The Best of the Genre (By Decade): Top 25 “80s Horror Flicks”

This is the latest of a whole series here at Grizzly Bomb. For each feature we will examine an individual genre and the quality of its films produced within a specific decade. These lists will be compiled from a point system determined by votes from each member of the staff. It’s very scientific, we used Excel.

Freddy Krueger’s Glove Appears in “Ash vs Evil Dead”

Ash vs Evil Dead has become possibly our favorite new show of the year here at Grizzly Bomb. It’s definitely my top choice this season. And it doesn’t hurt that Sam Raimi and the deadites keep finding reasons to make me love this show even more.

For those viewers with a keen eye, you might have been able to spot the glove of a certain villain who haunts the children of Elm Street during the show’s season finale.

Promotional Dead: The DVD, Poster And VHS Art of The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead movies have left an enduring legacy of horror and slap stick that continues to this day.

With news of The Evil Dead now making the move to television, it seemed just the right time to take a brief look at a few artist encounters with the Deadites.

3 Evil Dead Shorts You’ll Want to See

Evil Dead is for all year round, not just Halloween. Now, this was not an official advertisement for the Sam Raimi classic but it blooming well should have been. Even 30+ years after its release, Evil Dead still has the power to shock and entertain audiences in a way that is both visceral and cartoonishly fun. The remake had mixed reviews (Grizzly Bomb has our own opinion of it) but it did give a new spin on an old classic for an audience who may not have known about it. This brings us nicely to the videos below. Each one of them has taken an aspect of the Evil Dead franchise and reworked it into a whole new version. So before you decide to watch the Evil Dead series on Halloween why not watch these beforehand and see the movies in a whole new light? But be warned: Some of these videos are not for the faint of heart or for young kiddies, so keep them hidden behind the sofa before viewing.

The Evil Dead in 60 Seconds With Clay

This was originally part of Empire Magazine’s 2010 Jameson Awards, where people were asked to make a 60-second version of their favourite films. YouTuber Lee Hardcastle decided what better way to show tribute to Evil Dead than by turning it into Claymation. But this is not your standard Nick Park creation – Wallace and Gromit would be sickened by the disgusting acts that happen here – the great thing is how close to the actual deaths Lee manages to get with just a handful of clay. The short is gross but hugely entertaining. The British voices and style of humor that run throughout this piece just make it that little bit special and unique.

Evil Dead 2 – Rotoscoped

Rotoscoping is a process in which original film stock is traced over frame by frame by an artist to create a completely different look (See A Scanner Darkly or Waking Life). PFR Studios have done just that and created this spectacular display of animation for Evil Dead 2. Taking half of the Evil Dead 2 trailer they crafted a visually stunning piece that seems fresh every time you see it. PFR’s YouTube channel has several other examples of rotoscoping at work, so if you enjoyed seeing this brief clip be sure to visit their page.

Evil Dead – An Animated Tribute

This one grabs you as soon as you see those Deadite eyes staring right into your soul. Here’s what creator Daniel Kanemoto had to say about this piece:

“I created all the artwork in the sequence, but the final image is directly inspired by an incredible EVIL DEAD poster created by Olly Moss. The moment I saw it, I only wanted to see it move — which is how I feel about all great posters. The new wave of artists working with Mondo have made movie posters worth collecting again, and that’s a great thing. I hope to someday join their ranks.”

This has to be one of the most inventive and compelling Evil Dead images I have ever seen. Using Raimi’s own kinetic directorial style, this short whips you through the Evil Dead trilogy at such a breakneck speed you don’t even have time to catch your breath. Daniel quotes inspiration from Olly Moss but I think I also saw a bit of Jason Edmiston artwork in there too, certainly with the Evil Dead 2 Ash popping up. Not sure if one influenced the other or if their styles are just the same but it hardly matters as both have a unique style of artwork. The fact that everything flows so nicely and the short never feels overloaded with Evil Dead references is testament to Kanemoto’s fine direction and craftsmanship. It looks like it could be an intro to a video game.

