A Love Letter to 1980s Movie Posters

If there is one thing my writing collages know me for, it is my love of the 1980s movie poster. Like many a tale of true love, it is a slowly cultivated appreciation for the artistic value I see in the sign.

The ones that are the best in my humble opinion are the horror movies from that era. I love the beautifully disgusting and disturbing which is evoked when gazing upon such art.

It also helps that unlike modern posters, which take advantage of photography and Photoshop, the 1980s didn’t have such a luxury. They instead had to be drawn, or at least painted into existence by talented artists. This would help the 1980s and even the 1970s stand out in terms of the poster. There is an artistic value that I often feel is missing from modern posts and even DVD covers.

The use of photography as a medium is undoubtedly cheaper than paying an artist, but when everyone is doing something that looks almost like everything else. You see one movie starring Adam Sandler you have seen all the movie posters.

This is in stark contrast to the movie poster of the 1980s, you have similar vibes but not always a similar art style. Jurassic Park is different from Back to the Future, Friday the 13th is completely different to The Company of Wolves or Superstition. Both have their unique identities and feels, and while isn’t completely absent (at least in horror) has greatly diminished.

It is a bit of a shame, as I think something was lost in the rush to reduce costs at the means of losing a movie’s identity.

However, you can still find good artistic posters in modern movies, such as the most recent Indiana Jones movie, The Witch, It Follows, or The Babadook. I want to encourage this trend, as while it can cost more, you might be able to make up for it with the eye drawing poster, making people curious to check it out.

So I think to end this little love letter to the movie, posters I would like to share with you my favorite posters from the 80s and even a few from the 70s. I hope you can appreciate the artistry as much as I do.

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Acknowledgments

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