Dear Mr. Smithee: I recently acquired an original "Blade Runner" poster and got to thinking: What is the greatest movie poster ever created?
Dear Good Buy: My friend, that might be the toughest question I have ever been asked. You see, a movie poster can benefit from the quality of the movie itself. As you look at it, fond memories of the movie light the corners of your mind. Is that better than a movie poster that stands by itself as a fine piece of art?
And what about the latest in movie posterdom — the dramatic 3-D poster for "Speed Racer"? It involves 36 separate images and is one you must see in person, but there is a simulated way to experience it by going to www.startribune.com/a4387. (Click on the image and drag the cursor for the effect.)
For me, the following 20 posters are just about perfect. ("Blade Runner" was a semifinalist.)
20. "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" (2003) This poster with its crisp visuals not only looks good, it’s a dual image. The back is a reverse look. It’s cool.
19. "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956) I’m not much of a fan of the movie, but the poster successfully screams Victorian England.
18. "Rififi" (1955) The mood is set for a great heist movie with a tangle of jewels and other images formed into a skull.
17. "Scarface" (1983) I love how the red shouts Al Pacino’s name with the same turbulence as the film’s title.
16. "The Exorcist" (1973) The poster for the rerelease enlarged the original poster’s image, heightening the unsettling feelings of fear and dread.
15. "Frankenstein" (1931) The looming, lighted-from-beneath vision of Boris Karloff commands attention.
14. "Thelma & Louise" (1991) The colors are amazingly vivid, the smiles infectious.
13. "E.T. the Extra-terrestrial" (1982) Fantasy comes to life with the signature vision of a boy and bicycle in flight against an enormous moon.

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