Film Preview: The Walk (2015)

Page Revisions:

(April 12, 2015) Original
(September 27, 2015) New Trailer (#2) / New Poster (#2) / Page Redesigned
(October 4, 2015) New Posters (#3-#5)

Release Date:

October 2, 2015

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.”

Poster Rating: B+ / A / C+ / C (2)

Review: (#1) A pastiche design that conjures elements of 1970’s poster design and creatively creates a sense of vertigo and dimension.

(#2) A death-defying design that gives the audience the perfect sense of vertigo for a film of this kind. I’m not sure the perspective is 100% accurate, but it accomplishes its goal.

(#3) This does the opposite of what the second design intended. You’re supposed to feel the height of it all, but although we know the towers were quite tall, this guy doesn’t appear to be that many stories up, which doesn’t get the audience panicked. (#4 & #5) Like the first design, this revels in its old school charms by creating a visually striking image on a simple background. The orange design doesn’t fit and the clouds of the blue design feel inappropriate.

Trailer Rating: B+ / B+

Review: (#1) This uncomplicated trailer does what it sets out to do. It creates a sense of tension and depth from a terrifying height. It’s an effective teaser.

(#2) Creating a palpable sense of tension, making the film seem like more than just a simple high wire stunt, and exposing the audience to the idea that they are about to see something truly unique. This is how you make an effective trailer.

Oscar Prospects:

With Robert Zemeckis, you should never count him out of the Oscar race. In spite of a rocky start to awards season, his last film, Flight, still managed to hang on for two Oscar nominations. This film might have a bit more challenging a time in the big categories, but the visual effects are certain to get some buzz.