Lightbox Poster Images

February 6, 2008. THIS IS A HUGE WORK IN PROGRESS. I've formatted this page in only the barest sense so that it's place is kept on my site. Look for more changes soon. In the meantime, here's my thoughts on why I've started this section.

I've recently decided to slow down (dramatically) the number of poster purchases I make. I made this decision for a number of reasons. Principally, it's because I want to focus on what I have, enjoy what I have, and really get a grip on what it is I collect and the reasons behind the collection.

That said, I originally started this site so that I could see an overview of my collection. Moreover, the comments that I make for many of the posters listed here are for my own benefit, to make sure I'm adding to the collection for the right reason -- namely, because the poster means something to me. While I have not been completely successful in that goal, at least it has brought me to this point of reflection.

In keeping with that theme, I have added a new section for Quentin Tarantino. I have avoided such a thing for a few reasons, foremost among them being that it's predictable. However, I just recently watched the Death Proof side of Grindhouse, and while I don't think it's his best movie, I was truly surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. As I was watching the end (no spoilers here!), I realized as much as I had good reasons for avoiding it, it was time to add a section dedicated to Tarantino.

The "why" of it continues . . . . For a number of years, I have watched my good friend Thierry build an impressive collection for Spielberg. I must admit that I originally thought his own endeavor was somewhat predictable, but when I came to know Thierry better, I realized that he had one really good justification (at least in my eyes) for doing so -- he used to work with the guy! So after all, Thierry was not collecting according to someone else's paradigm -- something I truly loathe -- but rather, he collected the Speilberg posters because they have a very personal connection to his daily existence. To me that's the right reason for a collection such as his.

Now, I don't know Tarantino. Frankly, while I respect Tarantino and his films, I question whether our personalities would be compatable. Nevertheless, I realized while watching Death Proof that I also have a very good reason for a dedicated Tarantino section -- I don't know of anyone who has a finer collection of posters for his movies than I have the good fortune to own.

Truly, this is not a self-indulgent statement (well, it kinda is ;-) ). I started with a true love of Kill Bill posters. Those two movies (actually, one long one really) are among my favorite of all time. My deep affection for those movies led me to seriously put together a collection of the posters which actually has some serious depth. But, it is by no means a Tarantino collection. It is a Kill Bill collection.

Over time, other opportunities have presented themselves. Jackie Brown is a cool movie, but not a favorite. You can find the seven character posters for that movie without much work. However, the only complete double sided sets that I know of are in my collection and that of another collector I know well. Why do I have that set? First, because I am fond of collecting sets of character posters. Second, because I adore double sided posters for display in my lightboxes. Third, because the set for this movie is just plain cool.

I like Pulp Fiction better than Jackie Brown -- but I'm still not looking at them all as Tarantino films. I'm into them individually. I was fortunate enough to buy a real Lucky Strikes and dictionary style version of the posters for a reasonable sum. While both are available now, they are not available without taking out a small equity line on your home.

Reservoir Dogs is viciously dark and bloody, and it was one of the last posters I found. It's not available double sided (to my knowledge) so I did not run out and get it. I finally picked it up when a copy turned up for well under $100 (a steal now).

Here comes Grindhouse. Buying the readily available posters was a no-brainer. The movies are bound for cult status, if not there now. Add to that some good opportunities to buy the Singapore double sided versions, and the hideously rare international and US versions of the individual movies, and I have a nice Grindhouse collection.

Here's the magic moment: when watching the end of Death Proof, it finally hit me that I have some truly amazing and rare posters for Tarantino's movies, and that like it or not, I have a Tarantino collection that warrants having all these posters and a few more under one heading. As I write this, I have not assembled them on one page. My anticipation to see the final product is, to say the least, biting.

I will transfer this little diatribe to the Tarantino page in time. For now, this is such a huge shift in collecting for me that I needed to put it up front and center to ensure that it does not wither under close scrutiny of my fellow collectors in the community. If you know of another collection of Tarantino posters that rivals what I have here, please let me know!

Quentin Tarantino