I collect films, notably blu rays, and sometimes I find myself buying the steelbook versions specifically for the art and design. As Halloween is fast approaching I thought I’d photograph the covers of some of my collection and share a few of my favourite horror films.
The Steelbook of Carrie, 1976. Director: Brian De Palma. Writers: Stephen King. Lawrence D. Cohen. Stars: Sissy Spacek. Piper Laurie. Amy Irving. Cover art by Orlando Arocena.
A terrific cover variation to the regular blu ray. Illustration by Nat Marsh.
The Steelbook of The Evil Dead, 1981. Director: Sam Raimi Writer: Sam Raimi: Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor.
The Steelbook of A Quiet Place: Day One, 2024. Director: Michael Sarnoski. Writers: Michael Sarnoski, John Krasinski, Bryan Woods. Stars: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff.
Halloween, 1978. Director: John Carpenter. Writers: John Carpenter, Debra Hill. Stars: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran. Halloween II, 1981. Director: Rick Rosenthal. Writers: John Carpenter, Debra Hill. Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers.
Here’s a bit of a rarity. Halloween: The Mister Sandman Cut. Seamlessly merges Halloween 1978 and Halloween II, 1981, plus more than 20 minutes of deleted scenes from both films creating the perfect 3 hrs 13 mins Halloween experience.
The 4K blu ray edition. Cover art by Joel Robinson.
The Steelbook of It Follows, 2014. Director: David Robert Mitchell. Writer: David Robert Mitchell. Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi. Cover art: Akiko Stehrenberger.
Under the Shadow, 2016. Director: Babak Anvari. Writer: Babak Anvari Stars: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi.
Under the Shadow, 2016 is a Persian-language psychological horror film written and directed by Iranian-born Babak Anvari as his directorial debut. A mother and daughter are haunted by a mysterious evil in 1980s Tehran. File under: exceptionally creepy!
The Mist, 2007. Director: Frank Darabont. Writers: Frank Darabont, Stephen King. Stars: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden.
The Babadook, 2014. Director: Jennifer Kent. Writer: Jennifer Kent. Stars: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall.
The Wicker Man, 1973. Director: Robin Hardy. Writers: Anthony Shaffer, David Pinner. Stars: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp.
Us, 2019.Director: Jordan Peele. Writer: Jordan Peele. Stars: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss.
Talk to Me, 2022. Directors: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou. Writers: Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson. Stars: Ari McCarthy, Hamish Phillips, Kit Erhart-Bruce.
Steelbook for Byzantium, 2012. Director: Neil Jordan. Writer: Moira Buffini. Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley. Design: Creative Partnership.
The Wind, 2018.Director: Emma Tammi Writer: Teresa Sutherland Stars: Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles, Ashley Zukerman.
A Dark Song, 2016.Director: Liam Gavin Writer: Liam Gavin Stars: Steve Oram, Catherine Walker, Susan Loughnane.
I Walked with a Zombie, 1943.Director: Jacques Tourneur Writers: Curt Siodmak, Ardel Wray, Inez Wallace. Stars: Frances Dee, Tom Conway, James Ellison. The Seventh Victim, 1943. Director: Mark Robson. Writers: Charles O'Neal, DeWitt Bodeen. Stars: Kim Hunter, Tom Conway, Jean Brooks. Produced by Val Lewton.
I’m an avid fan of the Criterion Collection, and they’re always beautifully well designed and illustrated.
Rosemary's Baby, 1968. Director: Roman Polanski. Writers: Ira Levin, Roman Polanski. Stars: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon.
As a fan of the original, I bought the prequel to Rosemary’s Baby as a digital download, because it had loads of extras and isn’t out on blu ray yet. Some folks have slagged it off, but I really enjoyed it. It’s well directed, and beautifully stylish, even down to the way the poster art uses the same silhouette, colour palette, and typography as the original film.
Apartment 7A, 2024. Director: Natalie Erika James. Writers: Natalie Erika James, Christian White, Skylar James. Stars: Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Kevin McNally.
I’ll finish up with that classic Halloween theme by John Carpenter.
