MovieZeal » Mystery Poster Theater

Mystery Poster Theater #20

Evan Derrick — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:21:30 +0000

After a hiatus of 2 weeks, mostly due to my own forgetfulness, MPT is back in black, baby. Or something.

Rules: we do this every Wed. at 11AM CST (except when I forget…I promise to be good). 1 point for the easy poster, 2 points for the hard. No penalties for wrong guesses, so guess away. Ta da!

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
redison – 7
Eric – 6
Sarah – 6
Joseph Demme – 6
Jason – 5
Fletch – 4
Collin – 2
Heather – 2
Adam K. – 2
Tuire – 2
Scottie – 2
Nathan Keltner – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #19

Evan Derrick — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:00:06 +0000

It’s the movie poster game that never ends! You know the drill: new set of posters every Wed. at 11AM CST. Easy poster worth 1 point, Hard poster worth 2, wrong guesses won’t penalize you, fabulous prizes await the winner!

There is a theme this week. Extra props to whomever figures it out.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
redison – 7
Eric – 6
Jason – 5
Sarah – 5
Joseph Demme – 5
Fletch – 3
Collin – 2
Heather – 2
Adam K. – 2
Tuire – 2
Scottie – 2
Nathan Keltner – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #18

Evan Derrick — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:56:51 +0000

Well, we usually do this every Wed. at 11AM CST, but I’m a bit tardy this morning. Whoops. Apologies if I’ve wrecked anyone’s groove, but I’m going to go ahead and say that no one is frantically sitting in front of their browser hitting refresh every 10 seconds waiting for me to post the next set of posters. If you have been doing that, please let me know; my ego can always use a pick-me-up.

So, Easy poster is worth 1 point, Hard poster is worth 2. Also, congrats to Nathan K. and Tuire, who both sneaked onto the leaderboard for the first time last week.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
redison – 7
Eric – 6
Jason – 5
Sarah – 5
Joseph Demme – 5
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2
Heather – 2
Adam K. – 2
Tuire – 2
Nathan Keltner – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #17

Evan Derrick — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:00:04 +0000

Rules: every Wed. at 11AM CST a new set of posters goes up. The Easy one is worth 1 point, the Hard worth 2. You’re not penalized for incorrect guesses, so fire away. Enjoy!

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
redison – 7
Eric – 6
Jason – 5
Sarah – 5
Joseph Demme – 5
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2
Heather – 2
Adam K. – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #16 – Foreign Edition

Evan Derrick — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:00:48 +0000

To mix things up a bit this week, I’ve only chosen foreign language films (there are an extra 2 this week). However, these are not the Americanized versions, but the original posters from the country of origin. I know, I know, that does seem a teensy bit difficult, but the films I’ve picked should be identifiable even if you haven’t laid eyes on the poster before. And here’s a handy hint: if you use Google image search and type in the name of the film followed by the word ‘poster,’ the very first image that comes up is the one I’ve chosen. So if you have a hunch, just Google it and check the first hit against the silhouette.

Rules, rules, rules: a new mystery poster goes up every Wednesday at 11AM CST (12 Eastern, 9 Pacific, yada yada yada); the Easy posters are worth 1 point, the Hard posters are worth 2; you’re not penalized for wrong guesses, so guess away.

And congrats to Heather for nabbing the Hard poster last week and getting on the scoreboard. I am, however, quite pleased that it took 2 hints in order for anyone to get it.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
Eric – 6
Jason – 5
Sarah – 5
Joseph Demme – 5
redison – 3
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2
Heather – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #15

Evan Derrick — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:00:51 +0000

Ready for a new round, are we? Fingers crossed it’s not a blowout like the last few times (Joseph, Fox, I’m looking at you two). The Easy one is a bit easy – won’t be surprised if it’s guessed right away – but the Hard one should provide a nastier challenge (knock on wood).

Rules recap, for those who might be new: a new set of mystery posters appears every Wednesday at 11AM CST. The EASY one is worth 1 point, the HARD one is worth 2. No penalties for wrong guesses, so have at it in the comments section.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
Jason – 5
Eric – 5
Sarah – 5
Joseph Demme – 5
redison – 3
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #14

Evan Derrick — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:00:22 +0000

No more kid gloves. These are both pretty hard, although the easy poster shouldn’t be impossible for those familiar with classic poster design.

The same old same old: we do this each week at 11AM CST; easy poster worth 1 point, hard poster worth 2. Fox has taken a handy dandy lead, although this week should stick a wrench in his momentum. And we’ll be taking a break next week for obvious holiday related reasons.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox – 11
taybo20 – 9
Jason – 5
Eric – 5
Sarah – 5
redison – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #13 – Not Yet Released Edition

Evan Derrick — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:00:18 +0000

The theme this week is films that have not yet been released in theaters. They’re coming, and soon, but as of now you will not find them darkening the silver screens of your cineplex.

