''Games'', 1967 - art by Jean Mascii

A vintage French movie poster of ''Games'', a British-American psychological thriller film released in 1967. It was directed by Curtis Harrington and... more

by Movie World Posters

Title

''Games'', 1967 - art by Jean Mascii

Artist

Movie World Posters

Medium

Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Poster

Description

A vintage French movie poster of ''Games'', a British-American psychological thriller film released in 1967. It was directed by Curtis Harrington and starred Simone Signoret, James Caan, and Katharine Ross in the leading roles.

The movie revolves around the character of Jennifer Montgomery, played by Simone Signoret, who is a wealthy and sophisticated woman living in a luxurious mansion in the English countryside. Jennifer becomes entangled in a complex and twisted psychological game with two American tourists, Paul (played by James Caan) and Lisa (played by Katharine Ross), who visit her home.

As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Jennifer has a penchant for playing mind games and manipulating people for her amusement. She lures Paul and Lisa into her world, where the lines between reality and illusion blur. The film explores themes of deception, manipulation, and psychological power dynamics.

"Games" is known for its suspenseful and unsettling atmosphere, with Simone Signoret delivering a compelling performance as the enigmatic and mysterious Jennifer. The film keeps the audience guessing as the characters' motivations and true intentions are slowly revealed throughout the narrative.

The movie's unique blend of psychological thriller and suspense elements makes it a notable entry in the genre. While it may not be as well-known as some other films from that era, "Games" has earned a reputation as a cult classic among fans of psychological thrillers and vintage cinema.

About the poster artist:

Jean Mascii was a French painter, poster artist, and illustrator. He was born on July 5, 1926, in Mirandola, Italy, and died in Paris on November 16, 2003. His poster design career spanned over three decades into the 1980s, during which he created over 1,500 posters.

The son of Italian immigrants, Mascii scored his first design job in 1943 when he was 17, making panels for cinema facades at Déco Star. After designing his first poster in 1947, he worked at Pathé Cinéma before setting up his own art studio in 1955. He then designed posters primarily for Warner Bros.

His primary medium was gouache, which lent itself well to reproduction by lithography. On his creative process, he said, "I was given a synopsis or photo sets, and I would get to it." Starting in the 1960s, however, posters were printed with offset. He then began using a technique of accentuating the facial realism of his models against an enriched background. He was one of the first poster artists to depict the hero's face standing out against a series of background sketches, mirroring the twists and turns of the film’s plot.

Once the newer designs of photomontage and computer graphics took hold after the 1980s, Mascii stopped painting poster art. From 1990 on, he primarily designed book covers and devoted himself to painting. He was one of the last portraitists to use the classical style of original paintings.

He also created over 250 book covers, in addition to designing nearly 1,500 cinema posters along with visuals for advertising and press.

Search by the artist's last name to see more of their art.

Uploaded

February 5th, 2022