Whenever I try and sit down and write a no-nonsense, straightforward review to post on this blog, I tend to get distracted.  I might get a paragraph or two down, but before I actually get around to finishing it, I've already forgotten everything I was going to say about it.  This happened with Frost/Nixon.  I saw it a week or so ago, and really liked it, but I just don't feel like writing an actual review. 

So instead of actually providing real solid content, I bring you a piece of bonafide fluff: The best and worst movie posters of 2008!

Let me note that I have tried to let my opinions of the actual films themselves have no effect on my assessment of the poster.  While I'm sure from time to time the films did have a little sway, this was meant as solely a review of movie posters.

First, the best:

In no order:

The Dark Knight.  Alright so I lied a little about no order.  This was the best movie poster of 2008.  Hands down.  As a catalyst for excitement among moviegoers, nothing came even close.  I have to admit that when I first saw this poster, I hadn't even seen Batman Begins.  But it prompted me to watch that film as soon as possible, and I was suddenly completely on the bandwagon, all because of this poster.  And in retrospect, having seen the film, the poster still holds up.  It captures the spirit of the character and of the movie.

From now on, I'm serious kids, not in order.

Choke.  I haven't seen Choke, so maybe the poster didn't work quite well enough to entice me to the theater, but nonetheless I really like it.  I'm sure this is not how it's designer intended it, but it reminds me a little of an Ipod add, but with this very morbidly funny Chuck Palahniuk-twist of the person being in Sam Rockwell's mouth.  


Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  This may be an example of where my feelings about the movie affected my feeling about the poster.  Had I ended up disliking the film, looking at it now, I might have thought this poster was just dumb.  However, given it was one of my favorite comedies of the year, I now see the poster as really clever and funny.  I like this sort of semi-viral marketing (but not douchebag viral marketing, like Cloverfield). 


Gran Torino.  I haven't seen Gran Torino either, but this poster sure makes me want to.  Clint Eastwood just looks so fucking badass.  I think this was an example of a time that I saw the poster before I'd heard of the movie, and so I can tell you that it definitely had exactly the effect that was intended, by making me actively pursue information about the movie.

Quantum of Solace.  This poster is kind of iconic as a representation of the new era of James Bond.  As a big fan of Casino Royale, this poster got me really excited for Quantum of Solace.  I ended up having a bit of a gripe about this poster though, not just because I didn't like the movie, but because the very similar shot that appears in the trailer, which was my favorite part of the trailer, appeared no where in the movie.  That's just false advertising.

Now, the worst:


What I have presented here happen to be the posters of Meet Dave, The Duchess and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  Do you notice anything in common between all three?  Hmmm...Oh, I think I know.  They all feature a major motion picture star staring directly into the camera.  And that is it.  Whenever I see a poster like this, what I immediately think is that all this poster is doing is alerting me that someone famous in the movie.  It doesn't really tell me anything about the movie, and thus it does not interest me at all.  These three posters were not the only in 2008 to commit this crime, but they did seem to be some of the most agregious. 

Jesus, my entries are long.  I guess that makes up for doing one every two weeks.