So, I was browsing around today looking for an old school James Bond poster, like the huge Diamonds are Forever banners, when I realized that there are a lot of really cool old posters out there. There were more than a few that I just felt like I had to have, but ultimately I refrained from making any huge purchases, mostly because of the price but whatever.
I did however notice a lot of titles that I have seen remade in the recent years, which got me curious. I found myself wondering how the old school posters compared to the more modern posters. So I did my best to find posters that matched as closely as possible so that we could have a fun little comparison.
Up first we have The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Then:
And Now:
Notice the similarities in the posters. Yeah, there really aren’t any other than Gort. No matter how much i searched I couldn’t find a poster for the remake that had any reference to the love interest. Personally I like the “classic” version a bit better. Sure, it isn’t as slick and flashy, but it tells a bit more of the story. The modern version relies on assuming that you have already seen the trailer, and can relate the poster and title to see the big picture.
Next we have King Kong
Then:
And Now:
Now, you won;t find a review of King Kong (2005) here but let me sum it up for you, it was 3 hours of crap. There was absolutely no reason that it was drug out to 3 hours but it was. There was also no excuse for Jack Black being cast. I love the guy, I enjoy almost all of his work, but King Kong is not for him. Anyways, onto the posters. In the old school poster you will notice King Kong portrayed as a vicious creature. He just looks plain scary. As a child (a small child) I was scared to death of King Kong. As far as the modern day poster goes I am very impressed. They seem to have add the modern twist to the old school poster, and really pushed it over the top. This is what I am sure the original artists wish they could have captured.
And finally, Godzilla
Then:
And now:
Yeah, I know, there are 1 million + one Godzilla movies but we will be specifically talking about the original 1956 US release, and the most recent 1998 film.The very first thing I notice is how fake the old school version looks. Personally I think that the flames ruined it, but without them, Godzilla was just another monster. Then we take a look at the modern poster, and it sucks too. I really think they should have had a lot more destruction, you can only show so much when all you have is a foot. There is no clear winner in my book.
I am very eager to hear everyone’s input on the subject.