So there you have it! Three different takes on one of the most lovable and endlessly entertaining horror series of all time. Hope this gets you in the spirit to go camping. Klaatu barada nikto!

Mondo: The Top 15 Posters from 2013 So Far

Collectors of poster art are well aware of the reputation Mondo has. This is a company that sells out off its stock within minutes of it becoming available to the public. The prices can be on the high side, but you definitely get your moneys worth. The quality of poster they produce is top notch and they are sought after collector’s pieces on Ebay. Though their limited editions sell out so quickly that people who have slow broadband can miss out in an instant, it has not stopped people coming back for more. Now Mondo has far too expansive a back catalogue to do a definitive list of my favorites as their work dates back to 1998. But I thought it may be fun to see what type of posters have come out in 2013. So here we have the top 15 Mondo film posters of the year (some may be considered NSFW, fair warning).

15) Gremlins by Drew Millward

This poster just sums up the Japanese culture for me and it is appropriate for the style to be like this, because Gizmo was owned by an old Asian shop keeper before coming to suburbia. The extreme melting of Spikes face and the rays of sunshine gleaming down on him meld perfectly with the design frame of the picture which looks like Japanese manuscript (or a calendar if you are more aware of that).

14) The Deadly Spawn by PhantomCity Creative

What do most people remember from this cult ’80s horror classic? The big alien monster with loads of teeth, that’s what. The entire film is encapsulated in this simplistic yet knock out design. The battered look of the poster only adds to the ensemble and makes it look exactly like an old poster you would see in your local video rental store (when they were still around, that is).

13) Maniac by Jeff Proctor

 

Now Maniac (remake) has never promoted itself as a family friendly film, and this poster for the movie is very explicit in its intent. The hiding of the face makes this killing seem more disturbing because of the loss of identity and it also ties nicely into the fact that we only ever see Elijah Wood’s face when he looks in the mirror. The undone jeans adds an extra uncomfortable element of sexuality to the piece. Not something you could hang in your front room but something to be admired never the less.

 12) Man of Steel by Martin Ansin

 

The artwork reminded me a lot of Alex Ross’ work, which certainly makes an impact. The motion lines around Superman which show key characters in the movie are superb and you get the feeling of heroism, which is what Man of Steel was supposed to be all about.

11) The Thing by Randy Ortiz

 

Now the remake/prequel was a huge disappointment to most, but this poster reminds us just how great the original really was (and still is). The mist of the coffee turning into the alien spider legs looks incredible and the body morphing that amazed us in the film is exploited to the maximum here to great effect.

10) Boogie Nights by Rockin’ Jelly Bean

 

This slightly cheeky poster gives this movie based on the rise of Dirk Diggler a very ’70s flavour. Though it is not an exact match for Heather Graham, the woman taking center stage certainly arouses your attention, in more ways than one. The ’70s color scheme is stunning. Who would have thought so many yellows, browns and oranges could make such an amazing visual?

 9) Evil Dead 2 by Jason Edmiston

 

I covered Jason’s work before in an article about ’80s inspired art work, and here we get to see how he takes on Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2. This guy’s artwork is mind blowing, adding elements of tension to a story we know all so well. Ash has never looked creepier and his battle with the raping trees in the forest is something that would have been amazing to see in the movie itself. Not since House has a door opening looked so menacing.

8) Robocop by Jay Shaw

 

Grizzly Bomb did an article about posters from abroad and how there styles differed greatly from the US or the UK. In that article there were plenty of examples of Polish art which is stunning but also mind blowing in its bizarreness. Artist Jay Shaw has gone for this polish style in his Robocop poster, and it shows all the pathos and pain Alex Murphy suffers from as he becomes Detroit City’s ultimate law enforcer. The single blood stained tears speaks volumes and the clever use of OCP as his eye (they built him, own him and also constantly watch him) goes great with the black and white coloring which brings the whole image to life.

