Semi Tough movie poster 1977

Robert McGinnis made this poster for the movie Semi Tough, but when is unknown. Look at that painterly style! It's all in service to the smooth surfaces of bare skin, white pants, and shiny boots. The movie must have been one of those '70s comedies with Burt Reynolds—and this image is so of its time, don't you think? What do you reckon McGinnis was thinking when he made it? Probably about the studio brief—but also about how to make the flesh of the actors look as good as it could. This piece is a study in how to paint bodies—that's what McGinnis was famous for. The bodies are defined by light, with flat colors and soft shadows. The whole thing is kind of weird and pretty funny—and not something we see so much of these days. But it makes you think about the enduring power of painting to sell a story, right?