“Runaway Train” (暴走機関車 / Runaway Train), Original Japanese Release Double-Sided Movie Poster 1985, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA48

This is an original Japanese B2 double-sided poster printed in 1985 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Runaway Train, Andrei Konchalovsky’s brutal, snowbound action thriller based on a screenplay concept originally developed by Akira Kurosawa. One of the great high-pressure survival films of the 1980s, it combines prison-break desperation, existential tension, and pure locomotive force—and this Japanese poster captures that energy magnificently. The fact that it is double-sided, with a richly printed text-and-image reverse, makes it especially appealing and unusual.

Film background
Originally released in 1985, Runaway Train is a relentless American action thriller set against the frozen wilderness of Alaska. The story follows two escaped convicts and a railway worker who find themselves trapped aboard a locomotive with no brakes and no driver, turning the train into a hurtling steel prison. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky and derived from an idea long associated with Akira Kurosawa, the film is remembered not only for its propulsive premise but also for the intensity of its performances. Jon Voight and Eric Roberts were both Academy Award-nominated for their roles, and the film has since become a cult favourite for its stark atmosphere, physical realism, and unusually philosophical edge beneath the action.

Poster design
A tremendous Japanese design that feels both cinematic and graphic at once. The front is dominated by a vast, storm-swept image of the train charging through snow at speed, its dark mass stretched across the upper field like an unstoppable machine cutting through the night. Beneath that, a grid of action stills builds out the danger: men scrambling across ice and metal, firelight, collisions, and the frozen violence of the landscape. The bold black Japanese title 暴走機関車 (“Runaway Locomotive”) anchors the composition with enormous force. This example is particularly desirable because the reverse is also fully printed, functioning almost like a deluxe editorial sheet, with extensive Japanese text, cast information, production notes, stills, and a striking monochrome portrait layout. A superb display piece from every angle, and made even more interesting by its association with Noriyoshi Ohrai, whose dramatic sensibility is felt strongly in the campaign artwork.

Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 40 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.