky collages, the best of which was created to promote Bullitt (here, we have the Spanish version).
Take a blockbuster remake and find the original film’s poster
Here’s a novel idea: find a film that everyone has raved about fairly recently – but just so happens to be a remake – and buy the poster for the original, adding a subtle hit of interest and know-how into your fit-out
But select wisely, as some remakes outstrip the originals, such as Dune. However, the OG has become something of a cult classic these days, and this 1984 poster probably now has enough cachet for it to go on display. Similarly, the Mad Max franchise has revved back up since Fury Road, so why not extol the high-octane virtues of Mel Gibson’s 1979 predecessor? Or, for the gentlemanly option, opt for the original Ocean’s 11, a film that starred a slew of the well-dressed, well-drinking Rat Pack.
If in doubt, go for your favourite Bond film
You can’t go wrong. Even the worst films in the official franchise had some pretty splendid posters to promote them. And, better still, past Bond posters were exquisitely, recognisably illustrated by a range of esteemed artists, including Robert McGinnis and Mitchell Hooks.
We’re most taken by the louche Roger Moore era. The one-sheets for his 007 films began with a touch of the Connery-era collage style about them, like this Live and Let Die option. But, as they continued, they took on a leggy life of their own, with the For Your Eyes Only artwork perhaps the most iconic, and A View to a Kill paving the way for a more modern style.
Want more unique artworks? Here’s how to commission a portrait, according to the Royal Society of Portrait Painters…
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