THE TOP 5 SCI-FI MOVIE POSTERS OF ALL TIME!
By Ronan Wright on January 25th, 2012By way of protest, in response to Oscar’s showering of Scorcese’s Hugo with no less than 11 Oscar nominations (which in this blogger’s opinion is 11 too many), a decision that is nothing short of extra-terrestrial! I thought it appropriate to announce something as equally surprising and arguably inappropriate during Oscar season.
This list is dedicated to the Alien horde who adbucted the Academy’s voting comittee and replaced it with a host of Scorcese loving E.T.s on an inter-stellar kick back!
5. THE TERMINATOR (1984)
4. STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE (1979)
3. ALIEN (1979)
2. BLADE RUNNER (1982)
1. E.T. (1982)
January 25th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Oh yes! That E.T. poster never fails to engage me with its wonderful imagery and innocent charm. The Alien poster is also great…I wonder if anyone knows what that grid thing is below the title…?
Although I’m not against Hugo getting lots of nominations I do hope The Descendants and Alexander Payne sweep all aside and take home the big awards. A bit like I want Gary Oldman to get Best Actor…wishful thinking probably!
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Hi Dan, that Alien poster sure is striking and I think the grid thing you referred to is actually an arrangement of human skeletons (macabre as it is!). The E.T. poster had to come out on top it because it is by a mile the most iconic and for posters it’s all about the image; the atmosphere and the tone and what it conveys and that says it all in a memorable way. Plus it just looks really cool. I also factored in images I would actually hang on my wall and potentially frame. I think movie posters are an art in themselves so I really appreciate a good one, especially if it sticks in my mind, for whatever reason
Thanks for the comment Dan!
[Reply]
January 25th, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Wow your title sure is a mouthful
The Alien poster is awesome. I think Prometheus’ poster is attempting to elicit that same response.
It must be no coincidence that 40% of your selections are Ridley Scott products.
[Reply]
Ronan Wright Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Haha thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment. I was just going to call it ‘Top 5 greatest sci-fi movie posters, in the world, in the universe, ever!’… but somehow it didn’t have quite the same ring to it. Besides, I needed a tenuous link to the furore (it’s a furore in my head at least) over ‘Hugo’ taking so many nominations which is, I think, another example of the Academy over compensating for snubbing Scorcese so many times in the past. Thanks for comment!
[Reply]
iluvcinema Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 4:57 am
That was a surprise (the Hugo nods).
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:59 am
That’s putting it mildly. It is a distinctly average film.
[Reply]
January 25th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
So i see you’re not a fan of Hugo ;P I haven’t seen the movie so i can’t really comment, but perhaps it was one of those “Sorry about never nominating you before so here you go” votes…kind of like with bale last year
[Reply]
Julian Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
I just forgot about the Departed win…Perhaps they just liked it a lot more than you?
[Reply]
Ronan Wright Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
I still think The Departed was a guilt trip. It was an utterly average film, even for a gangster movie. If they are going to reward average films they may as well just hijack the razzies! That might be a tad harsh but I just don’t like undeserved Oscar wins. Especially when more deserving films are snubbed. It feels like they have an agenda sometimes and no matter how much good will is behind a film, if it’s not on their ‘to win’ list, in the end it doesn’t matter. I’m assuming you’re a fan of The Departed? Thanks for the comment Julian.
[Reply]
Julian Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 3:00 am
Yeah, i liked the Departed.
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 10:00 am
Nobody’s perfect I guess
[Reply]
le0pard13 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:22 am
Oh, you’ve read my mind regarding ‘The Departed’. It’s a make-up Oscar for those films that really deserved an award by Marty that were inanely ignored by the vaunted Academy. Plus, it’s a longish remake of the superior original Hong Kong film, ‘Infernal Affairs’ — something the studio and Marty didn’t address (or suppressed) until forced to speak about it right before the Academy broadcast that year.
But, I’m not bitter…
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Haha, I’ll take your bitterness and raise you a satisfied grin
Thanks for teaching me a new word Michael (I had to google ‘vaunted’ lol). Hope your trip went well?
[Reply]
Ronan Wright Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:56 pm
I think they’re getting in as many awards for Scorcese as possible, now that he’s coming towards the end of his career. It’s a sad state of affairs when Oscar nominations have me being cynical. I’m not a cynical guy. But I’m starting to lose faith in the supposed impartiality of the Academy’s voting criteria. Shouldn’t it be based on merit?
[Reply]
le0pard13 Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 12:23 am
Brace yourself, Ronan…
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Haha, indeed!
[Reply]
January 25th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Great choices, the ET poster is amazing, the moon is a timeless image, I can understand why Amblin used it as their logo. I think I prefer the Terminator 2 poster of Arnie on the bike with the silvery/blue look.
