I’m developing a strange pet peeve in my old age. Something I’ve noticed regarding sequel posters that, once seen, I’m afraid cannot be unseen.
In this arena of sequel posters, there’s perhaps no lazier device than tagging them with some variation of “[Insert character] is back.” Back from where? Oftentimes, we find that the characters in these films have been sitting tight in many the same spots we left them. Back to audiences? For audiences? That seems weird too, why would Riggs and Murtaugh come back for me? What’d I do?
There’s no shortage of these one-sheets, asking “Guess who’s back?” before shoving the answer into our faces.We often don’t know where they went, and we surely have no idea where they’ve been. The “IS BACK” poster tells you nothing other than saying “Hey, remember this guy/gal/group? Yeah, well, here they are again. What’d you expect? Magic tricks? Leave me alone, crafting these posters is why I drink.”
Here and now, I leave it to the Chewers. Let’s unite and make the most elaborate collection of “IS BACK” posters the internet has ever known. If you find more, feel free to link them in the comments section. I’ll throw it up on the site and tag you as the finder.:





From Donnie Sturges:

From User_32:

From Three Oranges:






28 comments
The itch is back? Maybe she should see a doctor. . .
There was a sequel to K-9?
I could have sworn there was a poster for Alien 3 with the tagline “The bitch is back.”, but all I could find was this one: http://mutantreviewers.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/alien3box.jpg
Ghostbusters II: http://www.notrecinema.com/images/cache/s.o.s-fantomes-2-affiche_316041_35623.jpg
Back to the Future Part II: http://www.impawards.com/1989/posters/back_to_the_future_part_ii_ver1.jpg
I Give you “back by bodacious demand”
teenage_mutant_ninja_turtles_two.jpg 489×755 pixels
An “the turtles are back…in time!”
1993-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-3-poster1.jpg 580×911 pixels
HA! My same reaction!
The sequel to arguably the best poster of all time: http://www.moviepostershop.com/ghoulies-2-movie-poster-1987
By overwhelming demand: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110593/
Tracers 2 w/ Helen Hunt: http://images.moviepostershop.com/trancers-2-the-return-of-jack-deth-movie-poster-1991-1020210321.jpg
n <— There’s the missing N.
I just can’t get over how beautifully moody that POLTERGEIST II poster is.
I’ve always had a huge soft spot for ‘Back’ posters. And I think a sizeable portion of the ones posted can largely justify their reasons for using ‘back’. Also I love them because they usually represent the fact that we loved the characters of a first film – be it the Ghostbusters, Axel Foley, Indy, Bond, Chucky, Robocop…and wanted to spend more time in their company. Nowadays cinema isn’t quite offering us the same amount of beloved characters, instead big concepts and ideas and effects. Hence not so many ‘back’ posters – because who wants to spend more time with John Carter, Sam Flynn or Evelyn Salt?
That said I’ve always hated ‘The Magic is Back’ on Lethal Weapon, and thus despised what they used on Lethal Weapon 3. AND the disappointed me again by NOT going with ‘The Magic that came back twice before has decided to come back again’ on Lethal Weapon 4‘s poster.
Wasn’t there some Star Wars sequel with that in the title?
Toy Story 2 has back and two fingers up aswell: http://users.sau56.org/cfriedel2/assets/ToyStory2Poster.jpg
and how about this trend of movie posters with characters backs: http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/Sexy-Back-Poster-Trend.jpg
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sequel+movie+posters&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=627&tbm=isch&tbnid=qRnZmnX9Y7xnwM:&imgrefurl=http://www.examiner.com/article/top-10-worst-movie-sequels-4-blues-brothers-2000-1998-1&docid=TuLiy4tN-XbfEM&imgurl=http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Blues_Brothers_2000_movie_poster.jpg&w=350&h=509&ei=GLJKUef_Hs3figK4rYHwAw&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:9,s:0,i:111&iact=rc&dur=874&page=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=112&start=0&ndsp=26&tx=34&ty=73
There were two! K9-11 and K9-PI. Both amazing…
No love for 3 Ninjas Kick Back? Because when a film tells me “COLT, ROCKY and TUM-TUM ARE BACK IN AN ALL NEW ADVENTURE” I just can’t wait not to see it.
And how could anyone forget Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3? “Ancient Japan, 1593. Without a map. Without a clue. Without a pizza. The Turtles are BACK… in time!”
Moving on to Basket Case 2. “Belial is BACK! And this time he’s brought along a few friends!”
Or how about It’s Alive 3: Island of the Alive? “The It’s Alive babies are BACK. They do something worse than multiply. They kill.”
Oops, they It’s Alive 3 tagline should be “… worse than kill. They multiply!” Reversed it. And how about I delve deeper and throw in Alice Cooper’s Friday the 13th part 6 theme “He’s Back, the Man Behind the Mask!” Ha.
Carnosaur 2! “Extinction Is a Thing of the Past. BACK For Another Bite!” American Ninja 2! “The Ultimate American Fighting Machine is BACK!” Cyborg 2! Um… well, no ‘Back’ tagline, but Angelina Jolie was damn hot in it! 🙂
Was surprised Min In Black 2 wasn’t in the initial postings. ” MIB II: Back In Black.” Okay, I need to stop playing this game. I’ll be here all night, it’s such a fun game!
Puppet Master II! “They’re back. No Strings Attached.” Barbershop 2! “Back In Business.” Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence! “The Wrong Arm of the Law is BACK!” Critters 2:The Main Course! “get Ready For Seconds… They’re Back!” Porky’s Revenge (Porky’s 3!) “The Pig Strikes BACK!”
Weekend at Bernie’s 2! “Bernie’s BACK… and He’s Still Dead.” Leprechaun: BACK 2 Tha Hood! Psycho III! “Norman Bates is BACK to Normal. But Mother Is Off Her Rocker.” Phantasm II! “The Ball Is BACK.”
Police Academy 3: BACK In Training!
Jaws 2! “Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go BACK In The Water.
All Dogs Go To Heaven 2! “Heaven Help us! Look Who’s BACK in the Adventure of Two Lifetimes.” The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear! “Frank Drebin is BACK. Just Accept It.” The Toxic Avenger II! “The First Super-Hero From New Jersey is BACK!”
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