SHOCK takes a look at 10 strange and thrilling vintage German movie posters.
To love horror cinema, to fully, completely worship it as an art-form, one has to also appreciate the marketing of the genre, specifically via the movie poster. The way a motion picture is sold to an audience with its one-sheet, lobby card or marquee poster is very often the “first contact”, the chief reason – whether we’re aware of it or not – we opt to see a film in the first place.
And since distributors want to make sure as many people are reached as possible, they often aim to trade on pop culture trends in design, riffing on the zeitgeist and exploiting amateur psychology to do so.
That’s why it’s such an alien joy to explore other culture’s various approaches to film poster marketing throughout history. It’s a study in society, in politics, in sexuality, in culture, censorship and a people’s broadly charted good/bad taste in art.
Here then, we take a look a 10 horror classics, poster-fied German style!
These posters are very different – often radically different – then their US and British counterparts.
And thus…they’re pretty damned thrilling and more than a bit bizarre.
Have a look:
German Movie Posters
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THE LOST BOYS (1987)
Ignoring the tepid, vampire-free domestic poster, this version pushes the horror to the forefront. Gorgeous painted art. Better than the movie itself!
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BRIDE OF CHUCKY (1998)
A sexy and malevolent looking poster that puts Tiffany center stage. Love the 50s-styled title treatment font too...
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MANIAC (1980)
The US poster, with the bulging crotch and knife/scalp combo is sleazy. This one is leering. Lovely art and we're thrilled that the stars of the film are on the poster and that one of Zito's bloody mannequins is too.
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GOZILLA VS THE SEA MONSTER (1966)
Perhaps someone who knows more about Toho's international distribution can comment...because I have NO fucking idea as to why Godzilla is called Frankenstein here. Apparently he is often called Frankenstein in various German versions. Whatever the reason...it's cool!
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MISERY (1990)
The US poster for this Rob Reiner-directed Stephen King classic was quaint. This German look uses Kathy Bates' Annie to sell the film and sell it she does, looking like evil incarnate!
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THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1958)
Lovely, freakish and sensational reflection of the gorgeous Hammer horror sequel. Another frame-worthy piece of art.
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A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
A riff on the traditional US poster but Nancy is far more exposed and Freddy's three-pronged claw looks almost JAWS-esque, like a trio of fins coming out of the ether. Very cool and appropriately nightmarish.
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SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)
Roy Ward Baker's violent and cruel entry in the Hammer DRACULA series is even weirder when sold via this beautiful and threatening German poster. A masterpiece. I want this in my living room.
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MARK OF THE DEVIL (1970)
MARK OF THE DEVIL is a German film so this is likely ground zero when it comes to the marketing of the film. And it's a thing of tortured, lurid beauty.
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NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972)
Oh dear God, we LOVE this! NIGHT OF THE LEPUS is the most ludicrous 70s Hollywood horror film ever and it's just plain incredible that the Germans called it like they saw it and just called the damn thing RABBITS. So good.
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10 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957)
Not much to comment about the pretty sepia-toned poster for this Harryhausen classic, save for the fact that the Germans think that the Ymir is someone's "Bestie". Awwww....
