Thanks to
Davis Chenault for his post highlighting the IGN 25 Top Sci-FI Posters.
Here's my top 10 (in no particular order) with some alternate versions thrown in for good measure:
1. MAD MAX
Original Theatrical Poster | 
UK Poster |
| |
I love the graphic simplicity of the original release, but the UK poster (which I remember from my childhood) makes me wanna see the movie NOW!.
2. DUNE
UK Poster | 
Japanese Poster |
The haunting alien vista of the UK poster is infinitely preferable to the car crash of bad airbrush art that is the Japanese version. Who is Paul Atreides supposed to be kissing, cos it sure doesn't look like Sean Young.
3. BLADE RUNNER
| Original Poster | Directors Cut Poster |
The crazy angles and harsh edged look to the original composite are given a more sympathetic and dreamlike treatment for the directors cut. Much better poster IMHO.
4. THEY LIVE
Original Poster | 
Marc Palm Homage Poster |
Rowdy Roddy Pipper eyeballs your "alienness" in the original, but there's a nice subversive edge to
Marc Palm's "Hope" version.
5. STAR WARS
Original Poster | 
Olly Moss Homage |
The original is a masterpiece of both composition and oil painting, even if the blasters seem to be firing light-sabre beams. The Olly Moss homage is an elegant piece of graphic design genius. I'm officially torn between the two.
6. ALIEN
| Original Poster | Polish Poster |
The minimalist original has it all, black for space, weird cracked egg with green glowy yolk, scary byeline and alien eggbox landscape. The poor poles have no idea what they're letting themselves in for with their bizarre blood vessel drawing of what I can only presume is a facehugger?
7. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
| Original Poster | Special Edition Poster |
The Big Apple has gone all to hell in the iconic (if a little cliched) original as the characters are caught in a spot of mid escape terror. The Special Edition looks like one of Snake Plisken's holiday snaps, posed right after he's brought down the Statue of Liberty in some sort of explosive mayhem.
8. SCANNERS
| Original Poster | Italian Poster |
In the definitive original, Michael Ironside's about to explode!!!. But I love the comic book style and vivid fiery reds in the Italian version.
9. GODZILLA VS MEGALON
| Original Poster | Alternate Poster |
Godzilla is kicking Megalon's butt in the original and classic poster. In the alternate version The Lost Continent of Mu has been given the boot in favour of a battle on top of the Twin Trade Towers which due to the exaggerated scale makes both these Kaiju look a bit puny by comparison. Nice idea, poor execution (and the typeography lets it down as well)
10. THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN
| Original Poster | Ken Taylor Mondo Poster |
The arthouse style original with its dirty steampunk qualities are eschewed by Ken Taylor for a heavily inked composite illustration evocative of a Hammer Horror movie poster.
