The powers that be have conspired to put me in a decorating frame of mind this week. First Kris contemplated adding a “Double Indemnity” poster to his home gallery. Then I came across this Empire blogger asking the pertinent question: “What do your movie posters say about you?” And finally, this afternoon I happened to pass a private London gallery displaying in its window a luscious framed print of my all-time favorite film still (minus that pesky web watermark):
If you need to be told that that’s Nastassja Kinski in “Paris, Texas,” then you need to see the film, fast.
Anyway, I have to have it. I’m finding myself over-familiar with the film posters I have, but too broke for the ones I want. I’m beginning to play with framed stills as an alternative, and I think Ms. Kinski would sit very nicely on my mantelpiece. (I also like the idea of her in a movie-versus-music face-off with Macy Gray, who presently occupies the opposite wall in a similarly mistrustful pose. I am a man of eccentric tastes.)
I don’t think either image, however, could replace in my affections this simple, inexpensive exhibition poster from the London Design Museum’s Saul Bass retrospective five years back, an elegant assemblage of frames from Bass’s “Anatomy of a Murder” title sequence. Sitting as it does above my desk, it never fails to inspire and delight when I’m at a bit of a loose end.
What movie-related images are on your walls, and which ones do you covet?
Comments
27 responses to “What’s on your wall?”
I have the Hot Fuzz poster. Perhaps not quite as aesthetically poignant as your selection, but a proud entry nonetheless.
I have a framed photo of Kate Winslet in ‘Extras’, seeing as it is one of her top five performances.
Oh wait…no, I don’t, because that IS NOT REAL LIFE.
Gee, someone got riled up.
I’m just joshing…I like your opinions, ridiculous as they are in this case! I wouldn’t come back to IC so often if I didn’t!
And in answer to the question I have an original UK quad poster for ‘Basil the Great Mouse Detective’. It’s one of my prized possessions! I’ve also got a Lost In Translation poster (the one featuring Scarlett, not Murray).
Now there’s a coincidence … “The Great Mouse Detective” (I think the “Basil” was dropped from the title outside the UK) was my first proper cinemagoing experience, and a treasured one.
Patrick:I’ve got the Lost in Translation poster with Scarlett too! The one with the umbrella and dinosaur right?
Also have the Royal Tenenbaums, Mulholland Dr. and Memento.
Don’t have any, but I’ve been contemplating getting the one for Caché.
Oh, and a Playtime one would be nice too.
Let’s see, I’ve got:
‘Blow-Up’
‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’
‘The Evil Dead’
‘Apocalypse Now’
“The Assassination of Jesse James…’
&
‘Blue Velvet’
Oh, and ‘Once Upon A Time In America’ & ‘Fargo’, which are in my bedroom. Forgot about those.
I have a Scarface poster, Return of the King, The Godfather, and a Joker poster from The Dark Knight.
I’ve got a GoodFellas poster that I cart from my dorm room to back home. First adult movie that made my jaw drop.
my room’s not big enough for posters (go figure), so instead i have a checklist of the best picture oscar winners…..so far i’ve crossed out 16.
Also, i have post it notes of movies i want to see.
A “Spider-Man 2” poster from when I was 13.
Heh…
‘Blow-Up’
“The Assassination of Jesse James…’
‘Fargo’
Thanks Jordan, more to add to my list of great movies with good posters.
For some reason I just don’t do the movie poster thing. I had a “Moulin Rogue” one in college, but that’s just cause it was pretty. And I thought it would make me look cool. The actual movie gives me migraines.
SCREAM, CLOVERFIELD, THE KING OF KONG, CANNES ’08, HEAT, OSCAR ’07 and the BOFFO poster that used to hang in Peter Bart’s office.
I have the following posters on the walls in my room:
Match Point
Munich
Ratatouille
Revolutionary Road
Saving Private Ryan
The Simpsons Movie
The Shawshank Redemption
United 93
Zodiac
Oscar Winners poster from 1998 (every winner shown through Titanic).
I’ve also got about 3 dozen more posters, mostly DreamWorks posters from when I won a bunch of them on eBay.
I have
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Being John Malkovich, and
Airplane!
Uhm let’s see, aside from a lot of action figures (Batman, Indy, Star Trek) and some Star Trek related auto’s I’ve got:
– Indy IV (teaser)
– Star Trek First Contact (German Poster)
– Rocky
– Kill Bill
– Batman Begins
– 2 huge Bee Gees posters.
What does that say about me?
Jonathan: That you’re kinda awesome? I mean, the Bee Gees versus Batman … gotta love a guy of such contrast.
Same goes for Jeremy: the very different forms of genius represented by “4 Months” and “Airplane!” rubbing shoulders … that’s what I like to see ;)
I only have movie posters in the room where I keep my DVD collection and there’s not that much space since the shelves and the tv cover almost alle the walls :D
But I have posters from some of my favorite movies. A very big one from Raiders of the Lost Ark and two smaller ones from The Apartment and It Happened One Night.
Manhattan
Pickup on South Street
The Dark Knight (!)
I don’t have any in my new place, but when i lived at home I had large posters for “Moulin Rouge!”, “Birth”, “Taxi Driver”, “Kill Bill” and “The Breakfast Club” hanging up, as well as smaller posters for “West Side Story”, “Psycho”, “East of Eden” and “Rebel Without a Cause”. I also a big James Dean poster as well as some great hand-drawn (not by me) character artwork for “Mulholland Drive”.
I also had a copy of Prince’s “Purple Rain” on vinyl framed.
Exemplary taste in all areas, Glenn. ;)
I love how you’ve all responded, but I realize I never fully answered my own question. Aside from Macy and the Saul Bass, my walls are sporting “Manhattan” (obvious, but essential), “Mon Oncle,” “Betty Blue” (a student standby that I keep mainly for nostalgia purposes), and a gorgeous on-set photo of Monroe and Gable from “The Misfits.”
Non-film-related items include shots of Chet Baker and Kate Moss, a De Vlaminck print, a pair of framed Billie Holiday LPs, and a West African mudcloth. It can’t be all movies, all the time.
This topic seems to be catching on around the net, I see.
I have a query in relation the above post on your website and subject matter discussed. In relation to the movie picture still of Nastassja Kinski in the movie Paris, Texas, I have been endeavouring to locate and purchase the movie still image of this picture you describe but to no avail. You seems to indicate you bought one or knows where it could be bought. If you could advise in any way I would be grateful. Can you contact me at e-mail address.
Regards,
Ronan