The Year 1975, for me, produced 7 posters that I felt stood out at the cinemas that regards to movie poster design.  Here is the list as I see it…

Jaws (1975)

Of course I had to start off the list with this monumental cinematic movie.  This movie not only scared the pants off of movie-goers, but its poster has become an icon in movie posters.  The symmetry, the proportion of the two elements really help you fear going back into the water… as if the movie itself didn’t quite do it for you.

Barry Lyndon (1975)

I just love the simplistic approach this poster had. The simple, cut shapes of black and red are used in a minimalistic fashion to simply help tell the story.

Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

No other pair of lips has more global recognition next to the Rolling Stones than this movie poster.  Simple, bold colors. The vivid imagery, and that great dripping typeface (for which many spinoff fonts have been created from).  I wish more posters could get away with having so little…

Tommy (1975)

What would one expect from the psychedelic song by the Who than a poster that has so many circular elements through out it that one could get dizzy just staring at it. Bizarre and twisted, I just LOVE this poster.  The neon colors, the mirrored effect of the central image…. mmmmm.

One Flew Over The Cockoo’s Nest (1975)

This poster is brilliant.  The black and white image of Jack whimsically staring upward, directing the eye to the title, which has a very hand-rendered look to it. The bold red lock interwined in the lettering, all against a light-screened backdrop of chain-linked fencing.  One of my favorites from this particular year.

House of Terror (1975)

I find this central image so jarring and erie that I had to include this one.  Sometimes the photo says it all.  I love the vertically-segmented approach, the bright lime green box with the title tucked to the right.  The whole poster shouts horror movie without having to resort to a single drop of red.

So Sad About Gloris (1975)

Speaking of single drop of red, this poster knows how to successfully use it in the design. Here, the high-contrasting, stark nature of the two figures help give the poster an ambiguous scene… it takes the eye a minute to gauge what it is seeing, while the title treatment being placed inside the blood droplet helps to really convey that this movie might have less than a happy ending.