Contest - "Deathtrap" Movie Poster by Jacob Van Loon

Hey all! How's everyone doing? As you probably noticed, I've been MIA recently for a variety of reasons that may or may not include laziness, video games, a murderous gang of old-timey vagabonds and work, work, work, but that's all about to change my friends. Oh yes, that's all about to change. My goal from the beginning of this site's creation was to post something interesting each and every day. With this in mind, I decided to resurrect a feature I employed back in my Darrell Street* days. I think I called it "Poster of the Day" or something to that effect. However, in the interest of trying to maintain the illusion of originality, which, let's face it, is already long gone, I decided I needed to come up with a new and even catchier title.

If you read this site, you already know I tend to write reviews for film and television inspired prints that are either currently on sale or are about to go on sale. And while I'll still be pouring the majority of my efforts into these sorts of posts, the new daily feature will solely focus on awesome posters or prints that have long since sold out or never existed in the first place (AKA concept posters). These won't be lengthy posts, but I'll do my best to include some colorful commentary for every image I select.

So, here's what I'm asking of you: help me think of a title. Maybe it rhymes, maybe it's an alliterative tongue twister, maybe it's inspired by a movie title or television character. Who knows? It's completely up to you. Now for the awesome part: whoever comes up with the best title, wins a Deathtrap movie screen print by Jacob Van Loon! Pretty sweet, right? Please leave a comment below with your idea(s) (there's no limit on how many titles you can submit) and an email address. This contest is open internationally. You read that correctly! Now have at it!

Deathtrap Movie Poster
Jacob Van Loon
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
Sold Out - Limited to 35

*Darrell Street was a tiny little poster site, much like Posterocalypse, that I created a few years back

Giveaway - "12 Angry Men" Movie Poster by Kevin Ang

UPDATE (3/17): Thanks so much for entering everyone, this was one of Posterocalypse's most successful giveaways yet, hopefully the good times will keep rolling! Random.org has picked a winner and it's Mike (lucky contestant number 5)! Congrats Mike! He'll be receiving the 12 Angry Men movie poster later this week. I've got a lot more posters to hand out, so be on the lookout for another giveaway next week. Most importantly, thanks for reading!

It's February already? Well, I guess that means it's time for another contest and this one might be my favorite yet, or at least tied with last month's in terms of awesomeness. You may or may not remember I wrote about the amazing Kingdom of Nonsense curated "The Machines Are Winning: A Tribute to Sidney Lumet" show last September, where I specifically called out some of my favorite pieces. If you happened to read my post, or better yet, purchased some artwork from the show, you probably saw Kevin Ang's gorgeous 12 Angry Men print. Surprise! Mr. Ang's breathtaking work of art will be this month's giveaway. Yes, you read that right. You could own this lovely poster just by leaving a comment. Simple, right? Take a look at the rules and instructions below and good luck!

12 Angry Men Movie Poster
Kevin Ang
18" x 24" - Numbered
Limited to 35

1) 12 Angry Men poster by Kevin Ang

Unfortunately, since I'm the one paying for shipping this contest is only open to readers in the US (sorry everyone else, international shipping can be expensive and complicated). I've decided to change the rules up a bit this time: in order to win you'll need to leave a comment on this post with your email address, your name, and your favorite Sidney Lumet film and on March 17th I'll randomly pick and email the winner to get his or her shipping address. Entries are limited to one person per household.

Iron Jaiden's "The Spook Who Sat by the Door" Movie Poster

This one is going to be a bit short, because I'm sure it'll sell out quickly, but I thought it was so sharp that I had to share it with as many folks as possible.

