FINAL GIRL explores the slasher flicks of the '70s and '80s...and all the other horror movies I feel like talking about, too. This is life on the EDGE, so beware yon spoilers!

Dec 31, 2010

awesome movie poster friday - the GHANAIAN edition!

Movie theaters came to Ghana in the 1980s thanks to the advent of VHS. Temporary mobile Cinemas were created and traveled from town to town spreading good cheer by showing films like Dolly Dearest. Artists were commissioned to create the posters for the "theaters", and they were given license to paint whatever they wanted on cloth or sacks or whatever else could be rolled up and taken along easily. Frequently, these artists never saw any of the movies at all...and that, my friends, is the answer to the question you surely asked when you saw these posters: why is Ghana bringing the cray cray?

I think we can all agree that the poster for Cujo is the best poster EVER.















13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good call. 'Course I noticed this myself as far back as '07:

http://thegreatwhitedope.blogspot.com/search/label/Foreign%20Poster%20Atrocities

- TGWD

Stacie Ponder said...

Oh. Well, I probably should have checked with the rest of the internet before I posted about it. ;)

Anonymous said...

I have seen two books on this very subject and love them both, but you've got some posters here I don't remember seeing (although that might be just the fact that my brain is a little fried). Thanks for sharing Stacie!

Kai said...

Holy shit! I had no idea these so-called "Ghanese-posters" existed. Pure genius!

AE said...

Thank you for explaining the Ghana cray-cray and putting the "Evil Dead II" poster in context! The clinical detachment at work in the TCSM poster is very pleasing. And I want the Cujo one for my living room. Sweet puppy!!!

CashBailey said...

Fucking brilliant!!

These sure beat the hell out of the hastily cobblerd-together 'floating heads' bullshit that passes for most theatrical posters these days.

I know I'd rather see a paining of unspeakable shittiness than yet another 'floating heads' poster.

Anonymous said...

It appears Ghana took the Archie approach and had a "house art style" that artists had to follow. :)

These are awesome.

Pearce said...

Wow, I love these. The Cujo and Friday the 13th Part 7 posters are awesome, and I love the take on Ash, but that Sleepwalkers poster is just out of control!

Kensington said...

I just want to take Cujo home and cuddle him!

Andreas said...

These are so beautiful/deranged! Just sad that the Child's Play poster isn't here - it's a wonder to behold.

I especially love the Evil Dead II one. If it's at all possible, I very much recommend tracking down the book Extreme Canvas. It's got dozens of these from all genres, and is awesome.

Gpdullius said...

There´s an awesome collection here (ghana, thai...)
http://tracker.zaerc.com/torrents-details.php?id=14688&hit=1

But TGWD probably already posted the link...

Anonymous said...

The innernet is like your new girlfriend, TGWD. Someone's always been there first, and he's probably bragged about it.

Carrie said...

Wow, these are just absolutely hilarious! I just love the disappearing legs on the Anaconda poster, how Freddy looks like he’s in dire need of weight watchers, and that Cujo was apparently a horse with a dog’s head. And I swear the Sleepwalkers one made me burst out laughing - her foot is a freakin’ cat’s head!

Thanks, that was a whole lotta awesomeness and my favorite “movie poster Friday” edition by far!!