The 1980s were a pivotal decade in the world of movie posters. It was a time of great creativity and experimentation, with designers pushing the boundaries of traditional poster design to create bold, colorful, and often surreal images that captured the spirit of the movies they represented. In this blog, we'll take a closer look at some of the most iconic and memorable movie posters of the 1980s.
One of the most iconic posters of the 1980s is the poster for the 1982 film Blade Runner. Designed by artist John Alvin, the poster features a striking image of Harrison Ford's character Rick Deckard, with the futuristic cityscape of Los Angeles in the background. The poster's moody lighting, muted color palette, and strong typography perfectly capture the film's blend of science fiction and film noir.
Another standout poster from the 1980s is the poster for the 1984 film Ghostbusters. Designed by artist Michael Gross, the poster features a cartoonish image of the Ghostbusters team, with their iconic Ecto-1 vehicle and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man looming in the background. The poster's bright colors, playful tone, and memorable imagery perfectly capture the film's blend of horror and comedy.
The poster for the 1987 film The Lost Boys is another example of the creativity and experimentation that defined movie posters of the 1980s. Designed by artist John Alvin, the poster features a surreal, almost dreamlike image of the film's vampire characters, with a neon-lit Santa Carla boardwalk in the background. The poster's bold color scheme, trippy visuals, and stylized typography perfectly capture the film's blend of horror and teenage rebellion.
The 1980s also saw the rise of the blockbuster movie, and with it, a new era of movie poster design. Films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Back to the Future (1985), and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) all had posters that became instant classics. These posters often featured images of the film's main characters, set against a dramatic backdrop or surrounded by key plot elements. They were designed to capture the excitement and spectacle of the movies they represented, and they succeeded admirably.
In addition to these more traditional posters, the 1980s also saw the rise of alternative poster design. Artists like Drew Struzan, Richard Amsel, and Tom Jung created posters that were more like works of art than traditional movie posters. These posters often featured highly stylized images of the film's main characters, surrounded by intricate and often surreal designs. They were often created using traditional painting techniques, giving them a level of detail and richness that is rarely seen in modern movie posters.
The movie posters of the 1980s were a product of their time, capturing the excitement, creativity, and experimentation that defined the era. From the bold and colorful designs of blockbuster films to the surreal and experimental posters of the alternative scene, the posters of the 1980s continue to inspire and captivate collectors and fans of movie memorabilia.
