Saul Bass

If one is able to look beyond the noise of its tumultuous production, Spartacus remains one of the finest epics to ever emerge from the Hollywood studio system.

Writer Lee Gambin calls them Natural Horror films, other writers call them Revenge of Nature or Nature Run Amok films and writer Charles Derry considers them a type of Apocalyptic Cinema. Of course we’re speaking of one of the great horror subgenres for which we’ll employ writer Kim Newman’s tag: The Revolt of Nature. Since …

You’ve never met Saul Bass, but you know him. He is everywhere. He designed the logos of your favourite cereal (Quaker), the phone you use (At&T), the camera you have (Minolta), but most importantly the posters of the films you love. The Bass mid-century minimalist aesthetic is the face of timeless classics such as Vertigo, …

A galaxy of intricate geometric patterns floating hypnotically towards you; a grid of horizontal grey lines stabbing across the screen; the figure of Robert De Niro falling through a sheet of flames that segues neatly into a series of dazzling neon backdrops. The opening credits from Vertigo, Psycho and Casino all bear the distinctive hallmark …