Our September 27 Alternative Movie Posters Showcase sale features a plethora of highly attractive prints from a fascinating, quickly growing category. Establishing itself as a market a little over a decade and a half ago, these types of posters are a distinctive and attractive breed of promotional media, often created by independent artists and fans.
Browse All Items in the 2023 September 27 Alternative Movie Posters Showcase Auction #42166
While official movie posters tend to prioritize star power and mainstream appeal, alternative versions strive to encapsulate the spirit and thematic depth of the film. Whether it’s a clever piece of minimalist art or a detailed illustration, these posters use unique design elements to highlight underappreciated aspects and reinterpret the movies.
Although not typically commissioned for large-scale promotional activities, these works have found a niche in the art market and are cherished by collectors for their originality and innovative approach. They are also valued because of their limited print runs, which often sell out within minutes or hours of being offered by the artist.
While carefully culling through the sale, I picked out five of my favorite horror films and accompanying posters, in preparation for Halloween, which will be here before you know it (I typically start celebrating in August). Here they are, listed in order of movie release date:
1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 12/100 by Josh Budich (Private Commission, 2012). Rolled, Near Mint/Mint
When I was in high school, there was a multiplex in Arlington (between Dallas and Fort Worth) that played six midnight movies each Friday and Saturday night, including such cult classics as Wizards (1977), Heavy Metal (1981), and Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). Naturally, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) was a staple, and my friends and I would watch it on a semi-regular basis (sometimes after a rock concert earlier that evening), singing along to “The Time Warp” and other catchy tunes, yelling at the screen, and occasionally bringing props, as one did for this unique film. The poster offered illustrates the main characters in black-and-white, with most of them highlighted by a splash of red, such as Eddie’s (played by Meatloaf) cut across his forehead. The appealing work emphasizes that the film is an ensemble piece, with Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) as the ringleader.
2. Carrie, 77/200 and Other by Justin Kamerer (Angryblue, 2012). Rolled, Near Mint
“They’re all going to laugh at you.” Being laughed at is no laughing matter, especially when you’re young, and especially in Carrie (1976), Brian De Palma’s feature film based on Stephen King’s first published novel. The striking poster we’re offering dramatizes the pain Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) feels when she’s tormented by her mother (Piper Laurie) and humiliated by fellow students. However, it also suggests the powerful revenge scene where she gets even (and then some). The “ha ha ha” calligram built up like a fire around Carrie really drives the point home, as does the blood-red coloring and retro look of the image. If I had to name my favorite horror film of all time (gun to my head), it would be Carrie. I’ve watched it countless times, and it never loses its power. It’s also as relevant today as it was when it was released, particularly in terms of teenage angst and religious fanaticism. Along with such character-driven gems as Psycho (1960), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and The Exorcist (1973), this is one of the greatest horror films ever made.
3. Halloween 10/325 by Jason Edmiston (Mondo, 2018). Rolled, Near Mint
If you haven’t seen John Carpenter’s original Halloween (1978) in years, or you’ve never seen it at all, give it a watch. Unlike many mindless kill-fest copycats to follow (including the first sequel, Halloween II), Halloween is a masterpiece of atmosphere (if it were safe, I would absolutely love to trick-or-treat in Haddonfield), suspense, and sheer terror. It’s also surprisingly subtle as much of the horror is suggested, and it’s not as graphic as you may remember. The poster we’re offering depicts the fright factor well without even showing Michael Myers (Nick Castle masked, Tony Moran unmasked). The highly likable protagonist, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), fends off the unseen attacker with a large kitchen knife, looking at once scared and determinedly brave. One of the broken door slats is pointed at a particularly vulnerable area on Laurie, possibly suggesting that Michael has more in mind than just murder. Regardless of how you look at the image, it will likely leave an indelible mark.
4. The Shining 31/325 by Laurent Durieux (Mondo, 2018). Rolled, Near Mint
All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but there’s nothing boring about this screen print, which places two of the key elements of the film as the centerpiece: Jack Torrance’s (Jack Nicholson) typewriter and his axe, the latter of which he famously used to chop through the bathroom door to attack his wife (Shelly Duvall), who fought him off with a kitchen knife. (Thanks to this scene, the familiar phrase “Here’s Johnny” took on an entirely new meaning and became even more iconic.) The image also includes the key to room 237 (home of the “crazy woman”), a lit cigarette on an ashtray, and a pile of typewritten pages, each only partially visible but instantly recognizable as important aspects of the movie. The art is stylish, yet realistic, and the composition is excellent. Shortly after The Shining (1980) first ran on cable TV back in the day, my best friend Johnnie taped it, and we watched it repeatedly. To this day, I’ve seen it more times than any other horror film, and it easily makes my top-10 list in the genre.
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, 153/200 (Mondo, 2011). Rolled, Near Mint
“We’re the dream warriors; Don’t wanna dream no more.” Other than the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, which is a bona fide horror classic (go back and rewatch—it holds up remarkably well), my favorite entry in the series is Dream Warriors, partly because of the memorable theme song by Dokken, but mostly because of the sheer entertainment value. Now a psychiatrist, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) teams up with several patients to brave dreamland and rescue a child from Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). The poster on the auction block is of Freddy brandishing syringes on his gloves, referencing the dramatic scene in the film where he kills troubled, but intrepid teen Taryn White (Jennifer Rubin). While the knives on his fingers typically were enough to get the point across (so to speak), the syringes are fittingly disturbing because Taryn battled drug abuse. Like the rest of the posters in this sale, this one provides a fresh, fiendish image for a familiar film.
Browse All Items in the 2023 September 27 Alternative Movie Posters Showcase Auction #42166