Film Posters of the 70s

Book excerpt: The cinema of the 1970s reflected both the anxieties and the escapism of an angst-ridden decade. The bleak realism of Taxi Driver and the political paranoia of All the President's Men co-existed with the androgynous fantasy of Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the 70s, 'blaxploitation' made its first appearance; Last Tango in Paris and Emmanuelle edged 'porno-chic' into the mainstream; 'ethno-cool' reached new heights in The Godfather'; Clint Eastwood traded his poncho for a .44 Magnum in Dirty Harry; Star Wars blasted audiences into hyperspace; Jaws hit the New England beaches and Apocalypse Now did for Huey helicopters what Saturday Night Fever did for white suits and flares. The images in this book represent the full range of poster art which attracted world-wide cinema audiences to these and many other movies and reveals just how much current fashion owes to the style of the 70s.