Shame Teaser Poster

The reason the J. Edgar posters were only the second blandest posters I have seen this year is because I stumbled across this one as I was about to submit that article. I mean really? is there a competition to create the shittiest, dullest poster possible going on and I am not aware of it?

Apparently this film has lots of graphic sex and is directed by an indie darling who shares his name with screen legend Steve McQueen. Honestly if you want graphic sex go watch some porn.

The Hollywood Reporter got the scoopage.

I am very pleased to be able offer readers of this blog an exclusive first look at the teaser one-sheet for Shame, Steve McQueen's controversial new drama about a sex addict (Michael Fassbender) and his sister (Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan) that premiered at Venice -- where Fassbender was named best actor -- and played Telluride and Toronto in September, was acquired soon thereafter by Fox Searchlight, and will be released theatrically on December 2. The poster will be on display for the first time tomorrow night at the New York Film Festival's gala red carpet screening of the film.

Many who caught Shame on the festival circuit, including yours truly, found it to be very impressive, but doubted if it would ever see the light of day -- or, I should say, dark of a public theater. Why? Because it includes numerous scenes depicting full frontal nudity (including from Fassbender and Mulligan) and sexual activity (of a number of varieties), none of which can really be "edited around" since they pop up throughout the entire film and are integral to its plot. This meant that any studio interested in distributing the film would have to accept the fact that it will receive an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, which inherently limits the number of theaters in which it can be screened and publications in which it can be promoted.

Nevertheless, Searchlight decided to take a chance on it, presumably because they think that Fassbender and Mulligan's gutsy performances might register with the Academy's acting branch (which has been known to reward risky and risque work every so often, such Michelle Williams' in Blue Valentine last year). And, indeed, if any studio can turn Shame into an event movie and/or awards contender, it's Searchlight, which has pulled more than a few rabbits out of hats in recent awards seasons, and, based on the release date for Shame, is still digging for another.