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Last Days

£35.00

Film

Last Days

Additional information

Year

2005

Size/Type

UK Quad (30" x 40") Single Sided

Country of Origin

British / UK

Condition

Near Mint minus / Originally Rolled (as issued)

Director

Gus Van Sant

Actor/Actress

Asia Argento, Lukas Haas, Michael Pitt, Nicole Vicius

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“You know, it’s kinda like… Success is subjective, you know. It could be an opinion.”

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“Last Days”, Gus Van Sant’s experimental film loosely inspired by Kurt Cobain’s, err, last days and the rock star that indie darling Michael Pitt satisfyingly embodies here. The original UK quad film poster to accompany the 2005 release was designed by the creative arts agency Shoolery Design and features a ‘grungey’ close up of Pitt. Like  many ‘art-house’ and independent releases the advertising campaign was very low key and the UK film poster that accompanied the extremely limited cinema release is truly scarce. Originally rolled this incredibly rare example displays to excellent effect and represents a highly sought after piece of collectible music/film/ memorabilia  presented in superb condition.

Trivia: Gus Van Sant had originally intended to make a direct bio-pic of Kurt Cobain in the mid-1990’s but ran into legal obstruction from Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love. Undeterred, Van Sant met with Love to discuss some ideas for the film, as well as her possible involvement. Though the two actually became friends and discussed the film for years, Van Sant eventually realized that Love was too devastated by Cobain’s death to ever collaborate on the film or even allow a bio-pic to ever be made and adapted his ideas into this fictionalized story.

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Film Description

Last Days Movie Poster

“Introspective artist Blake is buckling under the weight of fame, professional obligations and a mounting feeling of isolation. Dwarfed by towering trees, Blake slowly makes his way through dense woods. He scrambles down an embankment to a fresh spring and undresses for a short swim. The next morning he returns to his house, an elegant, if neglected, stone mansion. Many people are looking for Blake–his friends, his managers and record label, even a private detective–but he does not want to be found. In the haze of his final hours, Blake will spend most his time by himself. He avoids the people who are living in his house, who approach him only when they want something, be it money or help with a song. He hides from one concerned friend and turns away another. He visits politely with a stranger from the Yellow Pages sales department, and he ducks into an underground rock club. He wanders through the woods and he plays a new song, one last rock and roll blowout. Finally, alone in the greenhouse, Blake will look and listen–and seek release.”

Gus Van Sant, just as he had done in Gerry and in Elephant, has taken a real-life mystery, and filled in some of the trivial missing parts with his imagination. I haven’t seen either, but this time he has created a masterpiece.

Last Days follows Blake (Michael Pitt), an isolated young rebel, who is a “rock-and-roll cliché”, during the last days of his life. We see him mumbling to himself, and he seems incoherent, unable to stay awake. He is constantly running away, pursued by everyone, but unable to face his obligations. He is dragging himself through life.

The atmosphere of the whole movie is determined by the characters’ state of mind. Every single element conveys the despair and pointlessness of Blake’s existence, and the blurry thoughts that might be going through his brain. But these ugly days are filmed with an unsympathetic, contemplative and poetic eye. Every shot has the rare beauty of a renaissance painting. All the other elements fit together in perfect harmony: the music, the sounds that have no apparent source but the inside of Blake’s head, and Michael Pitt’s song “From Death to Birth” sent shivers down my back. The song, and all the actors’ performances are authentic, personal and uncompromising.

Another thing: it was a very pleasant surprise to see a movie about the death of a rock star that’s not filled with trashy violence aimed to shock and move viewers.

Forget about who Kurt Cobain was, and about his legend, this movie is not about him. Forget about the critics and the Cannes Film Festival, it’s not about them either. Last days is a sincere and personal movie by people who apparently respect Kurt’s memory. At least enough to tell a touching and aesthetic story inspired by his ordeal.

 

Vintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria

Mint
A poster that has never been used or displayed and may show the most minor signs of age and wear. The poster should have no holes or tears.

Near Mint
A generally unused poster with fresh, saturated colors. May have minimal tears at folds. Has no significant holes, no paper loss, may have minor tears along edges, may have fine pin holes.

