This PowerPoint presentation summarizes the progression of horror film posters over the years from 1898 to 2013. It shows how posters evolved from simple images with basic fonts and color schemes to more stylized designs with darker colors and finer details that have become recognizable horror film poster conventions focusing on a central image with title text. Key developments included the shift to brighter comic book-like styles in the 1930s-40s, the rise of black and sharper fonts in the 1960s-70s, and the increased use of red and black/white color schemes from the 1990s onward.

1. This PowerPoint
shows the
progression of
horror film
posters over the
years.

2. A Caverne Maudite, 31 Dec 1898:
One of the first silent short films, the poster for
this was simply an image.
The Hunchback, 31 Aug 1909:
This was one of the first posters both used for the
cinema film, and the theatre production of the
film. It was quite detailed and based around the
design of a comic book.
Frankenstein, 18 Mar
1910: This poster was
is one of the first
landscape posters.

3. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: 26 Feb 1920.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: 18 Mar 1920.
The Golem: 29 Oct 1920.
All of the posters creating during this time used similar fonts and basic colour schemes.
The images are simple are the main focus of all posters

4. The Phantom of the Opera: 25 Nov 1925
Dracula: 12 Feb 1931
The Invisible Man: 13 Nov 1933
These posters were all designed with bright colours and can be easily compared to comic
books, this is what made them so attractive to audiences.

5. Son of Frankenstein: 13 Jan 1939,
The Wolf Man: 12 Dec 1941,
Cat People: 6 Dec 1942
Not much varied from the 1930’s-40’s posters, the layouts were very similar and the colour
schemes were still the same bright primary colours

6. Over the 1940’s
1960’s the colour
schemes of the
posters became much
darker, and the fonts
become much more
sharp.
The Body Snatcher: 25 May 1945
House on Haunted Hill: 17 Feb 1959
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors: 23 Feb 1965

7. Night of the Living Dead: 1 Oct 1968
The Exorcist :26 Dec 1973
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre :1 Oct 1974
From the late 60’s to 70’s the colour black became more and more often used, and the
type font became more serious. However the images on the print have become more
sharper/finer detailed

8. Black has now become a stereotypical feature of all posters
Since the 70’s. Posters have now started to include more
text.
The Omen: 6 Jun 1976
The Hills Have Eyes: 22 Jul 1977
Dawn of the Dead: 2 Sep 1978

9. Friday the 13th: 9 May 1980
Poltergiest: 4 Jun 1982
The Thing: 25 Jun 1982

10. A Nightmare on Elm Street: 9 Nov 1984
Fright Night: 2 Aug 1985
Leviathan: 22 Sep 1989
Throughout the whole of the 1980’s, the
layout of posters became easily recognizable
having the main image centre, include titles
and a billboard

11. In the 90’s the layout was kept the same, but using black and white became more increasingly
popular colour scheme
The Silence of the Lambs: 14 Feb 1991
Candyman: 2 Sep 1992
Scream: 20 Dec 1996

12. Blade: 21 Aug 1998
The Blair Witch Project: 30 Jul 1999
Valentine: 2 Feb 2001
During this time period the colour red became a
significant colour that represents danger. The colour
scheme of Red, Black and White were very popular and
effective.

13. Nothing more has changed in what is included in the posters, or in the
layout; therefore posters after this time period have become very
recognizable, but the colour scheme is what distinguishes the horror
posters from other posters.
Cabin Fever: 14 Sep 2002
The Ring: 18 Oct 2002
The Grudge: 22 Oct 2004

14. Silent Hill: 21 Apr 2006
The Eye: 1 Feb 2008
Sinister: 5 Oct 2011
The main image of the poster is often also included
in the trailer to the film

15. The Woman in
Black: 3 Feb 2012
The Cabin in the
Woods: 9 Mar 2012
The Possession: 31
Aug 2012
These are posters
of popular films
released through
out 2012

16. These posters are of the most popular films currently in
2013.
The Conjuring: 19 Jul 2013
Insidious: 14 Sep 2013
Carrie: 18 Oct 2013