The Apparition Movie Poster

The Message: A somewhat under-utlizied Twilight star, disturbing, disgusting imagery and a tagline that at least hints at a new take on the all-too-common 'haunting' horror movies.

The Truth: Those hands are probably just moviegoers trying to silence star Ashley Greene, and demand their money back.

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In case anyone was intrigued by the posters or marketing of The Apparition, allow us to save you the time and money required to investigate: this movie is terrible. Now, horrible horror movies are certainly nothing new, as ream after ream of movie posters match black background with young girl, and scaaary white text.

Ashley Greene was far from a dull actress, the image of hands groping a human being without clothing takes the horror and discomfort to entirely new levels, and the tagline promises a plot device or narrative theme that hasn't been seen much in recent horror movies.

If other posters on this list are a case of poster artistry exceeding that of the film, then The Apparition's is a classic case of bait-and-switch. The tagline bears no impact on the movie in any way, Greene's eyes in this image convey more emotion and believability than any line of dialogue, and there's more chemistry between the ghoulish hands than can be witnessed in any of the movie's scenes.

Yet even after we've seen the film, it's impossible to deny that the poster is visually interesting. The play of light and dark, the hazy glow, the animal-like unkempt hair, and the primal reaction to so many hands surrounding a single human form. This one deserves to be placed in a museum. Or a dumpster.

Showgirls Movie Poster

The Message: *gulp*...Wow, this poster actually embodies all of the same qualities that define the world of burlesque and titillation that Vegas showgirls actually turn into an art form. Nothing's actually being shown, but beyond eye-catching, all this one does is raise our interest.

The Truth: Well played, Verhoeven. That's some serious window dressing for a nudity-filled schlock-fest.

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Anyone who was around when Showgirls hit theaters (or rental shelves, for that matter) knows this image. The first poster caught attention by showing skin tastefully and promising sultriness, not smut. Considering what the actual film turned out to be, it should surprise no one that the poster's origin has little to do with it.

The poster is based on Slovakian photographer Tono Stano's "Sense" (1992), portraying a model emerging from a wall of black fabric. Stano's works largely signified the emergence of Eastern-European art and culture from the Iron Curtain, shown fairly clearly in one of his most famous works.

Exemplifying the complicated history between art and business, MGM purchased the rights to the photo, made some adjustments, and splattered it across billboards as the poster for Showgirls, a movie that redefined gratuitous nudity for many.

It wasn't all bad though: there's no question that the poster is remembered better than any parts of the actual movie. Credit to Stano for that one. And MGM's eye for...art.

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