Go to the megaplex these days, and you'll be stared down by airbrushed images of Jennifer Lawrence, Will Ferrell and Sandra Bullock. Gone are the head-turning, hand-illustrated posters of the '70s and '80s — until recently. Cleveland native Matthew Chojnacki's new book, Alternative Movie Posters: Film Art from the Underground (Schiffer Publishing, $34.99), brings together more than 200 film posters from 100 new wave designers. "[I wanted] to show how unusual and advanced these posters are getting," says Chojnacki of the book released in October. "They really are turning into true collector pieces." Get a sneak peek of three standouts below.
An American Werewolf in London
» "These horror films of the '70s and '80s, they really didn't align as much gore as they do nowadays. [Cleveland artist Jake Kelly] did it justice," says Chojnacki of the poster promoting Cleveland Cinemas' 2012 showing of An American Werewolf in London.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
» Artist Mark Welser of Erie, Pa., took inspiration from retro movie poster artist Saul Bass in his salute to the cult classic. "Every artist in the book has their own take," says Chojnacki. "I think [Welser] did a clever job."
Mean Girls
» Toledo artist Mitch Ansara created this poster by mixing a '60s aesthetic with a nod to the I Can Read book series. "This is where these artists take it to the next level, where not only are they making a cool poster, but they are combining it with some sort of nostalgic image," Chojnacki says.
