Alan Smithee's favorite movie posters

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Alan Smithee's favorite movie posters

Inspired by the dramatic 3-D poster for "Speed Racer," movie critic Alan Smithee picks his favorite movie posters of all times, and explains why he likes them.

Inspired by the dramatic 3-D poster for "Speed Racer" -- 36 separate images were used, and it must be seen in person at a megaplex for the full effect -- movie critic Alan Smithee picks his favorite movie posters of all times, and explains why he likes them.

"KILL BILL: VOL. 1" (2003): This poster with its crisp visuals not only looks good, it's a dual image. The back is a reverse look. It's cool. And I own one.

"AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" (1956): I'm not much of a fan of the movie, but the poster successfully screams Victorian England.

"SCARFACE" (1983): The movie doesn't have many shades of gray so why should the poster? I love how the red shouts Pacino's name with the same turbulence as the film's title.

"THE EXORCIST" (1973): This poster for the re-release enlarged the original poster's image, heightening the film's unsettling feelings of fear and dread.

"FRANKENSTEIN" (1931): Another poster for another re-release, this looming, lighted-from-beneath vision of Boris Karloff commands attention.

"THELMA & LOUISE" (1991): The colors are amazingly vivid. The smiles infectious.

"E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL" (1982): Fantasy comes to life with the film's signature vision of a boy and bicycle in flight against the backdrop of an enormous moon.

"METROPOLIS" (1927): Move over "Iron Man." The future is an arresting vision of a soft-shouldered metallic woman surrounded by Gothic skyscrapers.

"THE BIG SLEEP" (1946): After "To Have and Have Not," Bogart and Bacall were the hottest couple on the planet. This looks just like a scribbled note from a studio mogul: "Get me him! Get me her! It'll be an instant hit!!!"

"THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS" (1991): The haunting central skull image was inspired by a Salvador Dali photograph of women contorted into the shape of a skull.

"KING KONG" (1933): A giant ape run amok. Terrified people running. A damsel in distress. Fire. An easy title to digest. Convince me that if you saw this in 1933 you wouldn't have said, "I'm already there."

"BLAZING SADDLES" (1974): All the posters for Mel Brooks' movies are grandiose, nostalgic and funny. This one's my favorite. As we writers say, God is in the details. Note the boom mic in plain view and the jet flying through the clouds in the lower right corner.

"BULL DURHAM" (1988): In many posters for Kevin Costner's movies he always seems to be looking right into the camera and being adored by a beautiful woman. Here, the cliche works. This image evokes exactly the same emotions as the film.

"42ND STREET" (1933): I like the command of art deco. I like that the images and type are askew. I like the legs. Actually, I love the legs -- as tall as New York skyscrapers.

"ANATOMY OF A MURDER" (1959): For years, artist Saul Bass was the go-to guy for posters. He also created the twisted arm image that graced the poster for Frank Sinatra's drug-addled "The Man With The Golden Arm" and the light-headed swirl images for Hitchcock's "Vertigo." Here block images become the chalk outline to pack more punch in the film's title.

"DEAD AGAIN" (1991): It's not a bad movie either. The poster is of two separate faces that also meld into one and become almost 3-D.

"CABIN IN THE SKY" (1943): The images on this poster pop and seemingly come alive. Talk about swingers.

"WALK THE LINE" (2005): I own a T-shirt with this same indelible image of Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash. Every single time I've worn it, out of the blue somebody says, "Nice shirt."

"JUNGLE FEVER" (1991): I like all the posters for Spike Lee's movies. But, clearly, this one blows me away. With great simplicity, it evokes the film's flashfire plot about an African-American man contemplating having an affair with a white woman.

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Inspired by the dramatic 3-D poster for "Speed Racer" -- 36 separate images were used, and it must be seen in person at a megaplex for the full effect -- movie critic Alan Smithee picks his favorite movie posters of all times, and explains why he likes them.

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