Seven Samurai Oddball

[Undead]

Looking to see if anyone knows anything about this.

I not long ago bought a Seven Samurai B2 poster, first release. When I received it I went over it very carefully looking for the indicators of a fake and it came up clean. Paper is correct, printing, etc. There is one major difference though. In every B2 I have ever seen the yellow lettering at right has a black outline for a few characters from the hat brim upward. Mine has a partial outlined character and then the rest outlined completely until the last four. I have gone as far as to put it under a microscope and the letter outlines are printed like the ones at the top, not hand done. Even odder is the one character, the first in the lower outlined section that is only half outlined on the right portion. Another slightly odd part is the registration seems to be better than most.

I do not doubt the poster is authentic but am searching for an explanation to the added outlines. A different release, roadshow of some sort, special? In the two images below, the tall ones bright areas are the outlined characters, the short one is s side by side with a normal one. Please ignore color differences, one is mine, one is HA.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[okiehawker]

Hi Undead,

Okay, I'll try some guesses: print test/proof; premiere event poster or other special showing in that time? higher quality for higher end theatre? Gift to Kurosawa and/or crew? Ask Crowzilla?

Okie

[MoviePosterBid.com]

if I could see the whole poster I might have a better idea and of course Sean would know even better
but, might it be a Chihoban?

[Undead]

Sean is the man of course, did message him about it a while ago, no response thus far.

As to the whole poster, here ya go. Sorry for the horrible lighting.

The poster was trimmed slightly around the edges, depending on the side anywhere from 2-5mm approximately with the largest amount being from the bottom. The dark green edge is from tape that was around the very edge as the poster was mounted to wood when it arrived. It has since been removed from it.

Chihoban is a possibility but if memory serves, there was different art for those done in a slightly smaller size with a white bottom for writing. This is B2 sized, minus the trim of course.

[Tang Lung in Rome]

Moriarty : "Its a piece of junk , a piece of junk !"

Oddball , proud owner of junk tank : "Always with them negative waves , Moriarty.......*always* with them waves !"

(Kellys Heroes , lmfao !)

[Undead]

Well that was helpful, I want some of what you're smoking!   

[Tang Lung in Rome]

Big Joe : "Oddball ? , hes a nut !"

[Undead]

I did get it, apparently my response comment in jest fell as flat as they normally do.