👽 STRANGE INVADERS (1983)
Original UK Quad Poster – First Release
Format: UK Quad (30 x 40 in)
Country: United Kingdom
Distributor: Columbia-EMI-Warner
Certification: PG
Year of Issue: 1983
🖼️ Poster Description
This is an original UK quad issued for the 1983 cult sci-fi homage Strange Invaders, directed by Michael Laughlin and starring Paul Le Mat, Nancy Allen, Diana Scarwid, and Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher. The film is an affectionate throwback to 1950s alien-invasion cinema, and the poster brilliantly reflects that retro sensibility.
Artwork & Visual Composition
-
Primary Imagery:
A large, menacing alien hand reaches across the poster from the right side of the frame. Rendered in textured greens and ochres, it evokes classic 1950s monster-movie comic art while still giving a distinctly eerie 1980s sci-fi edge.
-
Background:
Horizontal blue siding, lit dramatically, giving the sense of an alien presence outside a suburban home.
The siding also creates a striped, almost claustrophobic visual rhythm.
-
Silhouettes:
Two shadowy figures (presumably the invaders) are projected onto the wall behind the hand—suggestive, ominous, atmospheric, and directly referencing body-snatcher paranoia.
-
Tagline:
Positioned at top left in white serif type:
“Of all the Worlds, in all the Galaxies in all the Universe… why did they have to pick this one?”
This playful, self-aware line perfectly underscores the film’s pulp science-fiction tone.
-
Title Design:
STRANGE INVADERS appears in bold, diagonal yellow block letters with red drop-shadows—very much in the style of atomic-age movie posters.
The tilted, offset presentation reinforces a sense of disruption and cosmic invasion.
-
Credit Block:
Includes the full main cast and crew:
-
Paper Stock:
Standard early-1980s British quad folded paper, as issued.
⭐ Collectability & Rarity
The Strange Invaders UK quad has grown steadily in demand due to:
-
Its striking artwork, which is widely considered superior to the U.S. one-sheet
-
Increasing 1980s sci-fi nostalgia
-
Louise Fletcher’s cult status (post-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)
-
Very small UK print runs, especially from Thorn EMI Films, which operated on limited distribution
-
A resurgence of interest in pulp-inspired, pre-CGI sci-fi aesthetics
This quad remains harder to source in clean, undamaged condition.
📜 Condition Assessment:
-
Listed in Very Fine condition
-
Original central and cross folds visible (standard for UK quads pre-mid-1980s)
-
Fold wear and small creasing consistent with normal handling
-
No major tears, tape marks, or stains visible
-
Colours remain strong with no significant fading
-
Paper appears smooth and stable
