Gr8at: Drew Struzan’s Film Posters

After seeing the documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster, I became aware of the incredible talent of the illustrator Drew Struzan. Seeing his portfolio, I realised just how highly regarded he is within the industry and how much of his work I was already familiar with. While I pay close attention to actors, directors, composers and scriptwriters, I’ve never really thought about film posters before, apart from when I highlighted the ones I have in my bedroom. Here are eight of Drew’s more famous works, with some bonus ones thrown in. Do you have a favourite? For more information n the man himself check out this Wired article.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

First Blood (1982)

The Thing (1982)

Hellboy  (2004)

Back to The Future (1985)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Pan’s Labyrinth  (2006)

Bladerunner (1982)

And here are some from his most famous collaboration

Things to See: Star Wars Identities at the 02

Star Wars is a phenomenon that shows no sign of abating. Ever since its introduction with A New Hope in 1977 it has blown audiences away with its fantasy charm, good v evil battles, memorable heroes, sinister villains and, in the lightsabre, the best weapon ever. Even its recent spin-off was a huge smash. So when I saw there was an exhibition  entitled Star Wars Identities at the 02 featuring over 200 props, models, costumes and artwork, I just had to go. Tosha Michelle who was in town, came along for the ride.

Line(s) of the Day #CarrieFisher

Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell.

In tribute to the very sad passing of Carrie Fisher (1956 – 2016). As well as playing the iconic Princess Leia, Fisher also had success in numerous roles including Hannah and her Sisters, The ‘Burbs and When Harry Met Sally. Off-screen she published several books and was an inspirational figure around the world for her honesty, humility and empathy. Her hard work and dedication to different causes was also recognised by different awards such as Harvard’s Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. Her mother, the actress and humanitarian Debbie Reynolds (1932 – 2016) will also be missed.

Gr8at: London Super Comic Convention Costumes

I had a really fun time at the London Super Comic Convention hosted at the Excel centre yesterday. With comic book and their film adaptations as popular as ever, it was no surprise the event (which finishes later today) was such a success.  I took so many photos that rather than try and squeeze them into my review which I’ll be doing soon, like with my Memorable Figures from the Wax Museum I’ve decided to do a fun quiz to see how many you can work out. How many of the comic, cartoon, anime and film stars did you get? Who would you like to have dressed up if you had gone?

Answers below

Film Quizzes: 2015 Films

It’s been a fun year for films, with long awaited remakes, reboots and sequels, exciting new adaptations and original talents coming to the fore. Not that there weren’t disappointing efforts along the way of course.  How well do you remember the film year just going? Are there any that stood out either for positive or negative reasons? Below is a super-size quiz on a random mix of films released in the UK within the past 12 months.

 Film 1

 Film 2

 Film 3

 Film 4

 Film 5

 Film 6

 Film 7

 Film 8

 Film 9

 Film 10

 Film 11

 Film 12

 Film 13

 Film 14

 Film 15

Answers below

Line(s) of the Day #Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.
Han Solo: Never tell me the odds.

Anthony Daniels and Harrison Ford in one of cinema’s most loved films, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens today, so am totally in a Star Wars frame of mind. You can find my favourite quote from the original film here.

Line(s) of the Day

 

Luke Skywalker: She’s rich. 
Han Solo: Rich? 
Luke Skywalker: Rich, powerful. Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be… 
Han Solo: What? 
Luke Skywalker: Well, more wealth than you can imagine! 
Han Solo: I don’t know, I can imagine quite a bit. 

Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford in Star Wars: Episode 4: A New Hope (1977)