7) Scarface by Mike Mitchell

 

This one image manages to completely sum up Tony Montana’s character. Cocky, arrogant, controlling, dangerous and powerful, it all comes out in this piece. The palm trees in the back further show the life style Tony dreams of from the start and manages to grab through force. For some reason it manages to sum up the 80s for me. Must be too much Miami Vice as a kid, I guess!

6) Argo by Kilian Eng

 

The main reason I love this poster art is because it focuses on the false movie and not the events that occurred. The movie is an incredibly tense and fascinating film, but all the way through viewing it my thoughts wandered slightly. “What would this film really be like if they had made it?” Well, this poster helps put those thoughts to rest. If it was to become anything like Kilian has drawn it, it would have been a master piece. Filled with 70’s psychedelic it looks like a cross between Logans Run and 2001.

5) Iron Man 3 by PhantomCity Creative

 

It’s a simple diagnostic poster but it’s this simplistic style which drew me to it. With Tony Stark as its focal point it gives us a massive display of the suits he used in Iron Man 3. One of the many fun things about this film was trying to spot what suit was in the film and its role for Tony. Here all that information is laid out for you so anyone who missed a suit can stare at all of them now in the comfort of their own home.

4) Battle Royale by Bryan Lee O’Malley

 

Bryan is better known for being the creative genius behind the super popular Scott Pilgrim, and his style perfectly suits this film. Much like the movie where cute Japanese students are forced to do horrible things, Bryan’s mix of Manga inspired cute art works superbly with the juxtaposition of graphical violent acts we are seeing the characters perform. The graphic novel of Battle Royale is even more disturbing to read and has the same power Bryan’s poster has here.

3) Friday the 13^th  by Francesco Francavilla

 

The face seen in the imagery on view motif (the best name I could come up with for this type of art) is seen a lot in horror movies, so its great to see this getting used for one of the greatest Slasher movies of the ’80s. If the menacing skull was not enough to give you a chill then look for the references to other movies within this poster. The pitch fork pops up a few times in the series but the cabin in the back is first found in Friday the 13^th Part II. Now whether it has Mrs. Voorhees head in it I don’t know, but this attention to detail with the franchise impressed me, as did the tiny skull hidden in the ground far right of the pitchfork.

2) The Lost Boys by PhantomCity Creative

 

Never have vampires felt so much like a dark creature from Peter Pan than in The Lost Boys, a movie about immortal youths that can fly away and take your children while they sleep. The reason this poster piqued my interest is because it covered the scenes in the movie that always amazed me, the flying scenes. Very rarely before this had I ever seen vampires fly in non-bat form, so at the start when they swoop onto the unlucky couple in the car and when they drop off the bridge it amazed me, and that’s what this visual happily brought back.

1) Jaws by Laurent Durieux

 

What is not shown is the most important element of this poster. It seems exactly like the type of promotional poster that would have been used to promote the beaches. As the films plot does cover the lengths people went to making sure the tourists did not know there was a shark in the sea it works perfectly well. The design is a spot on copy of those holiday resort style promotional posters, but the hidden sense of dread is definitely there in this seemingly calm beach. With all the crazy shark movies coming out at the moment it is nice to take a break from them all for just a few minutes and look at where it all began, Jaws.

Mondo are constantly making incredible pieces like those on this list, and they are only a small segment of what they have to offer. Check out their web site here to see more of what they have to offer.

10 Bizarre Foreign Posters for American Movies…

Film posters are amazing. Not only do they help advertise to people quickly and easily the content of any film, they also are truly stunning pieces of art in themselves looking great displayed on our walls. However, this is not always the case. Some posters confuse us, so a bad film is made out to be good, while some don’t really tell us anything about the movie and others lose the plot entirely showing us random images or awful art and leave us thinking about what mental state the artist could have been when they devised this monster of a poster. For some reason some of the best examples of these types of poster come from abroad in non-English speaking countries and this is what I want to focus on here, those posters that with out the internet’s help would be lost in a trash can for all time. This week we focus on the Horror genre.