Poster Of The Day - Zombie-A-Thon Edition - Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

Dawn of the Dead is a great movie. Characters with depth, a story that mostly makes sense, pacing that builds tension, bursts of action and violence, great practical effects (although the blue face on the zombies isn't that great) and some deftly handled social commentary.

And that poster! Freaking amazing. It is visually simple; but, it's minimalism is key of its appeal. The bold title font and color let's you know this is a hard hitting film. The abstract zombie head rising from the horizon is disturbing without being graphic. You know some bad is happening - why does the head have the mottled discoloration? Why is it being equated with the sun? Does it mean the film is going to show us a world where zombies have won the day? We don't have an image of what the zombies will look like, allowing us to mentally fill in the blanks.There is no visual example of the scope of the film, just the impression that it will be big. The tag line "When there's no more room in HELL the dead will walk the EARTH" is memorable and prominently place. Your gaze goes straight from the zombie head to the tag line, enhancing the impact of both. The only thing that detracts from the poster is the side bar, mentioning >Night of the Living Dead and Romero's name. While understandable from a marketing point of view, it detracts from the vertical lines and clear focus of the poster.

The poster is a classic example of conveying feeling and meaning without using complex images or giving away anything specifically from the film. One of my favorites.