Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

Brilliant.

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster is an in-depth look at Drew Struzan's career and life. His work is timeless, and has impacted more people than almost any other modern artist. So many people are familiar with his work, despite not knowing his name. Here's a few to get you started:

The documentary follows Drew's beginnings as a starving artist to his slow but sure crawl to being one of the most beloved artists in the world. I can't recommend this film enough.

What really makes it work is Drew's willingness to be interviewed. I was afraid that this film would turn into a simple montage of people saying, "Oh, man, I love that poster!" Thankfully, that stuff takes a far backseat to Drew himself talking about his life, experiences, and lessons learned.

Yes, there are interviews from famous actors and others in the film industry, but they're people that genuinely care about Drew and his paintings. They have a lot of insight and sincere love for Drew's work, and it really comes through. There's no needless filler.

Drew seems like a very private, truthful, and direct kind of guy. He's very trusting (to a fault), and just loves his work. It doesn't matter what subject he's painting, or if he's being paid. He'd do it regardless. His passion for the art is inspiring. Hell, after watching, I wanted to go learn how to paint.

His wife Dylan also provides a lot of insight on their lives and struggles to be in a non-threatening situation life-wise. They're both so candid about everything, it's almost impossible to stop watching. Drew discusses a lot of the stories behind the posters, and the ins and outs of his career.

It's also great to see this in HD, because they show a lot of spectacular close-ups of Drew's work. It's something that can't be replicated through a computer monitor. It really shows the intricate details, color, and textures of the work, and makes the paintings just spring to life.

The last parts of the documentary talk about how most movie posters were shifted from actual artists to computer enthusiasts who could whip something up in Photoshop over a weekend. It's really disheartening to hear not only Drew, but other brilliant movie poster artists tell how they've been cast aside, merely to cut costs.

And it's true. Movie posters, which are normally one of the first things you see (and are supposed to get you to want to see the movie), look so boring and flavorless. Everything looks like everything else. It's just another thing that's fallen to the Hollywood crap of "if you do something once, do it a billion times. Even though it never worked in the first place, keep on doing it, because doing something new requires effort. Don't give people any other option, so they'll be forced into accepting it."

Drew is also shown going to Comic-Con in San Diego in 2010, and the overwhelming response he received (including an Inkpot Award). He is truly speechless, astounded that people came from so far "just to see little old me."

The fact that Drew is still alive also makes the documentary work very well. Too often a project is started after a notable figure has died, because it took their death to get people interested. The creators can't ask questions, because obviously they'd get no answer. Everything has to be constructed from archival material, which is too bad, because these people sat for years unaware that myriads of people still adore their work.

Bottom line? Watch it. Watch it now. It's streaming on Netflix and Amazon. Or you could just go buy it. You won't be disappointed, and to really see how much Drew accomplished over the years is incredible.

The credits make such an impact too. In order to show the posters Drew painted over the years, the filmmakers have to show copyright info and such. The absolutely gargantuan list of work, listed one after another, is mind-boggling. I was completely blown away.

If you decide not to watch the documentary, your loss. But you at least owe it to yourself to check out his website. All the movie stuff is under the Illustrated Works. The art for art's sake is under Studio Works. He also has not one, but two books available. Both are filled with artwork and insights. Truly a master of the art.

Man! If only I had $200,000!