Quick recap: each Wed. at 11AM CST we run this little game. Easy poster is worth 1 point, Hard poster is worth 2. And…. go go go go go!

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
taybo20 – 9
Fox – 8
Jason – 5
Eric – 5
Sarah – 5
redison – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #12

Evan Derrick — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:00:02 +0000

Taybo20 hit the jackpot last week when no competition of any kind presented itself. He has handily sling-shotted himself into the lead. Good luck catching him.

And for those of you new to this, we play this game every Wednesday at 11AM CST. The Easy poster is worth 1 point, the Hard poster is worth 2. Person with the fewest points at the end of the game suffers unspeakable humiliation at the hands of a disgruntled carny. Wrong guesses don’t count against you, so guess as much and as often as you like.

The theme this week? These are two of my absolute favorite films, although I know that doesn’t help you much (and no, one of them is not The Rundown).

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
taybo20 – 9
Jason – 5
Fox – 5
Eric – 5
Sarah – 5
redison – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #11 – Pointless Sequel Edition

Evan Derrick — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:49 +0000

I know one thing that I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving: never having to voluntarily sit through any of these again. That’s right – it’s Pointless, Painful, and Pathetic Sequel Edition at Mystery Poster Theater. And because a blackhole opened up and swallowed last week’s MPT, in a scene that was not unlike the destruction of the Empire State Building in Independence Day, I’ve decided to do a double post this week. And since they’re sequels, you have to guess the exact film. No beans if you just guess the franchise.

As Jean Renoir would say, here are the Rules of the Game: easy posters are worth 1 point a piece, hard posters are worth 2. Wrong guesses are not penalized, so guess as often as you wish, but it’s first come first serve. Oh, and we do this every week at 11AM CST (except when curmudgeonly blackholes interfere).

Guess y’er heart out, and Happy Thanksgiving.
P.S. I’m going to be traveling all day, so if I don’t get to your guesses until later in the evening, that’s why.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Jason – 5
Fox – 5
Eric – 5
Sarah – 5
redison – 3
taybo20 – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
Fletch – 2
Collin – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #10

Evan Derrick — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:00:44 +0000

Oooooh, we’re into the double digits now. This is where things get serious. Now the points really mean something. I’m also getting a bit loose with the italics.

You know the drill: every Wed. at 11AM CST we play a little game called Mystery Poster Theater. Easy poster is worth 1 point, hard poster is worth 2. Since I’m such a poor judge of what is hard vs. easy, I decided to mix it up this week and switch the order I originally had the posters in. And……..GO!

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Jason – 5
Fox – 5
Eric – 5
redison – 3
taybo20 – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
Fletch – 2
Sarah – 2
Collin – 2

Mystery Poster Theater #9 – “On the Run” Edition

Evan Derrick — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:00:32 +0000

Every Wed. at 11AM CST a new edition of Mystery Poster Theater hits MovieZeal. You can set your watch by it.

This week I decided to feature yet another movie poster staple, the “Person On the Run.” There were so many different variations, however, that I decided to chuck a couple extra in this time around. This week there are two easy posters (each worth 1 point) that are RIDICULOUSLY easy and two hard posters (worth 2 points apiece) that may be impossible. Good luck, and happy guessing (also, congrats to Fletch for finally getting on the scoreboard. It’s about time, slowpoke).

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Jason – 5
Fox – 5
Eric – 3
redison – 3
taybo20 – 2
Joseph Demme – 2
Fletch – 2
Sarah – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #8

Evan Derrick — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:00:21 +0000

Every Wed. at 11AM CST we play this game. Easy poster worth 1 point, hard poster worth 2. Whoever has the most points at the end gets a personal foot massage from Luke, quite possibly the most tantalizing prize in the history of prizes. Also, congrats to taybo20 for getting on the scoreboard last week. He certainly worked hard enough for it.

Went with a bit of a minimalist aesthetic this week. I’ll be interested to see if the Hard poster actually is hard or if someone guesses it right out of the gate.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Jason – 5
Fox – 5
Eric – 3
redison – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
Sarah – 1
taybo20 – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #7 – “Big Hand ‘N Gun” Edition

Evan Derrick — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:00:29 +0000

You know the drill: every Wednesday at 11AM CST we run this little game. EASY poster worth 1 point, HARD poster worth 2.

In combing the ‘net for movie posters, you tend to notice certain recurring motifs. One of those is the “Big Honking Hand With A Gun” marketing ploy, wherein a character points a obscenely large gun at you, the prospective audience, thereby titillating you with promises of gratuitous violence. Exciting, no? The two posters below (obviously) feature both a big hand and a big gun. Hopefully I’ve chosen wisely and you won’t figure them out within 15 minutes.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Jason – 5
Fox – 5
Eric – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
redison – 1
Sarah – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #6

Evan Derrick — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:00:59 +0000

UPDATE: Due to popular demand (ok, I exaggerate a smidgen there), I’ve added a bonus Mystery Poster this week. You can find it after the jump.

