In a post-MCU world, many of us have become accustomed to huge-scale movies packed with CGI, Hollywood stars and gigantic budgets, but in embracing these colossal blockbusters, we've lost an art form. I think it's time for a B-movie revival.
Answering my prayers swoops 'Mary Magnum: Jiu-Jitsu Nun', a wonderfully silly micro-budget action thriller with a surprisingly sexy poster design. Emerging from the sea of floating heads and lazy minimalist movie posters plaguing the film world, it's safe to say my faith is somewhat restored – cinema is getting silly again.
The design in question replicates the VHS covers of the schlocky 70s grindhouse movies with faded imagery and distressed edges for an authentic retro feel. It stars Mary Magnum herself brandishing a gun (in a full nun's habit, of course). From the hilariously cheesy tagline "God forgives. She doesn't" to the slick Tarantino-esque typography, the poster has an artful balance of campy appeal and authentic style.
"You already had me with the image on the poster you didn’t need to go so hard with the title," One redditor wrote. "What a name! What a premise! What a poster," another praised, while one fan added, "Close enough, welcome back Grindhouse."
This retro-style poster trend seems to be increasingly emerging, as we saw with the recent poster for Lee Cronin's The Mummy. As a huge fan of grindhouse horror and VHS design aesthetics, I'm excited to see this style revival and hope it'll be more than a fleeting trend. For more design inspiration, check out these retro Bruce Lee ballet posters that blend Way of the Dragon with Saturday Night Fever.
