Curators . . . Not Collectors

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Discover the Horror Podcast: Episode 24 – Posters

The importance of the movie poster is almost lost in this day and age. With the internet flooding social media with trailers, photos, and all sorts of advertisements, the poster art might get lost in the shuffle. But decades ago, it was the first thing used to promote an upcoming feature film. It had to reach out and grab hold of your eyes, telling your brain you need to see this film. Shortly after that, the poster collecting started.

Why do we collect posters? What kinds are there? What is it about it that still holds a spell over movie goers? Join us and our special guest, Alan Tromp, as we try to answer all of those questions and more, as we discuss our own obsessions with movie posters, from one-sheets to British Quads to the French Grande size!

Movie titles mentioned in this episode:

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Posters…Truth in Advertising?

screamers

For us horror fans, there is nothing like classic movies posters. Back when there was some amazing artwork, enticing audiences to come into the theater to see the latest picture. From the posters of the ’30s on up to the ’80s, there was some incredible artwork on those. But then something happened in the ’90s and it seems like the studios were going with basically photos of the stars in the movie. So much that many posters looked almost identical, like the Scream movies, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Halloween H2O, and so many more. So what happened?

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Book Review: Graphic Horror Movie Monster Memories

graphichorror

Graphic Horror Movie Monster Memories
By John Edgar Browning
Published by Schiffer Publishing, 2012. 192 pages.

I love movie posters. I believe these really are works of art and don’t get the appreciation they deserve, especially the ones from the horror genre. Strange though that when it comes to movie poster auctions, horror titles have always been the ones that draw the most money. But as we move more and more into the digital age, poster art is becoming more of a lost art form, or at least a completely different medium. Nowadays, these things are seemingly cranked out with very little time or effort, mainly using computer graphics/artwork to churn these out. Back in the heyday, these pieces of advertisements had a big job to do. They have to make people want to go see this movie just by looking at this poster. So it had to be catchy…and it had to be good.

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Reel Art…Real Deals!

Since I’ve been going to and setting up at cons for many years, you get to know and make good friends with the different dealers at the shows. Especially when they always have some great deals at their tables! One of these guys is Cory Glaberson, who a couple of years ago opened up a store in Berwyn called Reel Art. You can find some incredible things at this place, and a lot of them at some very decent prices. For example, recently at a convention, there was a dealer selling an American 1-sheet for The Burning for $195! Granted, this gave a lot fo us poster collectors a good laugh at the outrageous price. Hopefully nobody dropped that kind of cash, because if you were to head over to Reel Art in Berwyn IL, you could find this very same poster for…ready? $45. And even better, if you go to one of his warehouse sales that he holds several times a year, you could even get it for 1/2 of that price.

The reason I’m bringing this up is for a couple of reasons. First and foremost to point people to Reel Art because you can really find some great deals there. Sure, you might have to do some digging, but a lot of times that is the fun part about being a collector. The second reason is to do a little bragging at some of the posters that I picked up for them yesterday at the Sci-Fi Spectacular here in Chicago that they were set up at. These two posters were normally price at $45 and $35, but then were 1/2 off. So I got both of them for $40. Now I call that one hell of a deal. I’m a sucker for double and triple feature posters and have a strong feeling that both of these are going to be getting hung up pretty quickly in our movie room. Just need to find another double or triple feature poster to go along with the theme!

But if you’re in the Chicagoland area, I’d make sure stopping at Reel Art in Berwyn is a priority. And also make sure try and hit one of their warehouse sales. But be warned….it could get costly since you’ll find so many great deals. You can also see them set up at many different conventions throughout the year. Check out their website HERE for all the news, such as when and what shows they will be set up at, as well as when their next warehouse sale might be.

triplebill poster    Frenzy of Blood poster