The High Five: On Halloween, Anthony Burrill picks five movie posters that still give him the creeps

Graphic artist and designer Anthony Burrill grew up with an over-active imagination and was “terrified of being alone at night in the dark.” Even now, he confesses, his childhood experiences of “imagining monsters under the bed have not left me. Maybe that’s why I enjoy being frightened by horror films in adulthood.” Horror movies have an indelible hold on a lot of us, whether they be scary slashers, or atmospheric, get-under-your-skin slow burns. “I love the feeling of being spooked by a scary film, it’s both exhilarating and funny at the same time. I’m not so afraid of the dark anymore, but I still imagine those phantoms around every corner,” Burrill tells us. Amongst the many ingredients that directors stir in the cauldron to create that feeling of dread that horror fans want to lap up is one very important one – design, and the use of typography. Whether it be in the poster or the title sequence, the type and design used in a film give the viewer a taste of the world they’re about to step into. For Halloween, we asked the maestro of typography to pick his favourite horror movie posters of all time. “The horror genre has given us a memorable visual language,” says Burrill. “Horror has its own rules and builds its own world in our imaginations. It is the opposite of everyday life and this is reflected in its powerful visual language. Designers can take chances with horror, it’s about imagination, experimentation and pushing the boundaries.” So, before you slip into the mood and your costume for the day, here’s a fresh picking of the top five posters that Burrill finds impossible to forget.