By Ben Bussey
I’ve already taken a swipe at the posters and DVD covers of the last 12 months that got it wrong. Now it’s time to celebrate those that got it right, and I’ll admit that’s actually a thornier prospect. Pointing out flaws and mocking them isn’t too challenging, as countless billions of school bullies will profess. Acknowledging strengths and applauding them takes a bit more humility, dignity and – gulp – a degree of taste. So, if I go and praise some posters and others come forward and say they suck, why… people might think I have bad taste! I, who spoke favourably of Sorority Row, Erotibot and A Night in the Woods!
Well, lest I start overthinking shit, I’ll just get right to it. Whilst as we’ve established this has been a bad year in a bad decade for crappy Photoshop posters, this has also been a good year for good ol’ fashioned hand painted posters too. Whilst the neo-grindhouse movement (if we can call it a movement) has resulted in movies of variable quality, most of which are positively doggy-paddling in knowing irony and artifice, it has also resulted in some very nice poster art in the vein of the 70s/80s greats, more than a couple of them down to The Dude Designs. To cite but a few:
Happily, this sentiment has stretched beyond the low-budget indie field:
Okay, some of my affection for these images may be down to nostalgia, but… oh alright, cards on the table, most of it is down to nostalgia. These all look like the VHS covers that caught the eye of so many a fledgling horror fan in video stores worldwide back in the 80s, and indeed still in the 90s. The fact that they’re hand drawn is only part of what makes such film art great. It’s also the framing, the heroic poses, the little hint dropped as to the variety of delights the film may offer: take the images in the centre on Almost Human, and those around the peripheries on Father’s Day, depicting scenes from the films (or so I would assume; of the two I’ve only seen Father’s Day, and was a little on the drunk side at the time, so my recollection is a wee bit hazy. I do clearly recall someone getting their dick bitten off, though I’m not surprised they left that one off the poster). These are images that build a palpable excitement as soon as you lay eyes on them; to look upon them is to taste the popcorn, feel the leather stretch under your backside, feel the surge of anticipation as the lights go down. Whether the films themselves necessarily measure up is secondary – and, to our purposes here, not really that important. Indeed, to date I’ve seen only two of the films above – and of course Frankenstein Created Bikers hasn’t even been made yet – but I’m still anxious to see them all on the strength of this artwork.
Also from the hand-drawn/would-look-great-on-my-wall files (but in promotion of a film which I know for sure is awesome), this lovely little number for John Dies at the End:
Now, these next two might not really count as they weren’t used as official artwork, but they’re hand-drawn, very pretty and brilliantly evoke the spirit of the movies concerned nonetheless: a sweet, Escher-esque take on The Cabin in the Woods and a cool comic-style alternative poster for [REC]3 by Walking Dead illustrator Tony Moore (not that I had a problem with the official artwork used for either film):
But it would be remiss of me to fill this column with nothing but hand-painted efforts. I might badmouth Photoshop, but I still have every confidence that great work can be done through the use of good ol’ fashioned cameras and oh-so modern computers, as these next ones will demonstrate. The methods used are of secondary concern at best so long as they are utilised well, and the concept and image composition are up to scratch.
Case in point: still haven’t seen The ABCs of Death or Dead Shadows, but these posters sure do make them look badass:
Didn’t care much for The Theatre Bizarre, but this is nice and creepy/sexy poster nonetheless:
As I gave Metrodome a hard time over their efforts for Juan of the Dead and The Innkeepers, seems only sporting to note that they can get it right, as they did with The Devil’s Business. While the digital trickery on display is immediately apparent, this time it’s utilised to craft a handsome, enigmatic image which provides a good reflection of the mysterious, atmospheric film therein. (All I object to is that ‘one for fans of Kill List’ bit. Pah.)
Another one that’s clearly done a bit of time in a computerland but come out looking good is this cover for Lovely Molly. Again, it may have quotes and star ratings up the arse, but the central image is arresting enough to make up for it.
And finally – I rather like this Nurse 3D poster. Don’t think I need to elaborate on that.
Agree/disagree with my top picks? Got any others that you think deserve applause/evisceration? Once again, feel free to let me know on Twitter or Facebook.