Like a good trailer, sometimes the luridly cheesy (or cheesily lurid) B movie poster promises thrills and chills that are strikingly absent in the movie itself.
Can a great poster redeem a bad movie? Doubtful, but who cares? Enjoy them for what they are -- an art form unto themselves. For this year's Halloween post, I've picked some outstanding (and downright bizarre) examples representing the good, the bad and the ugly of horror and sci-fi cinema.(Click on the caption to see a high resolution version on the Wrong Side of the Art! website. A word of caution: the site also features some R-rated exploitation content, so browse at your own risk.)
You can't tell the ghosts without a scorecard! |
Jazz hands! |
Man's best friend, but not a puppet person's. |
Warning! There's no Chinese dragon with a million eyes in this movie! |
The Headless Horseman of... oh wait, that's another movie! |
This is your brain on B sci-fi movies! |
Can you believe this man was married to Shirley Temple? |
Too much information. It's just a poster, damn it! |
Edward Gorey (or someone very much like him) does "Dead of Night." |
In his eyes was muurrrderrrr!!!! |
Don't look her in the eyes! Uh-oh... |
Oh crap, there are those eyes again! |
Trapped in the maze of Hill House! |
Don't be knocking at this house on Halloween! |
Eye, eye, Vampiri! |
Some people obviously can't handle 3D. |
Journey to the Planet of the BEMs (Bug Eyed Monsters) |
Even a movie with Hugh Grant in it can't spoil a great poster. |
Okay, so I like dinosaurs. You got a problem with that? |
The Ray (Milland) with the X-ray eyes. |
Don't look too long into this face -- there lies madness! |
Big monster on campus. |
It's hard to wreak vengeance on tomb defilers on an empty stomach. |
"What? My coupons have all expired?!" |
Oh what a web we weave, when we practice to deceive (and drink blood)... |
"Does this snake skin make me look fat?" |
Okay, ants don't have eyes like that, not even giant ones... |
"That blowed up good... real good!" |
Tomb of the Evil Cat Lady |
You better wake up before you hit the ground! |
Don't take a trip on a starship built by the lowest bidder. |
The first B movie poster designed by a Cubist painter (or so it seems)... |
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