BOOK REVIEW:
Why would we review a book full of pictures, with no text
whatsoever? (The first instinct of this reviewer was: how
am I going to pick out a choice excerpt?)
Why
would anyone fork out 40 bucks to purchase this book full
of pictures, with no text whatsoever? (The second instinct
of this reviewer was: how am I going to pass a verdict on
this picture book?)
Well,
some of us poorer mortals dream of hanging vintage movie posters
in our humble homes, but because our houses are not big enough,
or simply we are not rich enough to afford an original vintage
movie poster. This thin book satisfies that craving to look
at something pretty, albeit they are not life-sized posters
you see at theatres.
Featuring
hundreds of vintage Hollywood posters from the 1930s to the
present, this is about the best deal you can get in terms
of owning them in one compact book (no, printing them from
online websites don’t really count).
Personal
favourites include the numerous Walt Disney classics posters
like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) and Fantasia (1941).
Also, check out Maggie Gyllenhaal looking like a tiger in
the Andy Warhol-inspired poster for Secretary (2002).
Elsewhere,
there are many posters which you may not be familiar with,
but worth admiring for its old-school art work. Back then
when posters did not feature glamourous pictures photoshop-ed
movie stars, it was really the intricate artwork of the artists
which mattered. And you can see it from the many different-styled
posters in this book.
Wait,
this book does have another purpose. If you decide to fork
out some of your hard-earned money to get one of those lovely
posters on your wall, there is information on each individual’s
pricing, complete with contact details and a proper website
to visit.
Hold
on, since this book is the ninth volume in its series, it
must act as a catalogue for some kind of auction. And upon
flipping to the first page of this colourful book, it tells
us that the posters were auctioned on 18 December 2005!
That
adds a new meaning to vintage, if you ask us.
CHOICE XCERPT:
If you really had to know about Bruce Hershenson, the guy
behind this book, below is the excerpt this reviewer found
most apt in the catalogue:
"My
name is Bruce Hershenson and since 1990 I have sold over 28
MILLION dollars of vintage movie posters, much of it through
public auctions. In 1990 I organized the very first all-movie
poster auction ever held by a major auction house and since
then I organized 12 more major “live” movie poster
auctions (nine more for Christie’s auction house and
three for Howard Lowery auctions)."
VERDICT:
If
you don not mind paying 40 dollars for this catalogue, it
does look kind of nice on your coffee table. It works just
like one of those furniture and electrical appliance catalogues
you get in your mail boxes. But think of how your guests will
gape in awe when they visit your home – maybe it’s
worth the money after all.
 
Review
by John Li
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