SHOCK looks at some of the most arresting horror movie posters from the first decade of the new century.
Here we go again folks, forging forward into the next decade of incredible poster art work and glorious one-sheets. There were a tremendous number of outstanding entries from 2000 till 2010 to sift through; so taking that into consideration, we have jacked the collection to 15 instead of 10. So enjoy, if you dare!
Did any of your personal favorites make the cut?
SESSION 9 (2001) – Dir. Brad Anderson
This underappreciated spook fest was generally overlooked by many upon release; yet there are folks who absolutely love this haunting nightmare and will defend it to their graves. If you haven’t seen this near-forgotten gem, what’s the hold up, get on it! In the meantime, let’s drool over its gorgeous and mysterious theatrical one-sheet.
SLITHER (2006) – Dir. James Gunn
We absolutely love this early James Gunn poster; a pleasant throwback to NIGHT OF THE CREEPS and Cronenberg’s SHIVERS, for sure. SLITHER is kind of a weird beast, from the man who later delivered the smash hit GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Still not too sure what to make of this film but I have huge love for the one-sheet.
PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006) – Dir. Guillermo del Toro
2006 was a great year for horror, dark fantasy and weird hybrids like our previous entry, but the biggest horror success story both artistically and commercially came in the form of del Toro’s dark and surreal fantasy PAN’S LABYRINTH. The poster has Guillermo’s style all over it; an elegant nod to the era of painted posters from the 60s and 70s.
THE HAPPENING (2008) – Dir. M. Night Shyamalan
Okay, so not the most glowingly reviewed entry from the man who brought us THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE. THE HAPPENING almost laid M.Night to waste as he had been on a steady decline since releasing titles like LADY IN THE WATER and THE LAST AIRBENDER. We must give credit where it’s due however because this poster is fantastic; very TWILIGHT ZONE-ish.
CABIN FEVER (2002) – Dir. Eli Roth
From fledgling (at the time) horror bad boy Eli Roth, CABIN FEVER quickly ushered Eli into the horror universe and introduced us to his signature flare. CABIN FEVER was a vulgar little gem that found its way into our hearts and with a one-sheet like this, how could we resist buying a ticket?
SILENT HILL (2006) – Dir. Christophe Gans
Christophe Gans’ SILENT HILL poster is captivating and ethereal. The one-sheet yields no clues as to the terror that actually lurks within this Roger Avery (RULES OF ATTRACTION) penned tale, yet we are seductively lured into it like mosquitoes to a bug zapper. We can almost hear those terrifying sirens right now…
THE MIST (2007) – Dir. Frank Darabont
This Frank Darabont/Stephen King masterpiece was for some reason despised by many (it seemed that people simply hated the ending so much it destroyed their ability to appreciate the rest of the film). Haters aside, THE MIST is a fabulous and frightening piece of cinema; a total nightmare experience and the poster effectively gives you a taste of things to come…from out of the mist.
THE RING (2002) – Dir. Gore Verbinski
Gore Verbinski’s THE RING caught viewers in 2002 with a sneaky left hook and legitimately scared the bejesus out of us. The poster should have been our first clue going in – be prepared to get scare. On a negative note, we were not impressed by the other theatrical one-sheet with Naomi Wattss mug plastered behind the title treatment…even if she’s wonderful on the eyes.
SPLICE (2009) – Dir. Vincenzo Natali
A sadly ignored entry from the crafty talent who gave us the Canadian sci-fi indie gem CUBE. This time around, Natali created a fierce little sci-fi/horror hybrid that could have been plucked out of a Cronenberg multi-verse realm. Both the teaser and theatrical images are staggering and bewitching.
28 DAYS LATER (2002) – Dir. Danny Boyle
At the height of the zombie resurgence, renegade director Danny Boyle dove right in and gave us the smash hit 28 DAYS LATER. The great thing about 28 DAYS LATER is that it seamlessly brings together solid drama with gut-wrenching horror; the one-sheet seems to compliment that cinematic style meticulously.
LAND OF THE DEAD (2005) – Dir. George A. Romero
Let’s face it, zombies have ruled the millennia If you need proof, just check out the decades contributions from zombie Godfather, George A. Romero. Along with the James Gunn/ZackSnyder remake of Romero’s beloved DAWN OF THE DEAD, George himself also bestowed upon the 2000’s LAND OF THE DEAD, DIARY OF THE DEAD, and SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD. But Universal’s LAND OF THE DEAD poster gets top-billing.
CLOVERFIELD (2008) – Dir. Matt Reeves
As J.J. Abrams was exploding onto the scene, he produced this found footage piece that was actually a refreshingly new take on the whole sub-genre. This Reeves new feature was completely shrouded in mystery and the studios kept CLOVERFIELD under tight wraps. The theatrical poster only drove movie-goers batty with anticipation and heightened the mystery surrounding Abrams’s next cinematic adventure.
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (2009) – Dir. Tom Six
Love it or hate it, Tom Six’s THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE deliberately aims to provoke and tries to cross the line of decency; however, no can dispute how incredible the one-sheet is that terrorized so many of us (and for some, made us queasy). This poster will be forever imprinted on our minds for years to come…
THE CRAZIES (2010) – Dir. Breck Eisner
If one George A. Romero remake this decade wasn’t enough for you, how about another? THE CRAZIES poster is an artistic snapshot that more or less got its style from film posters like THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake. This effective technique, although maybe a bit lazy is still being employed to this day.
THE DESCENT (2005) – Dir. Neil Marshall
This granddaddy of millennial fright flicks came out in 2005. Neil Marshall (DOG SOLDIERS) really clocked us in the teeth with THE DESCENT, a drama that quickly spirals into sheer terror and madness. There hadn’t been a horror film of this caliber in some time and not one so legitimately scary. The “skull” one-sheet is a thing of allurement…
Honorable mentions; LET ME IN, THE OTHERS, AMERICAN PSYCHO, THE HILLS HAVE EYES 1 and 2.
