My Original Poster Collection

I figured it's about time I posted again, and since I will finally be buying a few frames for some of my original posters, I decided to post pictures of them here to share with everyone.  I've been fortunate to find a number of these inexpensively on eBay – although there are a few for which I paid more than I probably should have – and I'm quite proud of my little collection.  A couple of the daybills (Monster, Motel Hell, and Nosferatu) were given to me by my good friend Dee Raphael Glen.  Thanks again, Dee!

I grabbed these pictures from various websites (mostly Wrong Side of the Art), so you can see what the posters look like.

ALICE, SWEET ALICE (1976) – U.S. ONE SHEET

THE ATTIC (1980) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

BLOW OUT (1981) – AUSTRALIAN DAYBILL

BODY DOUBLE (1984) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

CARRIE (1976) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

DEADLY BLESSING (1981) – U.S. ONE SHEET

DON'T LOOK NOW (1973) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THE FLY (1986) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THE FURY (1978) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

GLORIA (1980) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE (1980) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

HOWLING II (1985) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) – AUSTRALIAN DAYBILL

(This is my actual poster.  The picture was taken from the eBay listing I purchased it from.  I've never seen another one since I got it, so it must be rare!)

MONSTER (aka HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP) (1980) – AUSTRALIAN DAYBILL
 

MOTEL HELL (1980) – AUSTRALIAN DAYBILL

NOSFERATU (1979) – AUSTRALIAN DAYBILL

PIECES (1983) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THE PREMONITION (1976) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THE PSYCHIC (1977) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

PSYCHO II (1983) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THE SENTINEL (1977) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

SISTERS (1973) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

STRANGE SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM (aka A SPECIAL MAGNUM FOR TONY SAITTA) (1976) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

TERROR TRAIN (1980) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

THEY CAME FROM WITHIN (aka SHIVERS) (1975) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

TORSO (1973) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (1979) – U.S. ONE-SHEET

Ten Blu-rays That Prove Old Movies Can Look Great

By Ryan Clark

One of my biggest annoyances as a film buff is hearing people say that old films don't look as good as new films.  Of course, "good" is subjective.  Movies have certainly gotten slicker with new technology, but does that make them better-looking?  Many would argue that it does... but they likely have not seen these movies on Blu-ray:

10. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978, DIR. MEIR ZARCHI) – ANCHOR BAY

You mean a cheap exploitation film from the late 70s looks fantastic on Blu-ray?  You bet.  There is a bit of flickering throughout, but the image is so sharp and colorful that it's easy to ignore.  Buy it at Amazon.

9. THE TOOLBOX MURDERS (1978, DIR. DENNIS DONNELLY) – BLUE UNDERGROUND

This film is even cheaper and more exploitation-y than I Spit on Your Grave, and, surprisingly, it looks even better.  Some people tell me they don't want low-budget films to look too good, and I can kind of understand that, but it still looks like a 70s film – just a lot clearer.  Buy it at Amazon.
 

8. M (1931, DIR. FRITZ LANG) – CRITERION

Who would have thought a movie from the 30s would look so stunning?  It really makes you wonder why so many movies made after this one aren't so lucky.  Looking past the old clothes and the fact that it's in black and white, the clarity of this transfer is comparable to that of a modern movie.  Buy it at Amazon.

7. DEEP RED (1975, DIR. DARIO ARGENTO) – BLUE UNDERGROUND

So many Italian films on Blu-ray suffer from heavy noise (not to be confused with grain, which is natural), but Deep Red probably fares the best.  It's incredibly bright, sharp, and colorful; those nail polish reds really pop.  Buy it at Amazon.

6. FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980, DIR. SEAN S. CUNNINGHAM) – PARAMOUNT 

This transfer is very impressive for an independent slasher film made thirty-one years ago in New Jersey.  Especially beautiful are the daytime scenes – the trees in the woods are incredibly detailed!  Unfortunately, this is the much-demanded uncut version that extends the deaths and makes a couple of them look more fake (especially the Kevin Bacon arrow-in-the-neck scene) than they did in the R-rated version.  But the Blu-ray is worth owning for the gorgeous transfer and fun extras.  Buy it at Amazon.

5. THE SHINING (1980, DIR. STANLEY KUBRICK) – WARNER
That helicopter shot during the opening credits looks absolutely amazing on this Blu-ray.  The rest of the film looks great, too.  The groovy carpet patterns and wallpapers are almost 3-D.  Buy it at Amazon.

4. THE EXORCIST (1973, DIR. WILLIAM FRIEDKIN) – WARNER
This Blu-ray is so sharp and clear that you'll feel like you got hit in the face with pea soup.  Buy it at Amazon.

3. PSYCHO (1960, DIR. ALFRED HITCHCOCK) – UNIVERSAL
I think that screenshot pretty much says it all, doesn't it?  The transfer is pretty damn excellent if you can make out every single eyelash on Norman Bates' face.  Buy it at Amazon.

2. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975, DIR. JIM SHARMAN) – 20TH CENTURY FOX
Anybody who says Rocky Horror is badly made need only watch the Blu-ray.  The cinematography really shines.  Those reds!  Occasionally the film switches to what appears to be an SD source (or else the shots are just really out of focus), but the rest of the transfer is so gorgeous that I'm willing to look past it.  Buy it at Amazon.

1. TAXI DRIVER (1976, DIR. MARTIN SCORSESE) – SONY PICTURES
I'd say this is probably the best-looking older film I own on Blu-ray.  The restoration is just superb.  They didn't restore the original color scheme of the ending, but that's okay.  I actually think the desaturation makes the violent ending more disturbing.  Buy it at Amazon.


Here are some more excellent Blu-rays that I highly recommend:

North by Northwest
Inferno
The New York Ripper
Creepshow
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Alien
Videodrome
Young Frankenstein
Basket Case
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