24x36

Director Kevin Burke's documentary 24x36 isn't the first to dwell on the geektastic topic of Hollywood movie-poster art, but it does cover the subject nicely and includes a fresh 21st-century twist. The film opens with a history of commercial lithography and mass movie poster production for Hollywood, with salutes to unsung graphic artists including Albert Kallis, Bob Peak, John Alvin, and Richard Amsel for their iconographic work. As the digital age progressed, however, truly creative artistic renderings in cinema ads and handbills gave way to sterile, formulaic digital imaging—often Photoshopped star portraits. But a recent trend (credited to Austin, TX-based production studio Mondo) has witnessed brash new artists creating licensed, limited-edition 24” x 36” line-art posters for revival screenings—bringing new visual vibrancy to cult or even downright lousy flicks (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Cannibal Holocaust). A lively collector market has developed, which may save poster art from corporate banality. Authors interviewed include Matthew Chojnacki, Dave Alexander, and Thomas Peak, while director Joe Dante weighs in with a filmmaker's point-of-view. DVD extras include extended interviews. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)