“sex, lies, and videotape” (セックスと嘘とビデオテープ), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1989, B2 Size (51 x 73cm) ZA1119
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1989 for the first Japanese release of sex, lies, and videotape, Steven Soderbergh’s landmark independent drama. Written and directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film stars James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, and Laura San Giacomo.
Film background
Released in 1989, sex, lies, and videotape is one of the defining independent films of the late twentieth century. Made on a modest budget and driven by intimate dialogue rather than spectacle, the film helped reshape American independent cinema and brought Steven Soderbergh to international attention at an exceptionally young age.
The story centres on four characters whose relationships, desires, betrayals, and self-deceptions are exposed through the arrival of Graham, played by James Spader, a quiet outsider who records women speaking openly about their private lives on videotape. The film’s restrained structure and psychological tension made it one of the key art-house successes of its generation.
The poster highlights the film’s major festival recognition, including the 1989 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or / Grand Prix, alongside additional award references connected to its international acclaim.
Poster design
A striking Japanese theatrical design, built around a deep burgundy-red field and the stark, typewriter-like English title sex, lies and videotape printed in heavy black lettering across the top. The rough, distressed typography gives the poster an immediate independent-film character, echoing the film’s themes of confession, documentation, and emotional exposure.
At the centre is a still of Andie MacDowell, seated in profile, thoughtful and withdrawn, framed like a private moment captured on video. The small vertical Japanese copy beside the image reads in effect: “A terrifyingly naïve abyss; the rebirth of reason.” The composition is deliberately spare, allowing the title, colour field, and central image to carry the mood.
The large Japanese title セックスと嘘とビデオテープ appears across the lower section in white with a black shadow, standing out sharply against the red ground. At the bottom, the Cannes laurel and award text reinforce the film’s prestige and its status as a major international art-house release.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 37 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
