21 Reimagined Cult Movie Posters

There’s something about cult films that begs for interpretation. Whether it’s their odd themes or quirky actors, cult movies are great fodder for artists’ imaginations. I think it’s because B movies, horror slapsticks and fantastical tales just get better over time – as we watch these films over and over, we pick up more imagery as we memorize the dialogue. A seemingly unimportant scene all of a sudden stands out on the 11th viewing.

California’s Gallery 1988 is well aware of fan rabidness for cult films, so for the past five years it’s organized the “Crazy 4 Cult” series, in which artists submit works inspired by their favorite movies. The July 2011 show included pieces inspired by “The Room,” “Freaks,” “Repo Man” and “The Warriors.”

The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain hosts film festivals throughout the year, including Fantastic Fest (sci-fi, horror, fantasy and other cult films) and the Rolling Roadshow Tour, in which 35mm movies are screened in their film-related location across the country. For these events, Alamo Drafthouse commissions posters for the movies, and this year it was announced that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will archive the collection.

It’s one thing to have old movie posters on your walls – they always invite a nostalgic conversation with visitors. But a reimagined movie poster is a different type of attention-getter. Now you have original art that captures one scene, a special character or a theme. And the best part is, reinterpreted film posters often blend in better in the dining room than a glaring official poster with its screaming fonts. To paraphrase The Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” an artist’s film poster could really tie the room together.

Here are 21 reimagined cult movie posters I would love to hang up in my home.

The Big Lebowski (Source: Ibraheem Youssef)

Cujo (Source: Extreme Canvas)

Heathers (Source: Chris Thornley)

A Clockwork Orange (Source: David Johnston & David Ellis)

Batman Returns (Source: Tom Whalen)

Reservoir Dogs (Source: Grischa Stanjek)

Labyrinth (Source: Travis Pitts)

The Birds (Source: Laz Marquez)

The Goonies (Source: Jerod Gibson)

Edward Scissorhands (Source: N.C. Winters)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Source: Brandon Schaefer)

Back to the Future (Source: Emma Butler)

The Evil Dead (Source: Olly Moss)

Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (Source: Todd Slater)

Army of Darkness (Source: Tom Whalen)

Blue Velvet (Source: Will Thomas)

Rocky Horror Picture Show (Source: Ken Taylor)

The Breakfast Club (Source: Dan Fritschie)

Machete (Source: David Choe)

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Source: Casey Weldon)

Night of the Creeps (Source: Jon Smith)

You might also like…

50 Beautifully Designed Posters with Amazing Typography →
30 Beautifully Colorful Typographic Book Cover Designs →
The Beauty of Minimalist Music Posters →
The Complete Web Design Style Series (700 Designs in 14 Categories) →
10 Album Covers for Eye-grabbing Color Scheme Inspiration →
Eight Helpful Rules for Logo Designers →
The Trend of Minimalist Graphic Design →
A Gallery of Slightly Odd and Wonderful Photography from Mr Toledano →
50 Beautiful HDR Images from 50 World Cities →
20 Beautiful Examples of Photoshopped Smoke Art and Technique Tutorials →
30 Creative Photography Examples using the Polar Panorama Effect →
20 Amazing Images That Could Be HDR – But are definitely Not →