ABCDEFridays: 1980’s Horror Movie Logos & Typography

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/evolution-of-horror-movie-poster-designs-1922-2009/

Typography can be used to evoke emotions from feelings of elation and excitement to dread and horror. The typefaces that are used for logos and posters possess stylistic attributes or imagery that help depict a grim and unsettling story. An example would be how they use distressed type forms to portray malicious intent or a gory event.
What makes these typefaces so fascinating is the atypical, yet still cinematic, approach to their design and the use of typography to communicate with viewers rather than conforming to other cinematic clichés such as displaying a large eye.

http://www.boredpanda.com/movie-poster-cliches/

These examples from the 1980’s stood out within their time. They make the best use of typography to communicate with their audiences. Many of today's horror films, they rely more on imagery than creating an identity within their typographic logos to entice the viewers.

He Knows You're Alone integrates the imagery of a fearful woman with the typeface.

The Evil Dead uses angular and dynamic type that breaks its traditional forms.

The Fog illustrates the type slowly and eerily approaching through its transitioning size.

The Shining was and still is one of the most well known horror classic movies out there. Stanley Kubrick, the director of The Shining, wanted to complete and perfect his film by having a poster design created by Saul Bass, who worked on other film titles such as The Man with the Golden Arm, Vertigo, and Psycho. Saul Bass had an uncanny skill for his use of typography to impact his audience and instill psychological horror in graphic visuals.