Greetings,
A while back, the wonderful Cecil Trachenberg of GoodBadFlicks did a video on "What Happened to Movie Posters?" He pointed out a lot of the unoriginality, repetitiveness and general lack of artistic merit that they hold. And even though I was aware of that, it's not until someone shows you example after example, right in a row, that you realize how big the problem is. So, today, I am happy to be talking about something that celebrates a man who was the antithesis of that problem, a documentary called Drew: The Man Behind the Poster.
The titular Drew is Drew Struzan, a person who any cinephile knows. He was the creator of countless, legendary movie posters from Star Wars to Back to the Future to Hook and so many in between and beyond. He is basically the master of this particular art, and this 2013 documentary hones in on how he came to be that. Sadly, it also chronicles how the lack of appreciation for that art has grown in the film industry over the decades. But we'll discuss that travesty later.
This documentary has that quality I tend to look for which is that it feels very sincere and very personal. It's not one of those unauthorized things you see sometimes, nor does it feel like one. Much of this film is taken up by interviews with Drew Struzan himself, as well as his lovely wife, Dylan, and their son, Christian. The family tells the stories of all the struggles they had to endure whilst Drew was waiting for his big break, something he achieved through great dedication, persistence and, of course, an amazing gift. There is so much that I learned about him through this. Though I've always been a fan of his movie posters, I was unaware of how many album covers he did. Oh, sorry. Youngsters, "albums" are things that we used to buy that had music on them, and they came with little books filled with the words of the songs and usually a wonderful picture on the front. I'm actually a bit floored that I didn't know about this. I mean, I am someone who tends to devour liner notes, and since Mr. Struzan did the art work for one of my favorite Bee Gees' albums, Main Course. I can't believe I didn't notice. Better late than never?
Besides the inside stories from the family, we also get a lot of interviews with people who have been connected to Struzan's artwork by way of the films. We hear from people like Michael J. Fox, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, Harrison Ford and Guillermo del Toro. They have nothing but praise for the man as well as what he has created. As well they should. However, one can easily recall what those first four men I named would be taking about, movie wise, including posters for the films I mentioned earlier, but it's a bit different for Mr. del Toro. In fact, what he has to say has much to do with less of the past of Struzan's work, but more the recent past, present and possible future. Oh, spoilers coming up...I guess.
While del Toro does speak highly of those works of art that he grew up with, those that contributed to his love of cinema, he also represents, by proxy, what has happened to the attitude toward this creativity. On more than one occasion, del Toro asked Struzan to make posters for his films, and they are absolutely stunning. No surprise. Sadly, though, they were rejected by the studio, who did not want to pay for it. Del Toro ended up paying for the art himself, as well as giving some as limited edition collector's items for his fans. I guess it's no shock that one of the only directors these days that I can truly call an artist has a great respect for the art of someone else. What should not be a shock to anyone is that precise reaction to the most recent work of Drew Struzan.
I know I'm not the only one who has come to notice the lack of artistic integrity in the film industry. Not to say there is absolutely none, but it has become difficult to find. So, of course, if the industry has little need for artistic merit in the very medium it creates and distributes, why should it want for that when it comes to another? Maybe if they decided to take one more closer look at the current work of Drew Struzan, they might want to recapture some of that magic for themselves.
Look, I don't want to end on a sour note, so I have some good news. First, this is a great documentary, and if you're an art lover, definitely check it out. Second, it's clear that, though certain people are ignoring the work of a great artist, many people have not forgotten. This film shows that their are still so many admirers of Drew Struzan and what he has created and continues to create. You can see that he is so grateful for that. He makes art because it is in him to do so, and he'll never stop, I believe. It's not about collecting a check or approval from a studio. It's for himself, first and foremost, and for everyone who still is in awe of what he does.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