Very Fine
A poster with bright colour and crisp overall appearance. It may have very general signs of use including slight fold separation and fold wear. It may have pin holes or very minor tears. This is the highest grade allowed for a poster that has been restored either on linen or on paper.

Fine
A poster with good colors and overall clean appearance. It may have minor tears small paper loss and minor stains. It may have some fold seperation.

Good
An average poster with overall fresh color. May have tears, minor paper loss, minor hazing. Paper may be brittle due to age, may have minor stains. May have a small amount of writing in an unobtrusive place. May have medium or major restoration.

Fair
A poster with faded colors and brittle paper, showing significant signs of use. May have tears and paper loss. May have tape, writing, stains in image area. In need of restoration or had major restoration.

Poor
A poster that is worn, torn, and/or damaged. May have staining, cracking, dry rot, and/or large tears. May be heavily soiled, may have pieces missing. In need of major restoration.

All photographs and images used on our site are photographs of the actual poster/item you are buying, we do not use stock photographs.

Most Popular Poster Types

US Posters

LOBBY CARD
11 x 14″ printed on heavy stock paper. Used as display in theatre lobbies. Originally made in sets of eight. Some sets have a title card, which contains credits and artwork, essentially a mini-poster. The remaining seven cards are coloured photographic credits and poster artwork showing different scenes from the movie.

WINDOW CARD
14 x 22″ printed on heavy stock paper with the top 4-6 inches usually left blank for the local cinema owner to fill in the cinema and the date it was due to play. Largely discontinued during the 1970’s.

HALF SHEET
22 x 28″ printed on heavy stock paper. The image displayed is normally a smaller version of the main poster, although some do have different artworks and sometimes come in two versions.

INSERT
14 x 36″ printed on heavy stock paper. Inserts usually have the same artwork as a one sheet. Popular with collectors since they are smaller and easier to frame. Normally come tri folded or rolled.

STYLE Y/FORTY BY SIXTY
40 x 60″ printed on heavy stock paper. Rare since they were primarily used for major motion pictures only. Designed to be used outside the theatre, on an easel, normally at a drive-in movie theatre.

ONE-SHEET
27 x 41″ printed on paper. This is the most common size of poster, intended to be displayed in a glass “marquee” case. It is the most sought after size by collectors. Since the 1980’s most posters are sent to the theatre rolled and maybe slightly smaller measuring 27″ by 40″ and with the advent of backlit light boxes a growing number of modern movie posters are available double-sided and the more traditional single-sided.

THREE-SHEET
41 x 81″ printed on paper. These were printed on two or three separate sheets designed to overlap, few survive. Used for larger advertising spaces, normally posted on walls, perfect for huge movie theatres the drive-in, where people could see them from a distance. From the 1970’s on, three-sheets were sometimes printed in one piece and issued as “international” versions to be used abroad.

BRITISH Posters

BRITISH QUAD
30 x 40″ Most common poster size used in the UK. British Quads are horizontal and may have different artwork to the US one sheet. Like a US one sheet they normally come in two versions. Like a US one sheet they are usually supplied single-sided or more commonly now as a double sided poster.

BRITISH ONE-SHEET
27 X 40″, printed on paper. Very rarely used size.

ITALIAN Posters

ITALIAN LOCANDINA
13 x 28″ six inches shorter than the US insert, very nice size to frame. Italian poster illustrators are some of the best in the industry.

ITALIAN PHOTOBUSTA
18 x 26″ Glossy, high quality, used as lobby cards in Italy. Size may vary, either vertical or horizontal format. There are also double Photobusta or mini Photobusta.

2-FOGLIO (DUE)
(DUE): 39 x 55″ This is the standard poster size used in Italy. Italian poster illustrators are some of the best in the industry.

4-FOGLIO
(QUATTRO) 55 x 79″ Very large Italian poster printed in two pieces, often contains very beautiful artwork.

FRENCH Posters

FRENCH
47 x 63″ (GRANDE) or 24 x 33″ (PETITE) French movie posters normally come with different artwork to either the US or the UK. Like the Italian’s some of the artwork is extrememly beautiful.