After needing to dole out two sets of hints for last week’s posters, I’m going a bit easier on you this week. Then again, what I may think is easy may be extraordinarily difficult, seeing as I thought The Ladykillers would be an easy guess.

For those of you who may be new we play this little game every Wednesday at 11AM CST. The EASY poster is worth 1 point, the HARD poster is worth 2. The points are basically of no value, but perhaps I’ll be able to corral a nice little prize for whoever wins, whenever that might be. Feel free to keep shouting out guesses in the comments section; you’re not penalized for incorrect ones.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Jason – 5
Fox – 3
Joseph Demme – 2
redison – 1
Sarah – 1

Ok, since this week went so quickly, and since Fox asked so nicely, I’ve added a bonus image. Mystery Poster Theater! The gift that keeps on giving!

Mystery Poster Theater #5

Evan Derrick — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:00:51 +0000

Ah, my favorite time of the week. Remember, a new MPT shows up every Wednesday at 11AM Central Standard Time. Uno points for the EASY poster, deus points for the HARD one. Let the guessing begin.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Fox - 3
Joseph Demme - 2
redison - 1
Sarah - 1
Jason – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #4

Evan Derrick — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:00:02 +0000

It’s that time again boys and girls. Remember, a new Mystery Poster Theater will post every Wednesday at 11AM Central Standard Time. The EASY poster is worth 1 point, the HARD poster is worth double that (come on, put those math skillz to work). Scream out the answers in the comments.

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Joseph Demme - 2
Fox - 2
redison - 1
Sarah – 1

Mystery Poster Theater #3

Evan Derrick — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:00:03 +0000

Seeing as this little game is first come first serve, I’m going to go ahead and establish a consistent time. So every Wednesday at 11AM Central Standard Time a new one will go live (east coast people add an hour, west coast people subtract 2, and mountain people…well, the less said about the mountain people the better). You can set your watches by it. Also, I’m going to follow Fletch’s lead and start scoring points, because everything is better with cutthroat competition. 1 point for the EASY poster, 2 points for the HARD one. So, here ya go…

Guess away in the comments section. Scoreboard after the jump…

THE SCOREBOARD THUS FAR…
Joseph Demme - 2
redison - 1

Mystery Poster Theater #2

Evan Derrick — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:00:18 +0000

This will become a regular feature at MovieZeal, so expect a new Mystery Poster Theater every week (I know, absolutely thrilling, isn’t it?). This time there’s nothing free in the offering, although I’m working hard to bring you more free-as-dirt goodies in the future.

I’ve selected two posters, one easier, one harder, helpfully named for those of you with reading disabilities. Guess away in the comments section. Fabulous existential prizes await!

Mystery Poster Theater – Win a Copy of Shotgun Stories!

Evan Derrick — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:00:41 +0000

I’ve had movie poster games on the brain of late. First Sam Juliano pointed me towards this great little quiz at Empire, and then Fletch started running addictive poster guessing games at Blog Cabins. Naturally, I wanted to horn in on all the fun.

But first I am very excited to announce that MovieZeal is partnering with Liberation Entertainment to give away 5 FREE COPIES of Jeff Nichols indie hit Shotgun Stories. Our own Phillip Johnson gave the film a 4 1/2 star review and it has been tearing up the critical circles with a stellar 90% at RottenTomatoes. You can find the trailer either at YouTube or in glorious QuickTime.

So how do I get a copy of this fantastic film for free, you might be wondering? I am soooooo glad you asked. Introducing the inaugural Myster Poster Theater game! Hit the jump for all the juicy details.

First, I hunt down a number of different movie posters, some new, some old, some classic, some obscure, and then outline a few distinctive elements on each poster in black and white. Then, you have to guess the poster from the silhouette I’ve provided.

Need an example? Below is the theatrical poster for Shotgun Stories. On the left is the original poster and on the right is the silhouette that I traced. See? That’s not so hard.

Here’s how the contest will work:

1. I’ve chosen 10 posters, ordered by difficulty. The first one is ridiculously simple; the final one, I’m hoping, none of you will be able to figure out.

2. These are major theatrical posters, meaning I haven’t chosen DVD covers, obscure variations no one has ever seen, or international versions.

3. Fill out a list with your name and guesses and send it to contest [at] moviezeal [dot] com with “Movie Poster Theater” in the subject line.

4. No spoilers in the comments section! I want people to be able to talk about the game, but I don’t want anyone giving away the answers. That would be so uncool.

5. Remember, we’re giving away 5 Copies of Shotgun Stories, so even if you can only guess a few, that might be enough to snag yourself a free DVD.

6. In the event of a tie, I’ll use one of those fancy random number generator thingamajigs to break it.

7. The contest ends at midnight, Central Standard Time, on Sunday, September 14th. You have till then to send in your guesses!

That’s it! Happy puzzling, and good luck.