Gino Pagliuca

Featured on our 2nd Art of the Movie Poster column (read here), The House of the Devil excels on what Inglourious Basterds' one-sheet lacked: Finesse. This is the balance I was hoping for with those posters, not too "aged" but just enough to suggest the film's throwback to a specific period; in this case 70's/80's horror films. The composition is beautiful, and genuinely creepy, but it's really the attention to detail that does it for me. This is the kind of quality sorely lacking in posters, and funny (or maybe not) that it comes from a low-budget indie film.

With In the Loop's cast of B-lister cast, making the film's theme the star of the poster was a smart move. It's minimal, sure, but every element is specific. Everything seems in proper order which draws our eye to the tangled wire right in the middle of the page. The silhouette's ties tell us these countries are in a state of confusion, and of course, the overall comedic tone is complimented by the goofy font and cute tagline. And while quotes on a poster usually seem excessive to me, this one from the Times fits right in for both it's text and the source that's vouching for the film.

Yes, I know, another one; another Top 10 list. While everyone's looking back on the year, posting their picks of the films that made going to movies (or video stores... not sure how much longer we'll be able to do that, but I digress) worth their while, we thought we'd shine a light on the posters that stopped us (well, me) in our tracks. It's rare that a single image can get you excited or interested in see a film, but here are the ones that did just that for yours truly. Feel free to chime in below with your Top Picks of the year or thoughts on my picks.

Rian Johnson ups the ante with this follow-up to the miraculous "Brick" and delivers a light-hearted crime-fiction romantic-adventure blend of a film. While the disc isn't loaded with features, it has enough to justify buying it (when it's released for sale in 2010).

Rian Johnson ups the ante with this follow-up to the miraculous "Brick" and delivers a light-hearted crime-fiction romantic-adventure blend of a film. While the disc isn't loaded with features, it has enough to justify buying it (when it's released for sale in 2010).