MEN IN BLACK (1997) MOVIE POSTER, ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN ONE SHEET
Size AU One Sheet (27" x 40")
Men in Black (1997) Original Australian One Sheet Movie Poster, Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld is in Very Fine+ condition. Movie...
Men in Black (1997) Original Australian One Sheet Movie Poster, Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld is in Very Fine+ condition.
Movie Poster and Condition
Condition: Some handling wear is present on this poster, with slight edgewear on the top half of the right hand side and middle of the left hand side, poster has never been folded only rolled so slight handling wear from being rolled. This original Australian one sheet poster represents an unfolded theatrical release poster, making it particularly desirable to collectors as it has avoided the crease marks typically associated with folded distribution copies. The minimal wear is consistent with careful storage and handling over the years. This poster will be carefully packed and shipped in a protective cylinder to ensure safe delivery and preserve its excellent condition for your movie memorabilia collection.
Movie Synopsis
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, based on a screenplay by Ed Solomon that adapts the Marvel Comics series The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham. The film stars Tommy Lee Jones as the veteran Agent K and Will Smith as James Darrell Edwards III, a New York City police officer who becomes Agent J after a chance encounter with an alien fugitive. Linda Fiorentino portrays Dr. Laurel Weaver, a morgue doctor who becomes entangled in their investigation, whilst Vincent D'Onofrio delivers a memorable performance as Edgar, a farmer whose body is taken over by a hostile alien bug.
The film follows Agent J's recruitment into the Men in Black, a secret government organisation that monitors and polices extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Under the mentorship of the stoic Agent K, the newly minted Agent J must quickly adapt to a world where aliens walk amongst humans in disguise, and where his memory of his former life has been wiped clean. The duo find themselves racing against time to prevent an intergalactic terrorist from assassinating two ambassadors from opposing galaxies, which would trigger a catastrophic war that could destroy Earth.
The production of Men in Black began in March 1996, with principal photography taking place primarily in New York City and concluding in June of that year. The film's groundbreaking visual effects were created by Industrial Light & Magic, bringing to life a diverse array of alien creatures and futuristic technology that became iconic elements of the franchise. The innovative makeup effects and creature designs set new standards for science fiction cinema, with Rick Baker's work earning widespread acclaim.
Interestingly, the role of Agent J was initially offered to Chris O'Donnell, who declined because he felt it was too similar to his "new recruit" role as Dick Grayson in the Batman films. Clint Eastwood was also approached for the role of Agent K but turned it down. Even director Quentin Tarantino was originally offered the chance to direct before Barry Sonnenfeld took the helm. The film benefited immensely from the chemistry between Jones and Smith, with Jones's deadpan delivery perfectly complementing Smith's energetic and comedic performance style.
Five months into filming, the production team realised their original ending lacked excitement, leading to significant rewrites and reshoots. This creative decision proved crucial to the film's success, resulting in the spectacular climax that audiences remember. Will Smith also contributed the film's theme song "Men in Black," which became a chart-topping hit and further cemented the film's place in popular culture.
Released on 2 July 1997, Men in Black became a massive commercial success, earning approximately $587 million worldwide against a production budget of $90 million. It became the third highest-grossing film of 1997, trailing only Titanic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The film's success spawned a franchise that included multiple sequels, an animated series, and countless merchandise items, establishing Men in Black as a cornerstone of late-1990s blockbuster cinema.
The film's blend of comedy, action, and science fiction, combined with its memorable characters and quotable dialogue, has ensured its enduring popularity. Lines like "You will dress only in attire specially sanctioned by MiB" and the iconic neuralizer device became instantly recognisable cultural touchstones. This Australian one sheet poster captures the film's striking visual design and represents an important piece of cinema history from one of the most successful science fiction comedies ever made.
To find out more about Men in Black (1997) click here to go to IMDB.com.
