2/1/11

Poster Art Appreciation - Volume Two

They sure don't make 'em like this anymore. Simultaneously lurid, colorful, creative, graphic and strangely beautiful. Personally (and I know I am not alone in this sentiment) some of these posters are what I most fondly remember from my childhood when making weekend trips to the theater or summer afternoon visits to the locally owned, pre-Blockbuster era video store (and occasionally I even got to rent a few depending on which rebellious babysitter was "watching" over me at the time). The fond memories being that of excitement and anticipation when I set my eyes on some of these things, my young mind reeling at the horrific possibilities and sleepless nights that the posters' art promised me was in store. Sometimes the film lived up to everything suggested on the poster or VHS's box cover. Sadly though, oftentimes the artwork was the most creative and memorable thing involved in most of these movies.

Many fans today, fed up with studios' uninspired Photoshop hack jobs in regards to both modern movie posters and re-releasing older films with new, boring DVD covers, have taken to personally restoring old poster art in DVD cover form or creating entirely new pieces that recall the glory days (proving that there is no contest for most fans on which form of advertising is preferred and I say the more power to them). Their heyday may be far behind us, but the appreciation of true works of art such as these still lives on in many a horror enthusiast's heart.


King Kong (1976)


The Fog (1980)


The Blob (1958)


Curtains (1983)


Invasion of the Flesh Hunters (aka Cannibal Apocalypse, 1980)


Event Horizon (1997)


Psychopath (1966)


Great White (1981)


Night Train to Terror (1985)


Westworld (1973)


Witchery (1988)


When a Stranger Calls (1979)


The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)


Ghost Town (1988)


Poltergeist III (1988)

4 comments:

  1. Always a fan of the dark photographic posters of the 80's, so WHEN A STRANGER CALLS gets my vote for turning on the 'danger' signals in me!

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  2. I still can't put my finger on what their photo art had that modern, hideous posters lack.
    Perhaps it was that they weren't trying to market films as anything other than pure horror films back then. I'm still guessing.

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  3. I absolutely love the King Kong poster you have here. Childhood favorite of mine, even though it's pretty cheesy.

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  4. I adore that poster. I just came across it for the first time ever very recently.

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