24x36: A Movie About Movie Posters

My review is positive, but I can't add much that hasn't already been said by other reviewers who are more knowledgeable. So instead I'll offer a perspective that hasn't yet been covered here.

If, like me, you know NOTHING about movie posters (aside from maybe recognizing the iconic Jaws image of a buxom beach beauty being stalked by an underwater creature that can only be compared to a Mesozoic dinosaur) and are simply interested in this title because the subject is so bizarre you figure it has to be a hilarious mockumentary, then unfortunately you'll be disappointed. "24x36" is exactly what it claims to be, no more, no less, "A movie about movie posters."

But don't run away yawning just yet. Although I thought this film missed a great opportunity to approach the subject in a fun, cheeky and dramatic way (like "Ambassadors of Hollywood" about people who make a living by dressing up as movie characters and strutting down Hollywood Blvd for tips), "24x36" still delivers. It's informative without getting over the heads of newbies, and by appealing to our sensibilities as art lovers, it proves its point that movie posters are an equally important part of art culture. My only gripe is that it just hits the subject head-on as if you, the moviegoer, specifically want to see a movie about movie posters.

In that respect, parts seemed a bit dry to me, since the entire 82 min experience is composed of interviews with people you don't know, and, with the exception of one charmingly quirky character (I can't remember his name, but he's the artist who talks about getting a gun and ending it all), all the interviewees are normal people. In other words, no drama, no suspense and no real mystery.

Before you yell at me "This is a documentary, not Orson Welles' The Third Man!" let me point out that it's possible to have an informative documentary whilst having a little fun at the same time. For example, Orson Welles' own "F for Fake" is a documentary about art forgeries, and Welles manages to draw us into a clever little story, and ultimately a wonderful practical joke payoff, while also approaching the subject very seriously. Another great example is "King of Kongs", a documentary about a videogame tournament that weaves a heart-pounding rivalry between the 'good guy' and 'the douchebag'.

Here in "24x36" they flirted with this dramatic approach in the way they suspensefully introduced "Rob" the eccentric director of Mondo. Before we see a stitch of him, we get a slew of people talking about him and his bizarre behavior. Next we see him but only half of him, not his face, only his lower half dressed in a flamboyant rose colored suit that looks like something out of Prince's hand-me-downs. A+ for that style of filmmaking; I would've liked to see more of that stylistic approach just to spice up the show a bit.

Instead most of this documentary is straightforward. There are some real gems of information, and there are a couple of individuals whose opinions on movie posters, and art in general, are extremely thought-provoking. But unless this documentary has your full attention, it's easy to find your mind wandering a bit, just as it would during an 82 minute college lecture.

In the end, I was satisfied with having learned a lot which gave me a much deeper appreciation of the archaic (yet still going strong) art of movie posters. It's a well made documentary with good edits and eye catching visuals. But if you were hoping for a quirky, offbeat, humorous documentary, I would first check out the aforementioned "Ambassadors of Hollywood" (comic con fans), "King of Kongs" (80s videogames), "F for Fake" (art forgeries), as well as my favorite documentary ever, about a has-been 80s metal band attempting a comeback, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil".

First off, I'll say that I enjoy documentaries about artists making art. As one myself, I have skin in the game and like seeing process stuff. But that's not what I expected here. I rented this title assuming it was an actual documentary about the history of film posters. But after it briskly covers that in the first 20-ish minutes it spends the rest of its running time hyping Alamo Drafthouse/Mondo, the posters they make and the collectors that love them. This was a real bait and switch, and it does real disservice to anyone interested in movie posters and their history. It's also incredibly lazy filmmaking. This isn't a documentary; it's lipservice to fandom. And when it starts talking about what Mondo posters are worth on the secondary market it becomes a very crass exercise. I kept expecting there to be an 800 number at the bottom of the screen saying "Order now!"

When I think of all the people still living that they could've talked to and didn't. It's like they decided, "Let's go to Austin," and that's it. And you see the blown opportunities all over it. They have Bill Stout, a guy who's done some amazing posters. Did they talk to him about those posters? Nope. Never even mentioned that he's done any. They have Joe Dante, a living encyclopedia. Do they bother talking to him for more than a couple of moments? Nope. Does Drew Struzan get any screen time? Nope. OK, there already is a feature length documentary about him, but a cameo? Nothing? If it's about the resurgence of illustrated poster art, does it extend beyond anything Mondo does? Is the UK's Graham Humphreys featured? Nope. Just one blown opportunity after another. Call this "Mondo: The Art of Groovy Posters". I paid for a documentary; I got a feature-length commercial.

So I finally got past the title. It's a phenomenally crappy title, given that the standard "movie poster" size is a one-sheet, which is 27"x40/41"

The trick is this movie spends way more time focusing on "unofficial" movie-related screen-prints which *are* 24x36, which is a bit of a disappointment. I'd rather they spent more time documenting the history of movie posters and the stories behind those posters, than focusing on some random artists doing unofficial work.

First 30 minutes is about real posters for classic movies. The rest focuses on new posters for old movies. These are not real posters imho. The movie turns into a commercial for mondo, the company that sells these posters. Was hoping to see more about development of movie posters in hand with creating of the movie.

The first half hour or so of 24x36 is a fair enough, if cursory, overview of the history of movie posters. The Documentary focuses mainly on the 50s to the 80s and such artists as John Alvin, Bob Peak, Reynold Brown, Richard Amsel and Drew Struzan and includes some interviews with an about them (including some vintage footage). Movie poster collectors and dealers are also interviewed. But when the movie turns to towards the late-80s and 90s and the era where photo-shopping photos rather than original painted artwork started to dominate, it takes a sharp turn. Director Kevin Burke becomes enamored with Mondo, an offshoot of the Alamo Drafthouse and turns over his movie into a veritable infomercial. Mondo specializes in producing original pieces of art geared towards cult and fanboy movie favorites - Star Wars, Lord Of the Rings, Tarantino, Carpenter etc.. Some of the posters are no doubt striking, but, when you see collector after collector talk about how you can 'flip' a limited edition $60 poster into thousands of dollars in a matter of hours it kind of shows how misplaced the priorities are (for both these so-called 'fans' -- and this Doc itself). If the Mondo section was a little side diversion that would be one thing, but, instead the bulk of the rest of the movie mainly revolves around all the knock-off and cash-in artists who were 'inspired' by the Alamo company. The gold rush in Nostalgia posters is breathlessly detailed -- setting aside the fact that almost none of these works ever actually end up being used to promote actual films. At the very end, we see how a few of these Nostalgia posters have been used to sell mainly re-issue DVDs and Blu Rays, and in rare cases, an actual movie or two (usually tiny indies). 24x36 certainly has some eye-catching art to view, but, it's a messy Doc about a subject that is worthy of a proper Documentary.