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Category: Film
ART :: CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE QUOTES… PART I… ANNNNND AN ANNOUNCEMENT
This the first post in a series of images that pays homage to the most iconic of quotes from the chilling, memorable and often darkly humorous world of horror film. Each piece features totally hand-created custom typography for the quotes themselves. A BIG “thank you” to all of the writers who give us those words that inspire in each of us as many broad smiles as cold chills. Enjoy!
Consider this a Top 10. Here is #10 and #09 in order ::
#10 :: AMERICAN PSYCHO
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#09 :: DAWN OF THE DEAD
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I am also very pleased to announce the grand opening of my Society6 store! Selected posters and other art featured here at The Strange Far Places or in my other film-oriented personal projects are available there for purchase. All of this is really a labor of love for me, but I had some requests to obtain some of my work and it was quite fun for me to make it available. Please take a look and let me know what you think.
CHECK OUT MY SOCIETY6 STORE >>
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ART :: THE TOP 50 HORROR POSTERS OF ALL TIME… 30 >> 26
As you may be able to tell, I love great poster art, but especially posters from the great horror movie cannon. This is the fifth installment of my countdown of the best of the genre.
Here’s how I selected the list. I used three main criteria to shape my decisions ::
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>> DESIGN / IMAGE — This is the baseline. As a designer by trade, I feel strongly that any great or effective poster HAS to start here. Is the poster effective as a piece of art? Is the poster is a strong representative of the art of graphic design? Did it capture a particular spirit or movement in design?
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>> TITILLATION / PROMOTION — Though we tend to contextualize film and the associated collateral as “art,” it is ultimately a form of commerce. Any movie poster has to promote the film it supports either through a delicious tease or overt sales pitch. How effective is the poster at selling the film it is tied to?
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>> IMPACT / LEGACY — Sometimes even mediocre films get truly great posters. Sometimes, we even remember the image of the poster far longer than the film itself. What was the lasting effect of the poster? Was it iconic or timeless in some way? Was a part of a larger context?
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Every poster on this list is a cocktail of the above elements, mixed in different ways. All successful in their own right. Let’s jump in to 30 >> 26…
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2007
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2010
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1960
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1956
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1959
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Look for Part VI, coming right up!
Special thanks to http://www.impawards.com for many of the images in this countdown. AWESOME site.
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QUOTE :: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
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FILM :: BEST OF HORROR SHORTS… “DEUS IRAE”
We’re headed to Argentina for this great horror short. It’s “DEUS IRAE” this week.
This is a wonderfully fun short that brings to mind Guillermo Del Toro meets William Peter Blatty with a healthy dose of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino in the pot. Director/producer duo behind “DEUS IRAE” Pedro Cristiani and Guille Gatti should be decidedly proud to invoke those names. This is BEGGING for a full feature-length treatment and at one time Nerdhaus Films (the company behind this dynamic duo) said one was in development. We’re still eagerly awaiting. In the mean time, enjoy this short and all of the promise it brings.
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QUOTE :: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
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FILM :: REVIEW… HORROR HOTEL (1960)
Another review from the world of dark cinema.
With each review, I am also sharing minimalist movie posters I have created for every film after watching it. (More on my film poster project at large, here. )
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FILM :: HORROR HOTEL
YEAR :: 1960
DIRECTOR :: John Llewellyn Moxey
I love little vintage film gems like this. Every time I see one, I picture myself in the dim light of a matinee, a single screen theater, a smiling pre-teen horror fan taking it all in. It does, of course, predate me (1960, anyway), but I can picture it so clearly. I guess where I’m going with that is that there’s something wonderfully comforting about films like “Horror Hotel” (or “City of the Dead” as it was called for its European release).
Well-cast, well-written and well-produced on a modest budget, there’s a ton to like about this film.
George Baxt and Milton Subotsky were on writing duties here and they did a bang-up job of giving this a strong backbone. Though surreal, the story hangs together well and for me, it captured the spirit of the arcane and horrific setting and feel of much of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.
The cast is a really great group. To start, how can you not like the great Christopher Lee in a relatively early role as the intensely-dark-but-super-suave college professor, Alan Driscoll? Fun, all day long. Tony-Award-winning stage actress, Patricia Jewell is wonderful as a witch, burned at the stake in 17th century New England, but returned to life to terrorize the cursed village of Whitewood.
The remaining cast is strong and fun in turn, but I found myself particularly captivated by Nan, the college co-ed at the center of the film, played by the beautiful Venetia Stevenson. Stevenson is truly gorgeous (we even see her briefly looking amazing in a corset — don’t worry, it’s QUITE tame) and she’s perfect for the role.
Wowsers, what a vision!
I would be remiss not to mention the other beauty of the film, Betta St. John, who is the “Marilyn” to the “The Munsters” of Whitewood — a beacon of normalcy and ravishing in her own right amongst the scares and freaks of the dark town and it’s dark townsfolk. Her normalcy only adds to the eeriness of the proceedings.
All of that is a huge part of “Horror Hotel’s” success, but what I like best is it’s tense atmosphere. I love where so much of the horror genre has gone today, but I think we’ve quite often lost the eerie atmospheric “turn of the screw” that works so well about 60’s genre gems of this type. Really, this movie is FULL of horror genre tropes, but they all work so well that it only adds to the film’s charm. From dark, cobwebbed catacombs to satanic-driven dialogue to mouldering graveyards, it’s all in “Horror Hotel,” but to truly great effect.
