Design in Film Posters 2-'Pulp Fiction': A Sensational Magazine Poster

It's time for round two of movie poster design fun!

This week I'm looking at the theatrical poster for my favorite movie of all time: Pulp Fiction. The film is an epic, interwoven story of the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, complete with gangsters, a hit man or two, boxing, and, of course, Uma Thurman overdosing on heroine. What more could you want from a movie? Quentin Tarantino, the film's director, was inspired by pulp magazines from the first have of the twentieth century. These magazines were cheap to make and featured weekly stories often involving crime, drugs, and violence, much like the film itself. The film makes reference to this as it opens with a definition for pulp ("popular or sensational writing that is of poor quality") so right from the start we know what we're in for. What follows is three intricately connected stories that tell the tales of crime and violence.

Now what does the poster tell us about the movie? This poster is one of my favorites, just like the film; it is so creative, simple, and completely effective in what telling us about the film. It's been designed to look like an old magazine complete with a ten cents price graphic. The corners and sides have been seemingly torn and crumpled to further get across that poor quality of product. The actors credits look like typical teases as to what's inside the magazine. With so many names listed we have a preview of all the different stories within the magazine, or film. And then, of course, there's that picture of Uma Thurman. In a single, static shot we see the femme fatale of the film, dressed all in black, while smoking, reading a trashy magazine, AND holding a gun. I love it. The poster owns up to the trashiness of it all just like the old pulp magazines were self aware of their quality (or lack thereof). Once again, this is a perfect example of how good design can do exactly what a movie poster needs to do; convey the spirit of the film in a single static image. This is a great poster that plays on the conventions of the film and pays homage to Tarantino's inspiration. Even in a photo of Uma Thurman smoking with a gun can be great creative design.