Drew Struzan + the 80's movie-poster aesthetic (picture thread)

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As a kid I was always vaguely weirded-out by those painted 1980's movie posters (actually the style was so ubiquitous that usually I just failed to notice it, but whenever I did it would seem inexplicably creepy). It wasn't until recently that I realized how many were made by the same person - D.Struzan, most familiar for the Star Wars promo-artwork and all of the Indiana Jones + Back To The Future posters.

Looking at them now it's hard to get past the oh-god-Hollywood-in-the-80's thing, but they also seem more impressive - esp.after all the 90's posters featuring nothing but assorted photoshopped heads emerging out of blank space. Are they? Is everyone but me already familiar with DS? He's still painting (he did the first Harry Potter's poster) and the intraweb tells me he is "the most famous and collected artist in the world[!!!]"

this is my idea of a "difficult art" thread

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

inspired by the confluence of the high-concept sf movies thread, the 'painting is pointless' thread and watching this the other night:
http://www.alex-in-wonderland.com/MovieReviews/Domestic-B/BigTroubleInLittleChina.jpg

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I love the "look for THESE EXITING SCENES" vignettes-around-the-bottom trick

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

from this fansite:
"For whatever reason, the studio seemed afraid, insecure or they could have just not understood this film, but it was their clear direction to make it look like a comedy when they asked Drew to make the poster. Drew had not seen the film so only had their direction to go on as to what spirit this poster should have."

http://home.planetinternet.be/~bliek/namerose.jpg

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Did he do Mallrats too, or was that a parody?

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Monday, 28 April 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

yes that's him nick

early clues to creepiness:
http://www.theycamefromhollywood.com/empire_ants.jpg
http://www.stomptokyo.com/img-m5/food-of-the-gods-cvr.jpg
http://home.planetinternet.be/~bliek/tentacles.jpg

rock fans: see also ds's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath + Welcome To My Nightmare cover art

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:06 (twenty-two years ago)

police academy vs. better off dead FITE

my friend p sez this epitomizes everything wrong with the 80's:
http://www.marerico.com/moviepictures/Filofax.gif

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Love the "Taking Care of Business" poster. A friend pointed out once in the video store how one could conclude from the poster that Jim Belushi plays the part of some sort of physically gigantic party animal.

― theodore fogelsanger, Monday, 28 April 2003 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

it's funny cuz it's true

i've been looking at way too many of these. this probably wasn't a good idea.

― jones (actual), Monday, 28 April 2003 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Connery's looking pretty coy in that Name of the Rose one.

― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 28 April 2003 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Do you know if he did the Rules of Attraction poster?

― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 28 April 2003 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

no, i'm told that was eric white.

but he did make CHOMPS, which i'm sure you were also wondering about
http://home.planetinternet.be/~bliek/chomps.jpg

― jones (actual), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

crimeBITER do you see? delightful.

― jones (actual), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't get it. How can someone be a crimebiter? It's not like you can take a bit out of crime or anything like that.

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd take a bite out of Valerie back then. Yee-ha.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 08:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I must see C.H.O.M.P.S. -- Now! Make a good double feature with Superfuzz.

― PVC (peeveecee), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

That poster for Name of the Rose is probably about as misleading as you can get. I must get one.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

twenty-two years pass...

RIP indeed. What a career!

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/drew-struzan-dies-movie-posters-1236400361/

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 17:15 (five months ago)

RIP. That obit highlights his work for Lucas and Spielberg but I love that he wasn't above doing (excellent) posters for much less prestigious movies, like shitty 80s comedies etc.

― Kim Kimberly, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 18:12 (five months ago)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTQzYTVkN2YtNzM5Yy00MDVhLWEwMTQtNzgwMWVlNDJlZmRkXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

― Kim Kimberly, Tuesday, 14 October 2025 18:17 (five months ago)

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