Special Notes
Images may have a small 'MPA' digital watermark and this does not appear on the poster. Posters are being held by magnets in the corners to take photographs, so you may see some magnet and shadows from the magnets in these areas. The magnets are not included in the sale of the item.
Postage, Insurance & Your Country Taxes
Postage costs are quoted for this item, include insurance up to AUD$100, but if you reside outside of Australia, the price does not include any import taxes/fees that you may be required to pay when the item reaches your borders. Please check with your local authorities for any additional taxes or fees. If you would like full insurance coverage for your purchase, please message me and I would be happy to quote the additional cost (estimate is AUD$2.50 p/AUD$100 or 2.5% of the item value, up to a maximum item value of AUD$5,000).
FAQ
At Movie Posters Australia, the love and conservation of movie posters comes first, and we like to share this passion. Our commitment to quality means we will provide high quality memorabilia to our customers. Posters are carefully chosen and authenticated to ensure originality and value. We want our customers to trust MPA, so we always try to be as open and transparent as we can, provide detailed condition information and images, to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase.
While the industry does have a few condition rating standards, there is no movie poster condition rating system that has become the accepted standard world wide. This unfortunately makes condition terms vary from movie poster dealer to movie poster dealer. Terms like Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, seem to be universal to most condition rating standards, but most standards still lack definition about what and how many flaws/defects/damage defines a specific condition level. For more information on how Movie Posters Australia grades the condition of its movie posters, daybills, lobby cards and other ephemera please see out Movie Poster Condition and Grading page.
In the early days of cinema, posters were primarily hand-drawn and printed in various sizes, often tailored to fit the available space in theaters or promotional areas. In the United States, the "One Sheet" size (some times called '1 Sheet' or '1SH' approximately 27" x 41", became the standard during the 1930s. This size was manageable for theater display and suited the needs of a growing film industry.
Different countries developed their own poster sizes and styles, which also changed sometimes over the decades, and were influenced by local preferences and practical considerations, like available paper sheet sizes and how many posters could be printed on one sheet.
In Australia, the most popular size, the Daybill, has evolved over the decades. Australian Daybills sizes in chronological order are:
- Long Daybills (15" x 40"), from 1920's to pre-WW2 or pre-1941, were printed two to a sheet, longer than current Daybill versions. There were size variances in width from 14.5" to 15" and in height from 39.5" to 40".
- War Time Daybill (10" x 30"), during WW2, for a short time to conserve paper during a war time shortage, four Daybills were printed on one sheet. Information from Press Sheets also referred to these War-Time sizes as "New Size Daybills".
- Post-War Daybill (13" x 30"), this 13" x 30" Post-War size carried through until the 1980's, but also varied in size from 13"-14" x 29.75"-30.25".
- Post-80's Daybill (33cm x 66cm, or 13" x 26"), over a few years in the late 80's, the size changed again to a metric 33cm x 66cm, although these have also varied from 32-33cm x 64.5-66cm. New sizes from the late 80's were created, sometimes called a Mini Daybill or Mini Poster, in 9" x 12", 11" x 17" and 13" x 20".
In the UK, the somewhat unique 'Quad' poster, measuring 30" x 40", became popular, offering a larger landscape format that allowed for more elaborate designs.
In Japan, movie poster sizes were smaller, such as the "B2" (20" x 28"), which suited the more compact living environment of larger cities, smaller advertising spaces, and unique aesthetic sensibilities.
The 1970s and 1980s, witnessed the rise of the "six-sheet" (81" x 81") format, reflecting a trend towards larger and more visually impactful advertising.
Overall, the variation in movie poster sizes across different countries and decades highlights the interplay between technological printing advancements, paper resource availability, paper sheet size changes, cultural preferences, and the evolving nature of movie marketing.
At Movie Posters Australia we tag each poster we sell with a 'size' and 'condition' description at the very top of the page for our customers to easily see. There may however be some slight variations to sizes by up one inch due to variations in production and guillotine methods by printers over the decades.