The Spook Who Sat by the Door Movie Poster
Iron Jaiden (AKA Jay Shaw)
13" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$25 - Limited to 73

Any fans of Blaxploitation cinema are going to want to grab this.  The Spook Who Sat by the Door is a film (and a book) that I'm not personally familiar with, but I've heard and read about. And with what little I know about the film, I feel confident in saying this is a superb poster. I could include the plot in text form, but I think the trailer does a much better job of conveying the plot and tone of the film. Check it out below:

There are symbols aplenty in this poster, but let's start with most visible. The sheep, which represents how people view our hero Dan Freeman, the titular "Spook" (with "spook" being a word with multiple meanings in this case), is an animal that's both harmless and a follower. With that said, the trailer clearly makes the case that this couldn't be further from the truth, as we see the (literally) explosive black panther shadow (another symbol!) that the powerless farm animal casts. Add to that the brilliant retro design, along with the inclusion of the credits from the original one sheet (or at least a spot-on facsimile), and you've got yourself an awesome little print.

Iron Jaiden's The Spook Who Sat by the Door movie poster is currently available through Cinema Overdrive's online store. The print measures 13" x 24", is limited to an edition of 73 (the film was released in 1973) and costs $25. To learn more about Cinema Overdrive, check out cinemaoverdrive.net. And if you're interested in seeing more of Iron Jaiden's artwork, be sure visit kingdomofnonsense.com and follow him on Twitter @tweetofnonsense. Have a great night everyone.

Kevin Ang's "Seven Samurai" Movie Poster

If you've ever taken a college course on film history, or even a cursory glance at a book on the subject, there's a good chance you'll have heard of what is widely considered one of the greatest Japanese films ever made. Hell, one of the finest movies ever shot. Period. And if you read the post's title or looked at the image below, you could easily ascertain what film I'm talking about, but I like to think that even if you only had this paragraph to go by, Akira Kurosawa's wizened face would still briefly flash through your head. Yes, I'm of course talking about the exceptional samurai epic Seven Samurai.

Seven Samurai Movie Poster
Kevin Ang
12" x 18" - Numbered
$10 - Limited to 77

Just take it in for a second. Let its beauty wash over you. Kevin Ang, who had previously stunned us with his amazing Twelve Angry Men poster and Attack the Block print, has done it again. Now that I'm somewhat familiar with Kevin's work, I think I can safely assume two things: he's a hugely talented artist, and he has incredible taste in movies. For the record, I've seen several Seven Samurai concepts online, and have found them to be, more often than not, minimalist to the point of almost being nonexistant. And while I appreciate the intention behind the proliferation of cleverly sparse designs, I don't think I've ever seen one of Kurosawa's masterworks celebrated in such an obviously skillful manner. You can look at each of the seven men above and easily tell who's who, which is all the more impressive when you realize that every character also sports a somewhat indefinable quality as their outlines appear to fade in and out of the white or black background. The alternating lines of light and dark used to separate the titular feudal warriors are also inspired, as they look like they could be strokes from an antiquated calligraphy brush circa 1587 (just ballparking it). When it comes down to it, this poster is pretty much perfect in my opinion and I would gladly live in a world where Mr. Ang's artwork graced the cover of Criterion's lauded release of the film - and that's just about the highest praise I can give any work of art.

Kevin Ang's brilliant Seven Samurai print will be available later today through the Kingdom of Nonsense store for $10. Yes, you heard right. $10! The print measures 12" x 18" and is limited to an edition of 77 (I see what you did there). The poster will be available at 12 PM MST (11 AM on the West Coast and 2 PM on the East). For more information on artist Kevin Ang, be sure to checkout his website, deviantART page, or his Tumblr blog. Good luck everyone!

Kevin Ang's & Alex Pardee's "Attack the Block" Prints

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my US readers, and a happy Thursday night to everyone else! I've haven't been able to write nearly as much as I wanted to this past week, but I'm hoping tonight I can right that wrong. You may not be aware of this, but I really, really enjoy movies. I like funny movies, sad movies, fantastical movies, action packed movies, adorable movies, and I really appreciate any movie that can effortlessly combine all of those elements in a single package. Which is why, for my money, Attack the Block was one of the few films this year that pretty much worked on every level, and it's for this reason that I'm really pleased to talk about both Kevin Ang's amazing Attack the Block movie poster and Alex Pardee's beautiful Attack art print.

