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ponderosa
poster
_what
poster for the feature film, ponderosa.
_how
our friend and collaborator rob rice reached out again and asked that we might make the poster for his new film, ponderosa. we'd previously made the poster for this debut feature film; the excellent way out ahead of us.

ponderosa is a very different film and yet equally unique in its own right. it is a terrifying, surreal comedy about a proliferation of bad ideas, and how perhaps to sabotage that. it follows a young zeke who, when his mom's restaurant closes down, is forced to entertain the advances of a rich restaurant regular who seems strangely set on becoming his dad. the film's use of surreal and uneasy characterisation and symbolism echoes the work of david lynch, luis bunuel and a touch of matthew barney. 

caspar presented rob with a range of directions the poster could take, and rob chose the one you see here. the poster repurposes a 1985 activision software games catalog cover by an unknown artist, adjusting and adding details to bring it more into the world of the film. the placement of the sheaf of wheat in the image was inspired in part by the one ohtrix point never R plus 7 album cover, itself taken from an obscure 1982 georges schwizgebel film. this photograph by the japanese photographer and visual artist katsuhide morimoto was also a reference.

caspar made the poster in photoshop using the pen tool, airbrush and some stock photography.

the film will play in the U.S. narrative competition at the 2026 tribeca film festival. do see it if you have the means. it's really a uniquely excellent piece of work.
_link
imdb.com/title/tt36125423
_awards
mubi movie poster of the day
mubi movie poster of the week
_tags