Write Up: Mute's "The Evil Dead" and "Suspiria" Movie Posters

While we may be long past All Hallow's Eve and nearing Christmahanakwanzika at breakneck speeds, the nice thing about great horror is its timelessness. I present exhibits A and B: Evil Dead and Suspiria. Both movies have stood strong against the ravages of time and are fan favorites amongst cinema lovers and their non-fanatical brethren alike. Accordingly, the films' followers (especially those who, like myself, have an unhealthy appreciation for “The Chin” and all that he does) have generously donated an overabundance of well-meaning (but usually mediocre) artwork to the global community known as the Internet. What I’m getting at is this: while there’s an ocean of inspired Evil Dead and (to a lesser extent) Suspiria posters floating around the Web, there’s very few pieces that actually get me excited enough to write about and / or purchase. But wouldn’t you know it, I found two such prints that I think are pretty damn fantastic, and led me to an artist who I wasn’t previously familiar with to boot. Take a look, won't you?

The Evil Dead Movie Poster
Mute
420 mm x 594 mm (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered
£30 (~ $48) - Limited to 20

I love the artist's use of cross-hatching to imply detail and shadow, which also manages to give this poster a distinctly medieval look. And when combined with the print's muted color palette, the artwork is not only striking, but pretty terrifying.

Here's what artist Mute had to say about his relationship with the famed cult classic:

"One reason The Evil Dead is so fondly thought of is that the home-made, low budget effort is always endearing, especially when done so well! Few movies present you with something new and exciting, but in equal measures, say “you can go out and do it yourself”. Somewhere sat on a dusty VHS is evidence of me and my friends age 14, equipped with nothing but a camcorder, fake blood, and the woods behind my house. All I can think is thank God YouTube didn’t exist in 1997."

Mute's The Evil Dead poster is currently available through muteart.bigcartel.com for £30. The giclée measures 420 mm x 594 mm and is limited to an edition of 20. It's also worth noting that this print was created for the "Paper Cuts: Alternative Horror Poster Art" exhibition, which is a part of the Sheffield Horror Film Festival. To learn more about Mute, please check out mute-art.com and follow @mute_art on Twitter.

Suspiria Movie Poster
Mute
420 mm x 594 mm (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered
£30 (~ $48) - Limited to 20

But it seems one classic wasn't enough for Mute as he also set his sights on the king of all Goblin-scored films set in a ballet school-cum-witches' coven. No, I'm not talking about White Nights, the answer is Suspiria! Mute wonderfully captures all of the terror, paranoia, and vibrant mise-en-scene in Argento's film by casting his design in an ominous crimson hue.

The artist on his memories of Suspiria:

"My first viewing of Suspiria was on 35mm here at the Showroom in 2003. By this time, my enjoyment of horror cinema was more about exploring the genre and trying to figure out how they did the special effects - the scare factor was almost gone from my viewing experience... I say ‘almost’ mainly due to this movie! I was genuinely creeped out by what was unfolding; the Goblin score (at times awesomely loud!) never lets you relax for a second! The infamous theme is hard to forget and still sounds amazing to this day.

If every room you go in is strangely lit with unexplainable red light, start to worry."

Like Mute's Evil Dead print, his Suspiria poster is currently available through muteart.bigcartel.com for £30. The artwork is signed and numbered and is limited to an edition of 20. Head over to mute-art.com to see more of the artist's work.