Attack the Block Movie Poster (Glow-in-the-dark Ink)
Kevin Ang
18" x 24" - Numbered
$30 - Limited to 60

If your ears perked up when you heard the name Kevin Ang, you might be remembering his amazing 12 Angry Men print (somehow still available for purchase) from the Kingdom of Nonsense curated "The Machines Are Winning" show. Well, Kevin has done it again, although this time with a slightly more contemporary and out-of-this-world movie. I was really excited when I found out about this print because even though I feel like the entirety of the Internet got behind Attack the Block, there were very few artists who actually attempted to create something inspired by the film. Kevin's poster features the majority of the cast, as well as the amazing and downright ferocious alien creatures complete with glow-in-the-dark fangs printed with glow-in-the-dark ink. What I love most about this print is Mr. Ang's depiction of the alien infested building and, more specifically, his inclusion of the black-as-midnight monstrosities scaling the Block. I'm also a huge fan of his lettering. I'll admit, it took me a while to get behind the cartoonish looking font he chose to go with, but now that I think of it, Kevin's comic book-esque style really captures the intense and unbelievable situation these kids find themselves in. I imagine this poster would be the cover for an Attack the Block graphic novel. The only complaint I have, and it's by no means a deal breaker, is that Nick Frost's character portrait (above the title between Jodie Whittaker and Hi-Hatz) is just a little too feminine for my taste - it took me a second to figure out who it was supposed to be. That minor criticism aside, I'm a huge fan of this print and will definitely try to grab one of these poster tomorrow (11/25). Kevin Ang's Attack the Block poster will go on sale through the Kingdom of Nonsense storefront on Friday (11/25) at 10 PM MST (that's 9 PM PST for us West Coasters and midnight for the East Coast). The poster will cost $30, measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 60. I couldn't find any sort of Twitter or blog affiliated with Kevin, so I'll instead direct you to follow @tweetofnonsense for future releases and to visit the Kingdom of Nonsense website and storefront for more info. Believe, bruv.

"Attack the Block" Art Print
Alex Pardee
17" x 22" - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: Attack the Block

I remember when Alex Pardee saw Attack the Block in theaters and was so blown away*, that he not only designed a "My Favorite Monsters" print depicting the movie's relentless alien attackers, he also created the above image in tribute to what remains one of my favorite films of 2011. With that said, I had no idea that his Attack the Block art print was actually something I could own until this morning, and I couldn't be more pleased. Pardee's print really highlights how perfectly the creature design in the film is executed and how dark Attack the Block was, both in set design and lighting. As a fan of Pardee's work, I know this print will be absolutely mind blowing up close and the detail is sure to delight. I'm also really digging this print because it highlights one of the coolest movie characters seen this year, and by that I mean, John Boyega's sword-toting hoodlum Moses. It's a beautiful print and I'm through the roof excited now that I can purchase one of these for myself and as a gift for the alien-obsessed loved ones in my life. Alex Pardee's Attack the Block art print is currently available for purchase through Pardee's Zerofriends store. The print measures 17" x 22", costs $50 and is limited to an edition of 100. For more info about the artist and his future releases be sure to follow @alexpardee on Twitter and visit his website at eyesuckink.com.

* Note: I wasn't stalking Mr. Pardee or anything (I've stopped doing that), I just follow him on the Twitter...is what I'll tell the jury.

Kingdom of Nonsense's "The Machines Are Winning" Show

You may have heard about the "The Machines Are Winning: A Tribute To Sidney Lumet" show curated by John Vogl and Jay Shaw and thought it was just another movie-themed art show, but after checking out the work below, I think you'll agree the quality here rivals and in many cases exceeds what we see coming from Mondo and Gallery 1988. I was thinking about covering all of the art currently available, but that sounded like a lot of writing, so I'm just going to stick to the four pieces I purchased (and are somehow still available through the Kingdom of Nonsense store).

