First off, I'll say that I enjoy documentaries about artists making art. As one myself, I have skin in the game and like seeing process stuff. But that's not what I expected here. I rented this title assuming it was an actual documentary about the history of film posters. But after it briskly covers that in the first 20-ish minutes it spends the rest of its running time hyping Alamo Drafthouse/Mondo, the posters they make and the collectors that love them. This was a real bait and switch, and it does real disservice to anyone interested in movie posters and their history. It's also incredibly lazy filmmaking. This isn't a documentary; it's lipservice to fandom. And when it starts talking about what Mondo posters are worth on the secondary market it becomes a very crass exercise. I kept expecting there to be an 800 number at the bottom of the screen saying "Order now!"
When I think of all the people still living that they could've talked to and didn't. It's like they decided, "Let's go to Austin," and that's it. And you see the blown opportunities all over it. They have Bill Stout, a guy who's done some amazing posters. Did they talk to him about those posters? Nope. Never even mentioned that he's done any. They have Joe Dante, a living encyclopedia. Do they bother talking to him for more than a couple of moments? Nope. Does Drew Struzan get any screen time? Nope. OK, there already is a feature length documentary about him, but a cameo? Nothing? If it's about the resurgence of illustrated poster art, does it extend beyond anything Mondo does? Is the UK's Graham Humphreys featured? Nope. Just one blown opportunity after another. Call this "Mondo: The Art of Groovy Posters". I paid for a documentary; I got a feature-length commercial.
When I think of all the people still living that they could've talked to and didn't. It's like they decided, "Let's go to Austin," and that's it. And you see the blown opportunities all over it. They have Bill Stout, a guy who's done some amazing posters. Did they talk to him about those posters? Nope. Never even mentioned that he's done any. They have Joe Dante, a living encyclopedia. Do they bother talking to him for more than a couple of moments? Nope. Does Drew Struzan get any screen time? Nope. OK, there already is a feature length documentary about him, but a cameo? Nothing? If it's about the resurgence of illustrated poster art, does it extend beyond anything Mondo does? Is the UK's Graham Humphreys featured? Nope. Just one blown opportunity after another. Call this "Mondo: The Art of Groovy Posters". I paid for a documentary; I got a feature-length commercial.