Buried Poster: Ryan Reynolds May Appear Smaller than Actual Size

Let's go back about three months to the snowy, chilly climes of Park City, Utah, where holy crap the Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried had Sundance audiences squirming with its concept (not to mention its execution) of an abducted American contractor in a box somewhere beneath the Iraq desert and held for ransom of $1 million. And now it's got a nifty poster to freak out a general audience. Click through for a bigger version almost as surprising as the film's ending. (Don't worry -- no spoilers.)

One of the reasons I had a feeling Buried would go to Lionsgate was because of what I imagined the studio's resident marketing wizard Tim Palen could do with it. And this is good: With plenty of time before the Sept. 24 limited release (it opens wide Oct. 8), the studio downplays the actor and the title for the more visceral grab of guaranteed doubletakes and a URL suggesting all you need to know. It's almost enough to redeem the 'Gate from having left Nicolas Cage's name off most of its Kick-Ass marketing materials. The same won't happen here -- can't happen, really, considering its one-man show occurring entirely inside a coffin. Anyway, yes, this works.

· Exclusive Debut: First Teaser Poster for Ryan Reynolds' Buried [First Showing]