12 Angry Men Movie Poster
Kevin Ang
18" x 24"
$30 - Limited to 35

I love this film. 12 Angry Men is a movie I've probably seen about ten times in my life, and about eight of those times were in school (for some reason public schools seem to love 12 Angry Men, Roots, and ironically Ferris Bueller's Day Off). Kevin Ang, an artist I'm not really familiar with, has done a great job capturing the eclectic (and by "eclectic" I mean white male) group of angry jurors, complete with the circumstantial evidence in the forefront. His use of black and white is certainly a nice touch and his depiction of the righteous and reasonable juror number 8 (Henry Fonda) is appropriately inspired. Kevin Ang's 12 Angry Men poster is available through the Kingdom of Nonsense store for $30. The poster measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 35. If you're a fan of the movie, this is a must own, and if you haven't seen the movie, then you should know that Criterion is coming out with a newly remastered version of the film on DVD and Blu-ray in November and plan accordingly.

Fail-Safe Movie Poster
Lloyd Stas
18" x 24"
$30 - Limited to 35

I stand by the statement that Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is my favorite film of all time - it's the most perfect piece of cinema in existence in my opinion (alright, "perfect" might be a tad extreme). But if I was to list a few more of my favorite nuclear doomsday films, you can bet that Fail-Safe would be near the top of that list. If the name Lloyd Stas is familiar to you, it might be because of his outstanding concept posters celebrating Edgar Wright's filmography that took the Internet by storm. Well, Stas has once again proven he's an incredible artist with a great eye for some of the deeper and less surface elements in the films he chooses to cover. In this fantastic Fail-Safe print, Lloyd focuses on General Black's nightmarish visions of the matador, and has taken some artistic license and made the bull-bomb metaphor a bit more explicit and a lot more beautiful. Lloyd Stas' Fail-Safe poster measures 18" x 24", costs $30, is limited to an edition of 35 and is available through the Kingdom of Nonsense store. To learn more about Lloyd I recommend checking out lloydstas.co.uk, his Tumblr and following him @lloydstas.

Network Movie Poster
Mayra Fersner
18" x 24"
$35 - Limited to 35

Network is by far my favorite Lumet movie. I heard about the film when I was in high school, when I thought Requiem for a Dream (which by the way is an awesome film) followed by a viewing of Donnie Darko was the zenith of cinematic appreciation - in other words: I had a lot to learn. Films like Network were gateway drugs of a sort and introduced me to the likes of Putney Swope and Dr. Strangelove. Given the special place in my heart that Network holds and Mayra's beautiful design work, this poster has to be my favorite of the bunch. Her interpretation of the television anchor-cum-prophet is pitch perfect and practically exudes the piety that Howard Beale preached to the television-watching masses. Mayra Fersner's Network poster is available for purchase through the Kingdom of Nonsense Big Cartel store. The poster costs $30, measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 35. Like the vast majority of the artists mentioned in this blog, I'd never heard of Mayra before, but will definitely be waiting to see what she does next. Be sure to check out Mayra's blog at hagcult.com, her Tumblr and follow her @HagCult.

Deathtrap Movie Poster
Jacob Van Loon
18" x 24"
$35 - Limited to 35

I'll be honest. I've never seen Deathtrap, but I bought this print on the quality of the art alone. It's absolutely gorgeous! It's like M.C. Escher, Inception, and In the Mouth of Madness had a mutant baby that mind-bendingly bended my mind. Is it a bad idea to purchase artwork for a film you've never seen? Not when the it looks this good! In full disclosure: after purchasing this print I immediately added Deathtrap to my Netflix Instant Queue. Jacob Van Loon, the creator of this work of art, is another artist I had no familiarity with, but will devoutly follow from this point on. Jacob's Deathtrap print is available through the Kingdom of Nonsense storefront for $30. The print measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 35. To learn more about Jacob be sure to visit his blog at jacobvanloon.com, his Tumblr and follow him @tvparty. I'm totally tempted to get another one of these just to give away in a contest - brilliant stuff!

...And that's what I bought from the show. There's still fifteen posters available through the Kingdom of Nonsense store, so my brief reviews for the four prints above are only a fraction of the awesome on display. To read about the future comings and goings of show organizers, Bill Vogl and Jay Shaw, be sure to visit thebungaloo.com and kingdomofnonsense.com.