Once a poster, always a poster

Many folks have been claiming a distinct corelation between the new poster for (the fantastic) Brokeback Mountain and the 1997 poster for (the repulsive) Titanic. So I decided to go back and re-view the Titanic poster (but definately not the movie itself), since I pretty much blocked the movie out of my mind (easily one of the most over-rated films of all-time). And guess what? They were right dammit. Although not a dead ringer of course, there are definate similarities in the images, which actually makes me think of another film (whose poster is nowhere close to this style), The Dying Gaul, about a screenwriter who is manipulated into changing his gay love story into a straight love story so Hollywood can sell it to middle America. Will Brokeback Mountain - one of the best (and most tragic) love stories I have ever seen - play in Peoria as well as Titanic did? Most likely not. There are already right-wingers attacking it. I just hope it does make it somewhere. It is well worth the watch.

But back to the whole poster idea (I tend to fall off into tangents). This isn't the first time Hollywood has re-furbished a known image (although my other example is from a far lesser known film that Titanic - which is a ridiculous statement in its self, considering how greater a film we are talking about here). Check out the Dogville poster and then look at the poster for this year's North Country. With the Brokeback / Titanic example, there may have been some sort of attempt at subliminal marketing - who knows - but with the other example, I don't think the arthouse crowd that praised Dogville (myself included) would be the same crowd to help out North Country's box office (a mediocre film at best). Anyway, I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of any right now. If you know of any, please let me know. For now, see ya.