A good poster can help make or break a horror film. Many people base their decision to go to a movie on their first impression of the poster. There are many reasons horror movie posters attract viewers. Some include details about the stars of the film or the makers of the film, while others use symbolism and art to peak a viewer's interest.
A horror movie poster should not only attract attention but should give an idea of what the film is about. With horror movies they should show that they are scary, but should not give too many details away. In many cases the simplest posters are the best at getting their point across.
There are many lists of the "best" examples of horror movie posters. Some contain only ten examples, while other lists have up to 100. While these lists may differ in length and reasoning behind their entries, there are some posters that show up again and again because they truly are the best examples of their genre.
The poster for "Jaws" is one of the most recognizable movie posters of all time. The film was release in 1975, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starred Robert Shaw, Roy Schneider, and Richard Dreyfuss. It was about a giant, man-eating shark terrorizing a small island community during the summer tourist season. The poster showed only a swimmer and a menacing shark rising toward her. It was terrifying in its simplicity.
The 1979 remake film, "Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht", starred Klaus Kinski as a demonic looking vampire who terrorizes a small village. The poster was simple, made up of mostly black and white line art mixed in with a few brushes of color. The vampire is twisted and ugly looking, and holds in his arms an unconscious woman. It is obvious from this poster that this vampire is not sexy or romantic like many modern day vampires appear to be.
"House" is a lesser known film from the 1980s starring William Katt, George Wendt, and Richard Moll. The poster takes a minimalist theme, like that of "Jaws", though this is a bit more grotesque. Here a disembodied hand floats through space to press on an innocent looking doorbell. The hand is rotten, with flesh flaking away and bones and sinew peeking through. It shows that whatever is going to happen in that house, it probably won't be good.
While the film "Forbidden Planet", starring Leslie Nielson and Anne Francis, could be viewed as science fiction, the poster speaks of its more horror-based undertones. Here a giant robot looms up from an alien landscape with an unconscious woman held captive in his arms. While artistically rendered, the feel of the poster is more ominous than cartoonish.
There is almost nothing as frightening as the sense of vulnerability you feel while you sleep. Anything could happen to you. The poster for "A Nightmare on Elm Street" plays on these fears. A pretty teen played by Heather Langenkamp lays in bed with a look of surprise and horror on her face as a clawed hand reaches out of her dreams to attack her.
A horror movie poster should not only attract attention but should give an idea of what the film is about. With horror movies they should show that they are scary, but should not give too many details away. In many cases the simplest posters are the best at getting their point across.
There are many lists of the "best" examples of horror movie posters. Some contain only ten examples, while other lists have up to 100. While these lists may differ in length and reasoning behind their entries, there are some posters that show up again and again because they truly are the best examples of their genre.
The poster for "Jaws" is one of the most recognizable movie posters of all time. The film was release in 1975, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starred Robert Shaw, Roy Schneider, and Richard Dreyfuss. It was about a giant, man-eating shark terrorizing a small island community during the summer tourist season. The poster showed only a swimmer and a menacing shark rising toward her. It was terrifying in its simplicity.
The 1979 remake film, "Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht", starred Klaus Kinski as a demonic looking vampire who terrorizes a small village. The poster was simple, made up of mostly black and white line art mixed in with a few brushes of color. The vampire is twisted and ugly looking, and holds in his arms an unconscious woman. It is obvious from this poster that this vampire is not sexy or romantic like many modern day vampires appear to be.
"House" is a lesser known film from the 1980s starring William Katt, George Wendt, and Richard Moll. The poster takes a minimalist theme, like that of "Jaws", though this is a bit more grotesque. Here a disembodied hand floats through space to press on an innocent looking doorbell. The hand is rotten, with flesh flaking away and bones and sinew peeking through. It shows that whatever is going to happen in that house, it probably won't be good.
While the film "Forbidden Planet", starring Leslie Nielson and Anne Francis, could be viewed as science fiction, the poster speaks of its more horror-based undertones. Here a giant robot looms up from an alien landscape with an unconscious woman held captive in his arms. While artistically rendered, the feel of the poster is more ominous than cartoonish.
There is almost nothing as frightening as the sense of vulnerability you feel while you sleep. Anything could happen to you. The poster for "A Nightmare on Elm Street" plays on these fears. A pretty teen played by Heather Langenkamp lays in bed with a look of surprise and horror on her face as a clawed hand reaches out of her dreams to attack her.
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