Scream And Scream Again (1970)
Representative Of The Film? Yes; in fact, the acid is a bit of a spoiler. That said, there’s nothing as memorable in the film as this image.
Coolest Detail: Get the feeling that the copywriting was done by somebody more used to selling whiskey?
Cloverfield (2008)
Representative Of The Film? Well, Liberty gets decapitated. But the throwback to cult movies’ 1980s glory days (it’s a riff on the classic Escape From New York poster) doesn’t quite reflect the film’s ultra-modern hipsters-with-camcorders vibe.
Coolest Detail: Following the trail of destruction wrought by Liberty’s flying head.
Hard Candy (2005)
Representative Of The Film? A brilliant metaphor for a story of paedophilia, entrapment and revenge that subliminally warns the audience what is likely to happen.
Coolest Detail: The shades of ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Representative Of The Film? A brilliantly surreal collage, which juxtaposes two symbols of innocence and fragility – a pram, and Mia Farrow – to instil an uncanny feeling of fear.
Coolest Detail: The placement of the pram ‘inside’ Rosemary’s head subliminally helps with Roman Polanski’s subterfuge that she’s imagining things.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Representative Of The Film? Lurid, exploitative and deeply sinister. That’d be a yes, then.
Coolest Detail: Leatherface is actually slicing into the film’s title. Nothing is sacred in this film.
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2010)
Representative Of The Film? A canny decision, this. Showing the centipede’s side-view would be a little too much for the public, but the face-on pose is icky enough.
Coolest Detail: Frosted glass – protection for the squeamish, and a dare for the gorehounds.
The Howling (1981)
Representative Of The Film? Although Joe Dante’s werewolf flick is just as ironic as its contemporary, An American Werewolf in London , this impressively violent image suggests a straighter scare story.
Coolest Detail: The tactile detail on the torn fabric is enough to make you touch the poster to check it isn’t really ripped.
The Exorcist (1973)
Representative Of The Film? It's an iconic, unnerving image, but putting Max Von Sydow in an austere monochrome photo does suggest Bergman-esque art-house drama rather than head-spinning, pea-vomiting, crucifix-shagging derangement.
Coolest Detail: The stark silhouette of Von Sydow's exorcist.
Jaws (1975)
Representative Of The Film? Aptly primal and fuss-free for the most high-concept of summer movies. The only thing wrong is that the shark looks like a shark.
Coolest Detail: The teasing hint of nudity. And to think they let kids see this.
Alien (1979)
Representative Of The Film? Yes and no. With the surprise of the alien’s life cycle key to the film’s impact, the poster shows only its beginning, in a way that combines intrigue with creepy foreboding.
Coolest Detail: The tagline, surely a contender for cinema’s greatest ever.