If you’re looking for something with a wonderful vintage appeal that still has some eerie creeps and atmosphere, you’ve found it in “Horror Hotel.”
RATING ………………. 4 STARS
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FILM :: BEST OF HORROR SHORTS… “ABE”
Time for another great horror short. The film we’re watching here is called “ABE” and it’s pretty much a perfect example of what great sci-fi horror can be.
Overall, executionally it’s QUITE strong — awesome photography and VFX and truly wonderful performances by the entire cast. That should absolutely be recognized. BUT, it’s the concept, the writing and the story here that make this something really fresh, something great. Annnd, that ending made me grin BIG. Ear-to-ear smiles for this one. Huge kudos to writer / Director Rob McLellan! It’s easy to see why MGM has already picked this up to be a feature film.
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ART :: THE TOP 50 HORROR POSTERS OF ALL TIME… 35 >> 31
As you may be able to tell, I love great poster art, but especially posters from the great horror movie cannon. This is the fourth installment of my countdown of the best of the genre.
Here’s how I selected the list. I used three main criteria to shape my decisions ::
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>> DESIGN / IMAGE — This is the baseline. As a designer by trade, I feel strongly that any great or effective poster HAS to start here. Is the poster effective as a piece of art? Is the poster is a strong representative of the art of graphic design? Did it capture a particular spirit or movement in design?
—
>> TITILLATION / PROMOTION — Though we tend to contextualize film and the associated collateral as “art,” it is ultimately a form of commerce. Any movie poster has to promote the film it supports either through a delicious tease or overt sales pitch. How effective is the poster at selling the film it is tied to?
—
>> IMPACT / LEGACY — Sometimes even mediocre films get truly great posters. Sometimes, we even remember the image of the poster far longer than the film itself. What was the lasting effect of the poster? Was it iconic or timeless in some way? Was a part of a larger context?
======
Every poster on this list is a cocktail of the above elements, mixed in different ways. All successful in their own right. Let’s jump in to 35 >> 31…
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2010
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2010
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1964
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1972
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2007
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Look for Part V, coming right up!
Special thanks to http://www.impawards.com for many of the images in this countdown. AWESOME site.
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QUOTE :: LENA HEADEY
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FILM :: BEST OF HORROR SHORTS… “LA CRUZ (THE CROSS)”
Time for another great horror short. This one’s entitled “La Cruz (The Cross).” We’re going international for this one, folks, so be ready for some subtitles.
Lovers of classic horror will really enjoy this. Director Alberto Evangelio’s brilliant storytelling and strong central concept give this film a taut core strength. Solid performances bring this core story to life with empathy and immediate immersion for the viewer. I really love the photography here, too — nice angles and choices that aren’t self-conscious, but rather underscore the story in a effortless way — no mean feat. Enjoy!
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ART :: ROGER CORMAN AND EDGAR ALLAN POE… PART V
Welcome to Part IV of my tribute to hollywood (and hollywood horror) legend Roger Corman. I am creating an 8 poster series in tribute to Corman’s early-1960’s “Poe Cycle,” where he brought classic stories from the EA Poe cannon to film. You can read Part I here, with my actual article on Corman and view Posters I and II there as well. Part II can be found here. And… Part III is here. ANNND… Part IV is here.
Without further delay… Poster VIII ::
This poster completes the full tribute to Mr. Corman’s “Poe Cycle.” Again, a big THANK YOU to Mr. Corman for all he has done for film and horror-lovers everywhere.
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QUOTE :: DARIO ARGENTO
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FILM :: BEST OF HORROR SHORTS… “HELL NO”
I wanted to share another great horror short entitled “HELL NO: The Sensible Horror Film.”
The team on this parody trailer have had some real fun. The playful skewering of all-too-familiar horror tropes shows both love for the genre and makes us all laugh as we all know this is how things would be when things went awry with even a modicum of sensibility in the mix. Enjoy!
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ART :: THE TOP 50 HORROR POSTERS OF ALL TIME… 40 >> 36
As you may be able to tell, I love great poster art, but especially posters from the great horror movie cannon. This is the third installment of my countdown of the best of the genre.
Here’s how I selected the list. I used three main criteria to shape my decisions ::
======
>> DESIGN / IMAGE — This is the baseline. As a designer by trade, I feel strongly that any great or effective poster HAS to start here. Is the poster effective as a piece of art? Is the poster is a strong representative of the art of graphic design? Did it capture a particular spirit or movement in design?
—
>> TITILLATION / PROMOTION — Though we tend to contextualize film and the associated collateral as “art,” it is ultimately a form of commerce. Any movie poster has to promote the film it supports either through a delicious tease or overt sales pitch. How effective is the poster at selling the film it is tied to?
—
>> IMPACT / LEGACY — Sometimes even mediocre films get truly great posters. Sometimes, we even remember the image of the poster far longer than the film itself. What was the lasting effect of the poster? Was it iconic or timeless in some way? Was a part of a larger context?
======
Every poster on this list is a cocktail of the above elements, mixed in different ways. All successful in their own right. Let’s jump in to 40 >> 36…
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2007
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1999
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1976
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2006
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Look for Part IV, coming right up!
Special thanks to http://www.impawards.com for many of the images in this countdown. AWESOME site.
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THE STRANGE, FAR PLACES 