5 Great Movie Covers
James Houghton| 12th August 2015
The contemporary cinema experience is one of the most enthralling activities one can take part in. With the advancement in entertainment technology, including high definition displays and high quality sound systems, movies have never been better. Moving works of art (with a few notable exceptions) that are a testament to a shared love between director and audience. It seems fitting then that since cinema is such a sensory experience, cover art and movie posters should get a bit of attention as well, since the ability to tell a two-hour story in a single image is pretty incredible when you think about it. That said, here are five of my favourites.
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Director: Wes Craven, 1984)
Wes Craven’s terrifying addition to the slasher genre boom of the 80s saw the eponymous
nightmare ‘Freddy Krueger’ stalking (as usual) a group of all-American teenagers in revenge for being burnt alive by outraged parents several years previously. The cover and poster art absolutely encapsulates that premise, with Freddy’s horrifying visage staring out menacingly, mirrored by Nancy Thompson’s (played by Heather Langenkamp) look of completely paralysed fear. Playing on the fear of the unknown and turning the usually safe respite of your own bed into a death sentence, both the film and the art tackle the psychology of nightmares and do so in the typical cult graphic style the 80s is known and loved for.
4. The Fall (Director: Tarsem Singh, 2006-08)
This charming fantasy adventure film from indie director Tarsem Singh follows injured stuntman Roy Walker (played by Lee Pace) recovering after seriously injuring himself shooting his first film. During his hospitalisation, he befriends a young Romanian girl, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), whom he begins to tell a fantastic adventure story brought to life for the audience by Alexandria’s imagination. The film tackles many issues, including loss, grief and suicide, in a thoughtful, fantastical and sometimes humorous way. The art features a vibrant, Dali-esque composition which captures the fantastical nature of Roy’s story and features the bold, colourful and striking imagery Singh is known for.
3. Anatomy of a Murder (Director: Otto Preminger, 1959)
Adapted from Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker’s best-selling novel based on a 1952 murder case, this film stars James Stewart as former district attorney Paul Biegler as he is pulled into a case surrounding the murder of innkeeper Barney Quill. One of the stand-out crime dramas of the 50s, Anatomy of a Murder features the exemplarily stark, vivid artwork of award-winning graphic designer Saul Bass. Best known for lending his artistry to Hollywood heavyweights Vertigo and The Shining, Bass’ commissions often employ arresting imagery emphasised by a conspicuous use of bold colour, with Anatomy of a Murder being a perfect example.
2. Scarface (Director: Brian De Palma, 1983)
In this 80s remake of the 1932 mob film loosely based on the rise and fall of the notorious Al
Capone, Hollywood favourite Al Pacino plays Cuban refugee Tony Montana. Following Montana’s
journey from nothing to everything as he becomes a powerful drug kingpin, Scarface is a warped reimagining of the American Dream. Violence, sex and power make up a vast majority of the plot, and these basic, animalistic drives are summed up perfectly in the film’s artwork; Montana stands alone against a bold, black and white background, powerful and determined, equally balanced between power and money, the main two motivators for his achieving his ambitions. Scarface makes no qualms about the simplicity of its premise and the film’s artwork does this justice brilliantly.
1. The Silence of the Lambs (Director: Jonathan Demme, 1991)
"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti." Iconic and terrifying words from one of cinema’s premier serial killers, Dr Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’ Lector (Anthony Hopkins) which helped make this 90s crime thriller based on Thomas Harris’ 1988 novel a mainstay for film lovers. Starring Jodie Foster as the intrepid Clarice Starling as she enlists the cannibal doctor’s help in tracking down a deranged serial killer known as ‘Buffalo Bill’, fitting given his penchant for skinning his victims in order to make a ‘real girl suit’. The film’s artwork depicts a woman seemingly stifled by a ‘death’s head moth’, a recurring element of the theme and part of Buffalo Bill’s pathology. Interestingly, on closer inspection the skull on the moth appears to be an allusion to photographer Philippe Halsman’s ‘In Voluptas Mors’, shot in collaboration with surrealist Salvador Dali. The original image features several naked women posed in the shape of a skull, absolutely defining the film and the primary antagonist’s MO in a single image.