Although I loved Conan The Barbarian when I was a kid, in retrospect I can say with supreme confidence that the movie poster is the best part. The American version of the poster (above) features art by Renato Casaro. The superior European version (directly below) also features art Casaro. The third image I’ve posted is also by Casaro, and is clearly inspired by the movie, but I don’t know if it was ever used for an actual poster.
For this installment of the Movie Poster of the Week we proudly present director Paul Bartel’s brilliant satire, Death Race 2000. What more needs to be said? Below is an Italian version of the poster, with different artwork, but still equally badass (perhaps even slightly more badass).
And one more version, just for good measure.
I’ve never seen Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave, although I have seen the trailer, and it looks terrible. I still remember the first time I saw this poster, hanging in the lobby of a theater with a “coming soon” plaque right under it. I was mesmerized. Transfixed. Dumbfounded. See, I was one of those kids that believed the urban legend that Bruce Lee had faked his death, and would return on the 10th anniversary of his “dying.” Seeing this poster only helped convince me the legend was true. Then I came to my senses (but only after Bruce didn’t return from the dead). Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave was just one of many Brucesploitation movies that popped up in the 1970s, and even though I never saw it, I did see Dragons Die Hard (in the theater, no less). It sucked.
As if we needed any more proof that European movie posters thoroughly kick ass over their American counterparts, I give you the Italian version of The Omega Man. This movie is a childhood favorite, and even though it hasn’t held up that well, it’s still a fun movie, and this particular poster is awesome. Now, compare it to the American version below, which simply can’t hold it’s own.
Do I really need to say anything about this French poster for Russ Meyer’s Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!? This is a stunning piece of art, and so much better than most of the other versions of this poster. One of my biggest regrets is not stealing an original of this poster when I had a chance. Below you can see one of the American versions for this poster, which is typical of what all the poster looked like. I prefer the illustration over the photo montage.
Nothing like a good old fashioned horror movie from Hammer Studios to provide some truly classic movie poster art. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell came towards the end of Hammer’s heyday, and seems to have been forgotten by some people, but the poster is definitely a classic. And just for fun, here is a poster for a double feature release of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell and the kung fu flick The Fists of Vengeance.
Okay, technically this is not a movie poster for Dawn of the Dead. Back when George Romero’s zombie classic came out in 1979, a “poster book” was released as a promotional tie-in. Poster books seemed to be something of a fad around the time, though the only other one I can specifically remember is one for the James Bond movie Moonraker. Basically, poster books were magazines that were folded multiple times instead of being stapled in the middle. When one of these things was completely unfolded, it was a poster on one side. The image above is the main poster. Below is the cover of the publication (on the left), and a secondary image that appeared when the magazine was unfolded half way. The rest of the poster book was pictures and articles.
And just because…here’s the original movie poster.
And here is one of the many European versions of the poster, in which it was retitled Zombie for distribution overseas.
And here we have the incredible poster for the not-so-incredible movie TNT Jackson. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for this poster, and I love the painting of actress Jeanne Bell. Interestingly, the same image was cannibalized with some of the elements changed for one of the versions of the Darktown Strutters poster (see below), even though Bell isn’t in the movie. Both films were produced by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. I like the poster for TNT Jackson more, but Darktown Strutters is a better movie.
And here is another version of the Darktown Strutters poster (which better captures the insane spirit of this nutty movie).
One of my favorite Charles Bronson movies, a straight-up Injunsploitation classic.
It is no secret that I’m not a fan of Chuck Norris. In fact, I really cant’s stand him, and I haven’t even seen this movie. But the poster is badass.