The Shock-O-Rama Poster Show 2021 Special Edition: Top 20 Poster Purchases During 2021

 It's that time of the year again--the END. While 2021 was a better year than 2020, it still had a lot to be desired. But that's not to say it was a bad year for poster acquisitions---at least from my perspective. I didn't buy all that many---certainly far fewer than in previous years. However, in preparing this list and looking back on what I got in 2021, I was really pleased with what I had scored.  The ones I've added to this year's list are my favorite pickups. Some things will be noticeably absent, such as my original STAR WARS or CHINATOWN or even the obvious horror hit HALLOWEEN KILLS. While all of those are nice (as are many others I picked up as well), the ones below are the ones that really "did it" for me. Take a gander, if you will. They are in reverse order--with my Number 1 poster pick at the bottom. You can click on the titles to see the original post when I first shared them--and what I wrote about them at the time, if you want.

20: HELP:

Not the most exciting poster ever...but an original release Beatles poster? (And for a very fun film to boot?) I'll take it! Yahoo!

19: FROGS (Italian 2F):

This is a fun, colorful poster of nature gone wild. As I pointed out when I first shared this purchase, there's not a single frog to be seen on it. Despite the fact it played as FROGS in Italy, I don't think anyone there knew what FROGS meant. "Frogs" in Italian is "rane". Who knows what they thought they were seeing...

18: DOOR TO DOOR MANIAC (aka FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE) (rerelease):

The more I stare at this fun, old image...the more I think I want this hanging up in the house. Apparently this is a re-release of a movie called FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE. AIP picked it up, slapped the new, more exploitative name on it and came up with this far more interesting poster than the original release. 

17: YOU:

I had forgotten I had gotten this one. It may not look like much, but I had been after this one for DECADES! It's an exploitation dream come true!

16: INNER SANCTUM:

Fun old school-style poster for a so-so thriller from a no-budget studio who was trying to ride the coattails of Universal's INNER SANCTUM series years earlier. 

15: HOTEL RESERVE:

Wow! Great poster art on this one. Very cool for that alone.

14: TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS (rerelease):

A Weissmuller TARZAN poster...even though it's one of the Sol Lesser TARZAN's? Even though it is a rerelease?--YES! I will take it. GLADLY! Whoo hoo!

13: JUNGLE CRUISE:

A poster for a Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in my top poster list? While I'm not a fan of most of the action star's movies--and I haven't even seen JUNGLE CRUISE yet as I write this--this poster represents far more than a Dwayne Johnson movie. It's the return of painted art to sell a movie--and it is such a nice result. Really. I saw this poster and had to have it--despite having little interest in the film itself (although I do like the ride it is based on...).

12: MOTHRA:

For the longest time I thought I had one of these. I think I may have gotten confused with RODAN. Oh well. It's super to have this one sheet from the GODZILLA monster series. Whoo hoo!

11: QUEEN OF BLOOD:

Golly, it seems like I bought this ages ago--but no. I was just this year. This is such a cool AIP poster for such a so-so movie. I'd rush to the theaters if this poster showed up in theaters today. Zowie!

10: BLACK HOOKER:

Oh my god! I cannot believe I finally actually have one of these blaxploitation gems! The film is supposed to be utter crap--but the poster? WOW!! A trash exploitation classic!

9: SPOOK CHASERS:

Wow! How delightful to come across this old school gem. So kitschy kool. Who-oo-oo!

8: THE INCUBUS (aka INCUBUS: IL POTERE DEL MALE) (Italian 2F):

WOW! Great spooky poster for this fright flick--much nicer than the US one sheet.  LOVE it!

7: CRY OF THE WEREWOLF:

Even though this poster has some issues, I am thrilled to have scored this obscure (I'd never heard of it) old werewolf movie poster. It may not be Universal horror...but those are hard to find. These obscure old ones are almost as cool--and nearly as rare in some cases.

6: FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (Military re-release):

Speaking of Universal horror... A military re-release of this classic monster mash? Twenty years ago, I would have turned my nose up at this---now I am dang thrilled to have it. Whoo hoo!

5: THE HORROR SHOW (International):

Wow! A collection of moviedom's best pre-80s horror icons on one poster! Too fab!

4:ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY (Half sheet):

Despite the size (I avoid half-sheets), this is a great score! It's got a voodoo zombie, skeletons, great verbiage, a wild title, and (Hello?) Bela Lugosi! YOWZA!

3: THE CURIOUS DR. HUMPP (LA VENGANZA DEL SEXO) (Argentinean): 

What's not to love about this wild, bizarre-O poster? Soooo wonderfully weird. LOVE IT!!

2: EXORCISM (LE NOTTI DI SATANA) (Italian 2F):

Stunningly spooky and sinister art for this mostly pedestrian EXORCIST knockoff. Oh, I dig the movie--but the poster art is far better than the film deserves. Just---WOW!

1: RETURN OF THE FLY:

While the original movie is better than the sequel, RETURN OF THE FLY's poster is far superior than the original's one sheet. Yowza! And, yep! This is it. My favorite acquisition of the year. Whoo hoo! (Just BARELY beating out LE NOTTI DI SATANA/EXORCISM.)

How was 2021 for you? Here's to a Ring-A-Ding 2022!