Appears to be a snowball effect of positive reviews going around for Hugo, so everyone (maybe also academy members)assumes its an amazing film. I admire you for not jumping on that bandwagon. (perhaps lots of its admirers in the reviewing world are film geeks and the tribute to movies past struck a cord)
On the other hand, its tough for me to rate what I regard to be essentially a children’s film, kids are not so critical.I guess its something parents could see with their kids.
Which films would you have preferred to get oscar nominations instead, Ronan?
[Reply]
January 26th, 2012 at 10:04 am
Thanks Chris, ET is a classic poster! I’ll leave my answer to your question for an upcoming post. I get Hugo’s appeal but I don’t think it’s Oscar worthy. It’s clearly not based on merit anymore. Thanks for commenting.
[Reply]
January 26th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
teehee nice HUGO hatred matey!!
I love the Star Trek one, takes me back to my childhood. LOLzz
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
You spent your childhood in space?!? Cool! Do you have to get a licence to drive one of those Star fleet ships or do they just let anyone rip around in one?
I think ‘hatred’ is overstating it slightly, Hugo is really just an excuse for me to vent my increasing frustration and disillusionment with the Academy. Thanks for comment Scott!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 8:03 am
Hugo is definitely my favorite film of the year, and I think 11 nods id juuuuust right
Great list, Ronan! Mine would look very similar, though I would reverse the top 2. Blade Runner…. what a stunning film!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Hi Matt, I don’t have anything against Hugo, per se, just the fact that an average film has swept the boards. That irks me somewhat
I can understand why academy likes it though, a ode to cinema and all that. If you’d care to drop a link to list you’ve done or do a list in the comments I’d love to hear it. Thanks Matt!
[Reply]
January 27th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies and that poster is excellent on so many levels. I think out of those that Star Trek one is really well done too. I love movie posters. I have a few that I hang proudly.
[Reply]
Ronan Wright Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
What have you got up on your wall Max? I think out of all of the posters the Blade Runner one is my fav, it’s so atmospheric! That’s the one I would have framed, that and Arnie!
[Reply]
Max Reply:
January 31st, 2012 at 1:45 am
I don’t have them up right now, but I have:
http://www.impawards.com/2003/lost_in_translation_ver2.html
http://www.impawards.com/2000/almost_famous_ver2.html
http://www.impawards.com/2004/kill_bill_vol_two_ver5.html
Those are my favorites + a Hard Day’s Night poster. All are originals and not reprints. I haven’t bought a movie poster in a long while though.
[Reply]
Ronan Wright Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:15 am
Cheers for those Max, you have exquisite taste my friend
The last movie poster I bought was… can’t remember, I bought more music posters than movie posters. I had a great poster of Audrey Hepburn but I think it got thrown out unfortunately. I think poster art is diminished somewhat in the digital age but it is a great medium for appreciating movies.
[Reply]
January 28th, 2012 at 12:31 am
I think there are folks over on this side of the pond who were equally surprised by the total number (not necessarily that it got some noms) ‘Hugo’ picked up. At least, the sane ones. The film has its moments, but I find it head-scratching at best, and down underhanded at worst. Especially this year when there really was more worthy cinema out there. Love the posters, my friend. Thanks for getting this out there.
p.s., I’m glad to see the ‘Blade Runner’ one-sheet, here. I can say no more
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Oh do say more, that was very crptic! I was just thinking earlier if I’d maybe been a little harsh on Hugo, if maybe I should redirect some of my vitreol towards it and, after agonising over the decision for some minutes, I can say that I have no regrets about slating it and it’s 11 nods. Though if Marty asks, I’ll say: ‘Marty, only you could have made this film!’
[Reply]
January 28th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
ET is indeed really cool!!
But…I’ll put Matrix in my list…lots of cool posters from The Matrix.
I love terminator but not really keen with the poster.
Great list Ronan
[Reply]
Ronan Reply:
January 28th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
I like the Matrix too Novia, even if it is a teensy bit dated but I couldn’t find anything as cool as the Terminator poster. Something about it reminds me of Drive. Maybe it’s the neon-noir aesthetic the film has, somehow it feels current even though I know it shouldn’t. Thanks Novia!
[Reply]
January 30th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Nice picks Ronan, agree w/ all of ‘em, especially Blade Runner, that Drew Struzan is a true artist.
And ET is definitely iconic, I mean it’s instantly recognizable and it’s evocative as well. Great post!
[Reply]
Ronan Wright Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Thanks Ruth, I was thinking of putting some text in for each one but I think the images speak volumes! I particularly like the Terminator poster, Arnie looks like someone just cancelled his subscription to Pumping Iron! lol.
[Reply]