post movie posters done in a busy/claustrophobic caricature style from the 70s and 80s

Strong Caldecott Medal vibes on that one and Garbo Talks.

totally.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjNkY2RiMDItYmRlMS00MzYyLWJmZGMtYWVhYjViODcyMjNiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,660,1000_AL_.jpg

Up the Academy, 1980

The film was neither a commercial nor critical success when it was originally released, and was disowned by both the staff of Mad magazine and actor Ron Leibman (who, despite his sizable role, had his name completely removed from the credits and promotional material). Besides paying Warner Bros. $30,000 to remove all references to Mad from the film when it was released on home video, Mad's publisher William Gaines issued personal handwritten apologies to every person that wrote the magazine to complain.

I watched AMERICAN GRAFFITI again last week and was slightly surprised to see that its poster was in this loveable style.

I had always thought it was a slightly more serious film!

Amazed that Dick Emery and John Candy appeared in the same film.

Never saw Up the Academy but feel like maybe it had an interesting soundtrack. Believe Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers were on it with "Roadrunner."

I don't remember Mad Magazine ever doing a parody of it.

Huh?

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/rzjmjr/my-favorite-soundtrack-up-the-academy

There are a couple of playlists:
The sequence on this one looks better:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wCrZEJv1E8UknlDGRc0DT?si=NVhIBrR0RCaP_88cexTelg
This one has more followers and is a few minutes longer
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0CRdkZ0VAlVXh4PNabsrF2?si=JXJB3DfiR16cQnY6BXJ8kg

Or a youtube playlist if you like:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHjmgvprHauS8UzIpsLxtKNhoagE2jS0m&app=desktop

Street Hassle!

No wonder it flopped at the box office!

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-yshlhd/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/18278/164443/full.thecheapdetective_28252__04212.1565640511.jpg

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjRjNDRmY2UtNTUwNi00YjlkLWE1OWQtOTk5OTVkZWYxZmZhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI4MjA5MzA@._V1_UY1200_CR82,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

The Cheap Detective (1972)

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVLLr6-4csQ/V4KrG88ltVI/AAAAAAAALWA/dYveD3gsZ8wWqR6xNVz-Ih9uFdGOTfz_ACLcB/s1600/My%2BBodyguard.jpg

My Bodyguard, 1980

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTViZmE2ZDUtMDEyNC00MGJmLWFkMWEtZDcyZmMzNWRjOGI0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzU0NzkwMDg@._V1_.jpg

Free Ride, 1986

And speaking of Mamie Van Doreen, I kind of dig the faux-Nagel style used for this TV movie she did.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjgwYmVlOGMtMDk3OS00OTY4LWJlMjctNDM5YmUyNzRmZTg3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTk5MjAyMjM@._V1_.jpg

And guess what?

https://cdn.cinematerial.com/p/297x/eqy6kens/glory-years-finnish-vhs-movie-cover-md.jpg?v=1532607107

Glory Years/Wacky Weekend, 1987

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjU2ZGUxMjktNWE3YS00N2ZkLWFiYmItYTA4ZTZjYjE1NWQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg

Happy Hour,1986

had to check what happy hour was about

A chemist experimenting with different formulas stumbles upon an ingredient that, when added to beer, makes it absolutely irresistible. Before he realizes it, an international spy is after him to try to get the formula for himself.

Also: BOOBS

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWYxNzdlOGYtOTliMC00Mzc1LWE4MjMtYjkxZjlhOWY3ZWQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI4NzAzNjg@._V1_.jpg

Alexandria Again and Forever (1989)

RIP Joel Schumacher

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODNmYjc2ZjYtODc1Ny00Mjk4LWIxMjItOGQwMzkyMDU3ODNiL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA@@._V1_.jpg

https://media-cache.cinematerial.com/p/500x/b4munm6i/dc-cab-swedish-movie-poster.jpg?v=1456745278

https://media-cache.cinematerial.com/p/500x/vhmkk3xm/dc-cab-japanese-movie-poster.jpg?v=1556151262

D.C. Cab, 1983

I think the Japanese wine is the best of those three but I want to see this lost gem.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ec/Combatacademy.jpg/250px-Combatacademy.jpg

Combat Academy, 1986

Starring George Clooney, John Ratzenberger and Jamie Farr, fact fans.

(also, it is terrible.)

You could field a Hollywood Squares or Match Game out of that supporting cast!

Neal Israel's involvement in that movie reminds me of some 80s Mad magazine parody - perhaps their Teen Movies Awards - that joked about the Pat Proft University Of Joke-Writing.

