How much weight does the name "Keyser Soze" carry in 2013? Character names like Tyler Durden (from Fight Club) have permeated the pop-culture bubble. And while Bryan Singer’s The Usual Suspects is a touchstone picture for its time period, I’m not sure how many people at a watercooler could tell you the name of the "mastermind" behind the airtight twist that concluded the director’s 1995 masterpiece.
Which makes the posters, seen at the top and bottom of this article, for The Usual Suspects that much cooler. They premiered on MTV, and come to us from the Austin, Texas-based Odd City Entertainment. They don’t rely heavily on the usual police-line pose that was used in virtually all of the movie’s ad campaigns, seen directly below.
Instead, they rely on the extremely familiar outline of Soze that Singer used in this unforgettable story of the crime lord’s checkered past. Such a brilliant scene:
UK graphic designer Matt Ferguson designed the above poster and an alternate print. Of the assignment, he said:
From the beginning of the concept the design was very much a collaborative effort. With this particular poster, I really pushed myself in terms of the level of detail I would normally put into a screen print. I used some interesting techniques, especially within the fire elements to make it come alive."
Here’s the alternate poster.
There has been an odd assortment of Usual Suspects movement, including Singer "recasting" the classic crime thriller with modern actors. The reason I say "odd" is because this isn’t an anniversary year for the picture. Why wouldn’t the various people involved in creating memorable Usual Suspects paraphernalia wait until the 20th anniversary of Singer’s film? Then they can crank out remake rumors, signature prints … the works?
Either way, if you are a fan of Singer’s film, and you prefer something different to the generic Mondo posters, hang these beauties on your wall!
