A fabulous series of pictorial movie encyclopedias spanning the early days of the movie industry to the present. Drawn from the author's research and personal archives, this book presents movie posters as an art form as well as a slice of America's history. High quality, all colour reproduction and accurate text makes this book excellent for reference, while movie lovers will delight in the opportunity to remember their favourite film.

"While the subject of this book, movie musicals, is one of the most popular genres of film, it is difficult to describe exactly what constitutes a musical. Most films have soundtracks. And many include a few musical numbers, but how much musical content does a film need before it is officially a musical? Since there are no clear-cut rules, I based this book on a few simple guidelines. First, I excluded all silent films, for obvious reasons. Second, I excluded movies where the musical numbers were not performed by the stars of the film, or movies that are basically comedies or dramas, but include a little music. Third, I excluded concert films or any films that did not have a plot. Finally, since this is a book of images, I tried to always give preference to posters that depict people singing or dancing. It is clear that early movies were dominated by a relatively small group of wonderful performers such as Alice Faye, Betty Grable, and, of course, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers." -- Taken from the Introduction by Bruce Hershenson.

This book focuses on some of the finest movie posters ever produced - some because of the originality of their design, others because of their success to withdraw attention and making a film seem unmissable. Through the posters of the 1930s and 40s we can relive the classic era of Hollywood, to the 1950s posters promoting the use of wide screen. As the Hollywood studio system declined, the rise of European cinema and other national movements in Asia and beyond would introduce new ideas to narrative films and their advertising which would have a global impact. A collection of posters featuring movies which have helped shape the history of world cinema. A great collection of not only the posters of the blockbusters or classics movies of Hollywood Golden Era, but also great European, Latin American and Asian movies which changed film-making history.

Over the years the motion picture industry has (sadly) gravitated to generating poorly cropped and heavily airbrushed posters that rely far too often on celebrity head shots. Thankfully, an underground network of graphic designers and artists has reinvigorated the art of the movie poster, crafting stunning pieces for classic and cult films. Here is the first comprehensive look at the movement, presenting this eclectic and dynamic medium through more than 200 eye-popping posters from over 100 cutting-edge artists, coupled with fascinating commentary and behind-the-scenes information. These new, underground posters have quickly become the most coveted by ardent moviegoers; they are typically produced in very limited runs, sell out within minutes, and command upwards of several hundred dollars each. With a smart, fresh visual perspective, alternative movie posters celebrate classics like Star Wars, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining as well as cult favorites: The Big Lebowski, Blade Runner, and Pink Flamingos.

The world s best, wittiest lowbrow designers reimagine movie posters for 150 cult films that are built into the DNA of any movie buff "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Psycho," "Vertigo," "Poltergeist," "Metropolis," "Ghostbusters," "Blue Velvet," "Blade Runner," "Star Wars," "Alien," "Mad Max," "Robocop," "Reservoir Dogs," "Jaws," " The Big Lebowski," "Rosemary's Baby," " Taxi Driver," "The Postman Always Rings Twice," and many more films are given new art by the likes of Grimb, Coop, O'Connell, Alderete, Hertz, Pullin, and more. Almost always better than the originals, these new visual takes on iconic movies will delight anyone with an interest in film. For the Hollywood aficionado this visual feast makes a perfect gift; while for graphic designers, both professional and students, this makes for a great source of ideas and inspiration."