R.I.P. Enzio Sciotti

This obit's a little late, but sometimes these things happen.

R.I.P. to Enzio Sciotti, who died April 11 at the age of 76. 

Born in Rome to a family of painters, Sciotti was a talented and prolific illustrator. When he was just sixteen, he got a job illustrating movie posters for the booming Italian film industry, specializing in the horror genre. 

Over the course of his six decade career, he painted over 3,000 movie posters. His work graced the films of numerous Italian horror powerhouses, including Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava.

Sciotti's name may not have been a household word, but anyone who visited a video store in the 1980s and 1990s will instantly recognize his work. His bold, lurid artwork adorned the cover of many a videotape in the horror/sci-fi section. 

He also had the amazing ability to take even the worst low budget film and make it look like the most awesome movie ever. Many's the time I rented a tape solely because his art sold me on  it. Video stores of that era owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to Sciotti for increasing their sales.

Sciotti seemed to have a thing for Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films, as he illustrated posters for all three.

I always assumed this was a manipulated photograph. I'm gobsmacked to find out it's one of Sciotti's illustrations.

That structure in the back looks more like a haunted house than a castle to me, but, eh... I'll allow it.

It's not labeled, but this is the poster for George Romero's Knightriders.

The Italian poster for Near Dark (or Dark Approaches, as it was known there).

Although he primarily illustrated horror posters, Sciotti dabbled in sci-fi as well.

He also painted numerous action movie posters, which again, always looked more exciting than the actual film.