Monster-about-to-chomp-babe poster of the day, pre-‘Jaws’ special: ‘The Green Slime’ (1968)

There’s also a nice Italian variant:

As with many European releases of American films of the time, a new painting was made of a similar if not totally identical image. (Anyone know the reason for this? Couldn’t have been cheaper to produce. And did the studios really not care how the films were being marketed abroad?)

Interesting what changes were made in the copy. The basic theme: sex it up and don’t sweat the small stuff. The astronaut lady, who in both posters is the only skywalker to have a full fishbowl helmet, goes from brunette to a more exotic redhead in the Italian version, and her neckline goes way, way down.

Apparently neither artist expected audiences to have a problem with the idea of exposed flesh in space: the worker-bee male astronauts are completely covered, as you might expect, but the lady’s hands and décolletage are unprotected. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m assuming she’s as human as the boys are, no?

Then there’s the monster. Slime, sorry. In the original it is wonderfully glutinous; you can even see it dripping its goo all over the spaceship, horrifying the people on board. The creature is also covered with small eyes, which peek out from its folds of green slimeflesh, and its huge yellow cyclops-eye is bloodshot.

The knockoff eliminates the goo, the bloodshot and the little eyes, as well as the passengers on the ship. (Though the artist was careful to keep the name of the ship, Gamma 3.) There’s also only one monster, whereas in the original he had serious backup.

So it skimps on details, but I have to admit there’s still something I really like about it. I think it’s the composition, and in particular the figure of the woman. In both pictures she seems to be dancing, and doing it so gracefully that it reminds me of my favorite Botticelli. With boobs. In space. And a gooey, one-eyed green monster. About to chomp her. In space.

What’s not to like?