This year we really agonized over our poster of the year selection as there were two prints that really stood out to us. Every time we saw either one of them we could only marvel at how fantastic they looked. In the end we went with the print that truly epitomized the alternative movie poster and left us awe-struck and that print was Taxi Driver by Krzysztof Domaradzki.
The artwork is expertly crafted, weaving together some of the key scenes from the 1976 crime drama from Martin Scorsese, that starred Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel and Albert Brooks. Domaradzki has a unique style to his work, in most cases integrating the film’s title into the artwork and using that to frame the various scenes of the film. It works really well and he has used this technique on a number of alternative movie posters over the years.
It’s the extra details though that really make this print stand out. The inclusion of the King King Company badge and the driver’s license photo are fantastic editions along with the checkered pattern, obviously a nod to Taxi cabs. The mention of Bernard Herrmann, who composed the music and theme for the film (who can forget that saxophone) and numerous other films, including Hitchcock classics, like North by Northwest, Psycho and Vertigo.
Domaradzki has a knack for getting the likeness just right. He’s really done a masterful job with them here too, but the depiction Travis Bickle, in all of his different iterations, is outstanding. Of course we can’t talk about this print and not mention the color. While the white regular version is great there is something about this yellow, “Red Light” variant that just lines up with the film and is spot on.
We love the way this print turned out and Krzysztof Domaradzki has creating something truly special. He just missed out on our artist of the year, but takes home the poster of the year. Congrats on a beautiful poster. Honorable mention to ElvisDead on his Twilight Zone print that nearly took home the prize this year.
