Horror Poster Analysis: POLTERGEIST

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P O L T E R G E I S T

Like most horror film posters from the 80’s this one is set in a kind of non-existent location. we are given the connotation by the darkness that it is night time however we have no idea unless we have watched the film where the girl is sat. she Is in fact depicted sitting in front of the living room television.

Straight away we can see that the only colors used are blue and black, this gives connotations of night and represents isolation, it also is conventional to the iconography of old static televisions that created that eerie blue glow. This helps to establish a theme that revolves around television. The Image of the girl sat before the television has also been made to look very grainy like it’s on a screen, this makes the viewer feel like they are looking at a television connoting fear and anticipation and representing the theme that causes horror in the narrative itself. Even the typography follows the television theme by appearing to be lit up by the same eerie blue light.

The text above the image that says ‘’they’re here’’ is given meaning by the girl peering into the television, this motivated choice of composition denotes to the viewer that whoever ‘they’ are, they are inside the television which the girl is dangerously close to which creates a sense of suspense due to our natural instinct to protect children.  The other line of text beneath the film title sparks the viewer off thinking about what scares them which momentarily connotes fear and terror, they make a connection between these connotations and the film itself which creates appeal for its supposed scariness. The use of a little girl connotes danger and makes the viewer feel like they somewhat have a responsibility to see the film and make sure that the child makes it out okay. The need to care and nurture is a basic human need listed in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs which is exploited perfectly here.

Overall a feeling of standstill and isolation is created by the Poster, we are given the sense that in the vast darkness that surrounds the girl, she has turned to the one source of light which is in fact the evil. This contradiction of human instinct represents how no one will be safe in the film.