Very Cool Unused 'Inglourious Basterds' Poster

From Poster Wire (via Film School Rejects), here's an incredibly hip poster for Inglourious Basterds, that like the famed Raiders of the Lost Ark poster, consciously invokes the era in which the film takes place. One problem: It never got used to promote the movie. The designer of the piece, James Goodridge, created this poster for The Weinstein Company without getting much direction on how the final design should look. Ultimately, the studio passed, opting instead for a perfectly fine but not thrilling set of character-based one-sheets that rely heavily on red and white. Says Goodridge of his work:

"The movie studio had already produced some teaser posters but wanted a fresh take, truer to the director’s vision and influences and the story. The creative director had only a few requests from the studio but this was to be an occasion where I had considerable creative input."

I understand why the Weinsteins have gone with the red and white posters; the trio of red, white, and black is the most powerful color combination in all of marketing. There have been studies pointing to that effect over the years. A poster with earth tones is not as likely to jump out and grab you, so again, I get it on a practical level. But this is a much cooler design, and I would have liked to have seen it used in concert with the others. Good to know it's out there somewhere, though.

Comments

[Tjei]

The concept is a neat one, but it's an awkward poster. Too many people holding guns and other weapons. Those 5 in the bottom don't add nothing. A depiction of a nazi soldier's scalp about to be taken off would be better instead. Really, too many people holding guns and that's it.