Texas Chainsaw Massacre Poster Analysis

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Poster Analysis

 

There is instantly a feeling that the poster is about a horror film due to the dark colours at the bottom of the poster and the intimidating image of the males face at the top of the poster. The man seems to have a large cut above his eye brow which infers violence and gore will feature in the film. Another reason the poster seems scary is that you cant quite see the mans eyes and the far side of his face. This means the viewer is unable see the characters emotions which is quite unnerving. The vertical lines in the image also add to the horror effect due to the fact that it that it looks like an old film reel. This is important as it strengthens the idea that the poster is about a film and it obscures the character in the poster even more.

The text in the poster adds to the horror effect due to the fact its in capitals and old style font. This makes the poster more impactful and scary as the text is clearly visible due to the colour contrast from black to yellow. It also connotes the imagery of an old haunted town where the people are vunerable and in danger. The fact that “CHAINSAW” is the largest word in the poster is important as it clearly tells the poster viewer what will be included in the film. A chainsaw is a very aggressive and dangerous therefore the viewer will be frightened by the though of a chainsaw wielding, sinister character.

The poster is very impactful and raises many questions in the viewers mind and although the thought of a chainsaw massacre is generally off putting and gross, people would want to watch the movie due to the fact they would be intrigued by the poster, and the sense of mystery which it connotes.  

Kieran Browne