This document discusses the evolution of horror movie posters over time from the 1940s to the 2010s. It analyzes posters from different eras and notes trends in the use of fonts, images, layouts, and level of detail used to convey horror and intrigue audiences. Overall, the posters have become more graphic and detailed in their horror imagery over time while maintaining simple layouts and letting the visuals tell the story.

1. How Horror Posters
have Developed through
the Ages?
By Izabella Tulip-Parkin

2. The title is bold and
vibrant using red and
yellow creating this
feeling as if the letters
are on fire maybe
relating a key scene in
the film or hinting at the
storyline.
The tagline is simple and
to the point states a vary
basic summary of the
story.
The illustrations at the
bottom left and right of the
image bring to light the
other main characters of
the film and try to further
convey to the audience
hints at the storyline and
prompt some form of
horror in them and
anticipation when going to
see the film.
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The main focus of the image
is the monster the
combination of the tittle
looming over the monster
head casting a shadow
creating sinister and eerie
image.
Also features a list of
actors/actresses and the
director for the film.
The page itself isn’t very
cluttered , the layout is
simple, but the variety
of colours and the bold
images is what brings
the poster to life.

3. The images are key to the
poster the concept of a
women hanging her self and
this large looming skeleton
standing over her and the
house , would have
effectively shocked and
horrified the audience of the
time. Also the horror is
amplified by this delicate
figure of a women she looks
like the damsel in distress
and quite angelic, which is
convey through the way in
which the delicate yellow
dress hangs off her.
The images at either corner
hint at key character and
aspects of the plot. The
mysterious and ghostly lit
figure holding the eyeless
head creates a sense of
horror for the audience along
side the small image of the
man drowning as a
fisherman watches sets the
mood for the film . Convey it
will be filled with mysteries,
secrets and the men can not
1959
The angle at which the
house has been drawn
creates this feel as the
viewer that it is looming
over you and trying to lure
you in. The ay in which the
skeleton stands looking
over the hole image creates
this feel that death plays a
large part in this horror film.
The titles font perfectly
forms into the hill and the
man stood behind the
lettering, it looks as if is has
naturally grown their. It
follows along with the wind
swept look that the top part
of the image conveys.
This poster in comparison to
the last is a lot more daring
for the time as the imagery is
a lot more daring and
horrifying. The key women on
this poster is a lot more
seductively dressed. The
poster itself is a lot more
detailed and includes more
imagery give the audience a

4. 1980
The font used for the title
is bold and simple,
seems that the designer
have created their own
style of font for the film,
which meant it became
quite an iconic font type.
The actor/actress and
directors name are bold
and simple. The layout is
simple , but effectively
gives the viewer an
insite into what the film is
about. What works
extremely effectively is
the designer has let the
film speak for itself and
left the viewer to make
their on decision on what
the storyline entails.
The rotates around the
most famous scene
from the film. The
movement within the
image effectively
brings the image to life.
The juxtaposition
created by the horrified
look on the woman's
face compared to the
satisfaction and crazed
look of joy on Jack’s
face effectively
enhance the shock and
horror of the audience.
When comparing the last
poster to this one although
their was a massive leap in
date, concept are still the
same, yet designer have
refined the poster it isn’t as
cluttered and they have
given audience the chance
to
use
their
imagination, instead of
giving a basic outline of the
movie. They have also
reverted to images instead

5. The eye seamlessly
fades into the white
background creating
a perfect canvas for
the lettering.
The extreme close up of the
eyes work perfectly in
encapsulating the audience
as you can see all the hair
follicles and the finer details
on the eye. The reflection
on the eye is simple, but
effective way of showing a
key character yet keeping
them a mystery as they are
a silhouette . The fear is
create by the wasp touching
her eye as the concept for
most people of getting
something trapped in your
eye or someone touching it
sets horror in
people, makes them feel
squeamish. A perfect
example of that is ‘Un Chien
Andalou’ directed by Dali
which consists of a vary
famous where by someone
cuts another persons
1992
The tagline is simple
and gives the audience
a hint into what the
concept for the storyline
is, although I feel the
tagline maybe be a bit
overly simplified.
The font for the title
angular shapes
look as if they are
supposed to
represented some
form of bee/wasp
hive. Its quite an
iconic font, as its
looks to have been
designed
specifically the last
In comparison to for the
poster the designer film.
have
seemed to revert back to
using a lot more words, but
the layout is still simple. The
image itself is a lot more
cryptic as it makes the
audience work harder to
understand what the film is
about. The difference with
this poster is that you would
have to watch the film to
understand the references.
However overall the finer

6. 2013
The novel like poster
is further emphasized
through the simple
font used for the title.
The image is
haunting with the
large country house
in the background
smother with fog , to
sprawling tree which
has a noose hung
from its branch, it’s a
classic set up for a
horror film. The image
almost looks like the
front cover of a novel.
The finer details are
key to this image
specifically the
silhouette of what looks
like a child in a night
gown being hung on
the ground, giving hints
to the audience about
the storyline.
The tagline hints at
the fact the director
may shoot the film in
a documentary style
or could be trying to
miss lead the
audience into
believing the horror of
the film which
enhance the fear of
the audience as the
film may use a
Finally through the out the
realistic story line.
imagery has slowly developed
and become more technical in
this final poster we can see
how technology and editing
has become key to posters. As
the finer details seem key to
creating the horror. The
imagery itself is a lot more life
like. Follow on from the 80’s
one thing that seems to be a
constant is the simple layout of
the poster with on the
necessary words and imagery
on. They key thing which they
have developed and become
more effective with doing is