All around the net the talk re: 'Righteous Kill' goes like this: Element 1) De Niro and Pacino haven't been in full form for about ten years, and Element 2) I'm still kinda sorta looking forward to this movie.
Okay, fair enough. I have to agree these guys did some of their best work in Michael Mann's 1995 crime opera 'Heat', and, I'm hoping 'Righteous Kill' will be good.
However, early signs aren't so good. The two poster workups that have been released are flat, without direction, and lacking focus. Take poster 1, at the top:
The running ink running from the stars' names implies a slasher/horror element -- doesn't belong. Movie has a killer element, not slasher. Also, this is the kind of graphic used in small indy pictures -- doesn't belong on this poster. The ink runs into De Niro's face but not Pacino's -- implying De Niro will die, but Pacino will not -- not right (even if it's true). Also, the 'drips' are clearly drawn -- drawn to look natural (and creepy), like running ink, but clearly drawn -- it's forced and bad.
De Niro is standing in front of Pacino -- shouldn't be, they should have equality. Not only that, Pacino's face isn't fully in frame -- his hair is cropped out. (It's fair to say a movie stars' hair is part of his face). Hello. Who slapped this together? Very sloppy work.
The grainy look is not appropriate for a slick crime thriller that takes place today. Would be more appropriate for a political drama that takes place, say, in the sixties.
The snags of ink coming off the title at the bottom imply a psycho-technological element as in 'Silence of the Lambs' -- doesn't fit. This movie has a human psychological element, but not a tech-psycho element -- lacks focus.
The roller-painted red highlighting of the title at bottom is random looking at best. An afterthought, probably.
Okay, now poster 2:
First the headline: 'The most acclaimed actors of our time in the film event of the year'. Do you think we're stupid? Any movie that calls itself the 'film event of the year' is a lost cause. A movie has to earn that title after it opens, not before. This type of slugline is meant to separate the most gullible audience from their cash on the first weekend, before word-of-mouth kills the picture.
The selling point 'From the writer of Inside Man' just doesn't click. 'Righteous Kill' is being marketed to a broad audience -- they don't know what 'Inside Man' was. Besides, the poster screams 'De NIRO PACINO'. How can you follow that by trying to sell the movie as being written by a particular writer (unless the guy wrote a super-hot genre thriller and has the same name recognition as De Niro or Pacino). Lacks focus.
And, what is that backdrop? A tarp? What does that mean? All that does is confuse the viewer.
What's with the fancy handwriting? Are we supposed to read that? It looks like the preamble of a constitution. Are we supposed to wonder what it's there for? Is the movie about someone who writes in such a manner? This is a total gaffe. These people are trying to sell a cop thriller with fine curvy handwriting -- done with a fountain pen or an actual quill pen (dipped in ink and everything), no less.
I do like the way the title at bottom is cracked and corroding -- this fits. Implies the corrosion of moral values and the rules by which society works, the law. This element works.
These posters send a clear message: "Stay away, this movie barely holds together, spend your money on something else, don't be one of the chumps that has to admit they saw 'Righteous Kill' in the theater."
Come on, guys. Get your shit together and make a decent poster for this movie. This is just plain lazy. Movie opens in September -- you've got time to fix the damage you've done.
No comments:
Post a Comment