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

Sometimes it amazes me just how many movies exist.

https://dyn1.heritagestatic.com/lf?set=path%5B1%2F2%2F0%2F120433%5D&call=url%5Bfile%3Aproduct.chain%5D

The Brothers O'Toole, 1973

https://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/comicod/one-and-only-family-band-WC-s.jpg

The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, 1968

I forget if this was the (now broken) image I commented a while back reminded me of this style upthread, but since it popped up again

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZqYIEfXgAE0AMP?format=jpg&name=large

that looks like Rockwell on meth

deepdream of MAGA snorg girl

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51t7R0ZtJ8L._AC_.jpg

Garbo Talks, 1984

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDM3ZmJlZmUtZDc1ZC00MmNiLTg4MDEtY2Y2NDdjNjI3ZjZhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDY4MzkyNw@@._V1_.jpg

It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time, 1975

https://cloud.filmfed.com/movies/posters/l_050e3347-2c95-442c-b154-ea37d9826de3.jpg

Find The Lady, 1976

VHS cover:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Findthelady.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bf/Three_Tough_Guys.jpg/220px-Three_Tough_Guys.jpg

Three Tough Guys, 1974

plot summary for Find the Lady:

"A New York detective who likes pizza keeps an eye on a hoodlum hired to kidnap an heiress."

or, from Wiki:

"The plot involves kidnapping schemes all involving the same woman except the wrong woman gets taken and the right one runs away with her boyfriend."

That Garbo Talks one is haunting me.

I don't remember the movie specifically, but that sort of thin-point whimsical caricature was on many a hard-shell VHS box at my local video rental store.

The ultimate proof that I was an indiscriminate movie-crazed child: I watched Garbo Talks when I was 7 or 8 years old because it was on cable (remember nothing about the movie now).

Surprised this connection wasn't mentioned above (from Leonard Maltin's review of Find the Lady:

Candy and Dane played same characters a year earlier in IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME.

Also, the less busy/claustrophobic, but far more horrifying alternate poster for It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516iuE4v71L._AC_.jpg

Breaking the rules, but here's another one in that Garbo vein:

https://i.imgur.com/UyAW23t.jpg

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...?