Film Posters Of The 60s

Representing the commerce and culture of this era in films and capturing the mood of the turbulent decade when everything - art, fashion, morals, music, politics, philosophy - was in a state of flux, the book showcases film posters for such classics as: French New Wave and the British Kitchen Sink; Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and Andy Warhol's underground movies; Hollywood blockbusters like Cleopatra and Psycho and art-house classics like Blow-up and Un Homme et une Femme; plus, of course, Bond, Bardot, Barbarella, the Beatles, and more. Moreover, the films are represented not only by the posters that were designed for their domestic markets, but also by posters from Japan, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere, often juxtaposed with their American or British counterparts to show just how differently audiences throughout the world perceived the movies and their stars. Full of the tension and energy that defined the decade, and with over 250 full-color posters from a dozen different countries and authoritative commentary from experts in the field, Film Posters of the 60s will delight all film buffs as well as anyone interested in graphic design, advertising, and American culture.

The cinema of the 1950s reflected the mood swings of the post-war generation. Optimistic epics and brittle social comedies rubbed shoulders with socially aware dramas and, faced with the new challenge of television, the studios conjured up a host of fresh attractions: CinemaScope, Vista-Vision and 3D, the curves of Marilyn Monroe and the moody mumbles of Marlon Brando and James Dean. In Hollywood, veteran actors circled the wagons against the massed assault of juvenile delinquents as the Wild West became the Asphalt Jungle. In Britain, upper lips remained stiff - though a smile or two was permitted at the latest Ealing Comedy. Films from Italy and France, where the 'New Wave' was starting to break, were still considered strictly high culture, if not threateningly risque, in the Anglophone nations. The images in this book represent the full range of poster art which attracted world wide cinema audiences to the movies of the decade. Some may be familiar, others, long forgotten, will come as surprises. Most are still as fresh and powerful as the day they first appeared.

From the breathtaking action of Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark to the subtle, evocative exploration of Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, the 1980s was a decade in which filmmakers pulled out all the stops to dazzle audiences and make them jump out of their seats.

Of all film genres, 'X' is possibly the one that lends itself best to the use of posters as a promotional medium. Screaming taglines, provocative titles and scantily-clad forms are all elements that can be used to best advantage in poster form. They are wonderful period pieces that evoke the temptations and taboos of a bygone age. This magnificent coffee table book is the 10th anniversary, new, expanded, 'complete volume' of Nourmand and Marsh's bestselling release, with accompanying text by renowned writer Peter Doggett.

The cinema of the 1970s reflected both the anxieties and the escapism of an angst-ridden decade. The bleak realism of Taxi Driver and the political paranoia of All the President's Men co-existed with the androgynous fantasy of Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the 70s, 'blaxploitation' made its first appearance; Last Tango in Paris and Emmanuelle edged 'porno-chic' into the mainstream; 'ethno-cool' reached new heights in The Godfather'; Clint Eastwood traded his poncho for a .44 Magnum in Dirty Harry; Star Wars blasted audiences into hyperspace; Jaws hit the New England beaches and Apocalypse Now did for Huey helicopters what Saturday Night Fever did for white suits and flares. The images in this book represent the full range of poster art which attracted world-wide cinema audiences to these and many other movies and reveals just how much current fashion owes to the style of the 70s.