by ASH KINNEY D’HARCOURT
The 1970s in the United States saw significant social, cultural, and economic upheaval in the context of an ongoing sexual revolution, anti-war sentiment and political scandals. Struggling to maintain relevance during this decade, the industry began to incorporate more explicit violence and sexuality as well as new narratives on screen to draw in untapped markets. Themes that had once been only discreetly approached or suggested through innuendo now took center stage. Amid these developments, a trend toward exploitation reshaped the film industry and, in doing so, redefined cinematic genres. The Ransom Center’s Movie Posters Collection provides a glimpse into the shift that led to a flourishing era of exploitation films that encompass the B-movie horror, Blaxploitation, and martial arts action films. [Read more…] about Beyond the Frame: Film Posters in the 1970s