Also, awks:

After being hired by director Amy Heckerling to work on Johnny Dangerously, the two began a relationship and married in July 1984.[1] The couple divorced in 1990 after making Look Who's Talking Too together. Israel believed their daughter, Mollie, was biologically his until a DNA test showed she was the biological daughter of director Harold Ramis.[4][5]

Harold Ramis was a guy who fucks.

Another Neal Isreal, this may not be quite busy enough for the thread, but it is so in the spirit of it that it deserves a mention nonetheless:

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/3LSxYMsuUCzuYqRfvV80qn8vhzZ.jpg

Americathon, 1979

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2I4MmRkYWItODQyOC00MWRlLWI3Y2EtNWI2MjY1ZTY4MDc3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDczMjgyNw@@._V1_UY1200_CR65,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

https://pics.videospace.fi/md-front-release-20815-1556882826-601.jpeg

Nutcase, 1980

I think we've had Americathon up before. It falls into the wacky illustration subgenre, usually utilized for anthology/sketch films like Kentucky Fried Movie or Loose Shoes.

Nutcase, starring Boris Johnson

Americathon also leaning into the American Graffiti neon-sign letterform style.

Have we ever hit on a name for what this style evolved into/was replaced by in the course of the 80s? Thinking of things like Night Shift, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, or Big Trouble in Little China ... more realistic faces, bold outlines around the figures, softer (airbrushed?) gradients... it's a very distinct aesthetic in its own right. Often still claustrophobic, but not necessarily. Maybe easier to build out of separate, Colorform-esque elements that got rearranged and overlapped as part of the design process...?

could raider of the lost ark started this trend

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1057/4964/products/raiders-of-the-lost-ark-vintage-movie-poster-original-1-sheet-27x41-6360.jpg?v=1534414855

Thinking of things like Night Shift, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, or Big Trouble in Little China

could raider of the lost ark started this trend

This is presumably just a case of people imitating Drew Struzan, much as half the pre-1980s examples in the thread are either Jack Davis or people imitating Jack Davis

sure, fair enough --- just interesting to contemplate why struzan's style was sought-after, apart from the obvious thing that he had done the posters for several extremely successful movies.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTYzOWQ1OTQtMmMwNy00NTc3LTllMWUtZWIzMTRjMzJiMGJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjE5MjUyOTM@._V1_.jpg
Search for Beauty, 1934

Just spitballing, but the Struzan style better fits the kind of broad lighting / extensive production design / low-grain / colour style of post-Spielberg general audience movies, whereas a lot of these earlier comedies would have been in smaller location buildings with lots of natural light, or cheaper sets, and making more out of the character actor faces they were filled with, rather than spectacle

^^ you can totally imagine a Struzan-style poster for It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In fact, you're doing it right now, aren't you

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/bEwdIkXKKcGWYSpEms7T0GyJF66.jpg

Wanda Nevada, 1979

sic, that's interesting! i'm not sure i buy that the movies WERE all that different (i can imagine Night Shift coming out ten years earlier with basically the same locations etc.) but maybe the art helps convey the sense that they ARE.... after you've seen one too many plodding laughless drive-in duds with the old style of posters, you need something to tell you that THIS is fresh, 80s-ready, Spielberg-ish, etc...

RIP Carl Reiner

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/714ztePfJ5L._AC_SY445_.jpg

https://cdn.cinematerial.com/p/500x/cvwuzjwx/the-one-and-only-german-movie-poster.jpg?v=1469056464

The One And Only, 1978

but maybe the art helps convey the sense that they ARE

yeah, obv not everything changed look immediately, but it became aspirational and fashionable - & if you couldn't afford to make your movie look like that, you might be able to afford a poster that does

https://img.moviepostershop.com/kiss-my-grits-movie-poster-1982-1020204112.jpg

Kiss My Grits, 1982

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjI3NjkwNjUxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjAzMTM4NA@@._V1_UY1200_CR80,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

https://media-cache.cinematerial.com/p/500x/ubtisn2g/a-small-town-in-texas-german-vhs-movie-cover.jpg?v=1523442149

A Small Town In Texas, 1976

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5Rn1gpBafCiJhWMfVSWhPEJiwun.jpg

The Marseille Contract, 1974

incredible column-a, column-b title there

One day I'm gonna tally up how often Michael Caine and James Mason appear in this thread.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTAwYjI5ZGQtOGNlMS00MjFkLTg4M2YtZmY4YTU3MzJhZWRlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjIyNjE2NA@@._V1_.jpg

Undercovers Hero aka Soft Beds, Hard Battles, 1974

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/Ebony%2C_Ivory_%26_Jade.jpg

Ebony, Ivory & Jade, 1976