Inception Fever: Posters and Banners

Is it July 16 yet? No? RAGE! We still have a good month before Inception, the sure to be masterpiece from Chris "Batman Legitimizer" Nolan, hits the market. As I said previously, I would be closely stalking following the progress of the marketing/advertising as we inch closer to its release. Four new banners were just released to the public, so I though now would as good a time as any to take a look at all the posters that have been a part of this weird journey. Take a seat. Let's look at some pictures!

Poster 1: The One With The Title And Nothing Else

This was the initial poster that kicked off the advertising campaign. In keeping with all of Nolan's films that don't include a man dressed as a bat, it gives absolutely nothing away about plot or characters. It piqued my interest though. The image of the buildings making the title, at a skewed angle, adequately foreshadow the trippy dream sequences that would be revealed down the road. Also, this was the first time that the full, principle cast was revealed to me. I was in a theatre in New York, about to walk into Shutter Island. I think I fainted from joy when I saw who would be in it. I mean, everyone knew Leo would be in it, but once I found out that Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Ken Watanbe, Cillian Murphy, and my love, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, my heart skipped a beat. This is the simplest poster of the campaign, but it's special because it got me fully excited!

Poster 2: The One That Looks Oddly Familiar

Honestly, I don't know what to make of this one. It further sets up the surreal aspects of the film; the image of the man holding a gun in a flooded city is quite arresting. But, this was released in the second stages of advertisement, and it still neglected to give any information about the film. It uses the same, albeit fantastic tagline, "Your mind is the scene of the crime." It doesn't show any faces, and still does not tell anything about the plot. Also, it seems weirdly similar to an early poster of another Nolan movie. Hmmm.....

Poster 3: The One Where We Finally See The Characters

Yay! Characters! Alright then. In keeping with the theme set by the other posters, this one is visually arresting, with a truly inspired image that evokes the weirdness of the whole movie. The big change here is that we finally get to see what the characters look like. It's a classic tactic, placing the players at strategically decided positions from each other, superimposed on an appropriately epic image. The image in question is the IMAX worthy shot of Paris folding up on itself. We finally get to see what DiCaprio, Watanabe, Page, and Co. look like. They all look very swag and dangerous. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is holding a really big gun! More please!

Poster 4: It Gets Weird

Now, that's what I'm talking about! This is the poster that fully gets to what the film is all about. I mean, there's nothing in there about plot, but this image is just so cool, that I don't really care. Fully evoking the gravity defying sequences that play heavily into the latest trailer, and sufficiently setting the sinister nature of all the characters, this is a poster to die for. Serious contention for poster of the year is incoming. It also deserves mention because it is the first one to reveal what Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard will look like when they share the screen with DiCaprio and friends. Cotillard especially looks badass. I always loved the image of a sexy woman holding a gun! Oooooooo...

The Banners: Things Get Epic

Now that Nolan has significantly sold the fact that, yes, Inception will be weird, he now sees fit to remind everyone that, while he makes thought provoking, mature films, he is an action director at heart, and in no way will that aspect of his art be tampered with. These four banners look positively badass. The one that shows the characters looking on as the city folds on itself reminds me of 2012, and I mean that in a good way! My favorite is the one that showcases the fight in the tumbling hallway! That looks so friggin' cool

All in all, the advertising campaign for Inception is, quite simply, smart! The people running the show didn't give anything away in huge chunks, instead limiting exposure, so that one new, juicy tidbit was released in each stage, keeping the excitement for the film at a very high peak. There is still so much more to know about this film that will only be revealed when you see it. Inception Fever over at DC ain't over yet. I'll probably write up a trailer analysis before my review on July 16. Keep in touch folks. Sweet dreams!