“Crimewave (The XYZ Murders)” (XYZマーダーズ), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1986, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O516

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1986 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Crimewave, issued locally under the title XYZマーダーズ, directed by Sam Raimi and distributed in Japan by Nippon Herald Films (日本ヘラルド映画).

The film is a manic horror‑comedy written by Raimi together with Joel and Ethan Coen, following a hapless security‑company employee framed for a murder spree carried out by two deranged exterminators.

Film background
Combining slapstick gags with pulpy crime and horror elements, Crimewave follows meek technician Vic as he chases the woman of his dreams across a city besieged by the company’s out‑of‑control hitmen. The movie sits between The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II in Raimi’s career, showcasing the crash‑zoom camerawork, cartoon violence and off‑kilter humour that would become his signature, while the Coen brothers’ script adds a streak of deadpan absurdity.

Poster design
The Japanese B2 leans hard into the film’s anarchic tone. At the centre, Vic is strapped into an electrified contraption, arms flung wide as blue lightning crackles around him, while smaller vignettes show screaming characters and slapstick peril. The huge red title 「XYZマーダーズ」 slashes across the middle of the sheet, printed with a patterned fill that pops against the night‑blue background. Along the top, a row of colour portraits introduces the film’s eccentric cast, and the bottom portion is packed with car chases, explosions and a mini line‑up of the main characters, with the English logo “XYZ MURDERS” anchoring the design.

This poster is in excellent condition (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is over 39 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.