10 Times When The Poster Is More Iconic Than The Movie

Posters have always been a key part of movies. They promote and support the movie, capturing its essence in a single image to entice viewers to watch it. They are an important part of movie marketing but = a supporting role for the movie overall. However, there have been instances where the poster has been so successful that it goes on to upstage the movie it's promoting.

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When a poster becomes more iconic than its movie, that usually means people can name and recognize a movie by its poster even before any aspect of the movie itself. The could be due to how striking the poster looks, its use of iconic imagery, or sometimes, the movie itself is just not that good.

10 Showgirls (1995)

Upon release, the erotic drama Showgirls was regarded as one of the worst movies of the 1990s. It was both a financial and critical failure at the time, though these days, it falls under the "so-bad-it's-good" category and has developed a cult following.

If it has one thing that makes it stand out in a positive light, it's the film's movie poster. Sleek, simplistic, and sexy, it's reminiscent of a Broadway musical poster - although, it was actually based directly on a photograph by Tono Stano, which MGM bought a license of to use and adapt. Regardless, it still stands out more positively than the movie for many people.

9 Attack Of The 50 Ft. Woman (1958)

The movie poster for B-movie Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman is one of the most iconic movie posters in cinema history. But, it's fair to say that not many people have even seen the movie, let alone can recall any moments from it.

The poster alone is enough to tell audiences what the movie is without having to actually see it. It's a really cool work of art too - it's bold, full of action, beautifully painted, and could easily be the cover of a comic book.

8 Home Alone (1990)

Home Alone is one of the most renowned Christmas movies to date and is watched year after year during the holiday season. Howver, what the majority of people recognize the most about the movie (and most likely its sequels) is the poster and Macaulay Culkin's iconic facial reaction.

RELATED: 15 Best Quotes From Home Alone

Despite the film's popularity and status as a beloved Christmas classic, the photograph of young Macaulay Culkin's face looking at the cameras and "screaming" is one of the most iconic images in mainstream cinema, and nothing in any of the Home Alone movies can overtake that.

7 Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)

Audrey Hepburn is one of the screen's most recognizable icons, and one of her most famous roles is Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Whilst a beloved film for many, one of the main reasons why it's one of her most noted roles is the iconic poster.

The poster focuses on Audrey Hepburn and her cat draped across her shoulders. She looks sleek and resembles an illustration from a top fashion magazine, particularly as she is wearing one of the most iconic dresses from Breakfast at Tiffany's. This illustration of Hepburn alone is easily one of the most famous pieces of movie art to date.

6 Snakes On A Plane (2006)

Snakes on a Plane is one of those movies where the title pretty much sums up what the movie is about without any further explanation needed. It is perhaps because of this that the poster (and essentially the buildup and the hype towards its release) became more iconic than the movie. Unfortunately, the movie itself is average at best.

It was probably advertising Samuel L. Jackson part that helped the picture attract audiences, but the movie's logo used in its posters (two snakes wrapped around a plane) is rather cool, even if merely adds to the "what-it-says-on-the-tin" nature of the film. Regardless, this poster is certainly more memorable than the movie. It is iconic, but perhaps not in the way it was intended.

5 American Beauty (1999)

At the time, American Beauty was extremely well received and won five of the seven Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Picture. Unfortunately, due to recent sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey, the movie has understandably been spoiled for a number of audiences. But, despite this, one thing still remains lauded in regards to the movie, and that is its poster.

Despite the movie's now tainted reputation, the poster for American Beauty is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable posters in cinematic history and remains so for its simplicity and sensuality. In 2019, it was revealed that the hand model of the poster is Christina Hendricks from Mad Men, making a classic poster even more iconic.

4 Kill Bill (2003)

The poster for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill is so instantly recognizable that the movie doesn't even need to be seen to know exactly what it is. Uma Thurman poses in her most famous role as the Bride, with the signature katana sword and the famous yellow jumpsuit.

RELATED: The 10 Most Badass Things The Bride Did In Kill Bill, Ranked

In fact, the color yellow is a big factor in why this poster is so recognizable. Yellow is a very eye-catching color, and this poster uses it a lot. Perhaps the only other poster that is close to using this much yellow is Little Miss Sunshineonly the yellow in that poster represents happiness rather than as a warning color.

3 Forbidden Planet (1956)

Although it is rather camp, sci-fi B-movie Forbidden Planet was ahead of its time, and it is one of the most iconic movies of its genre - and one key reason why it's so iconic is its poster.

Akin to a science fiction comic book cover, the poster is distinctive mainly for Robby the Robot carrying a swooning woman, most likely actress Anne Francis. Robby is an icon in science fiction and easily the most recognizable character in the movie. In fact, to even know who the other characters are, the movie would have to be watched or Googled.

2 A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Because the movie is extremely dark, controversial, and has one of cinema's most unlikeable protagonists with Alex DeLarge, it is understandable that not many would have seen Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork OrangeThis might be one of the reasons why more people identify the movie by its poster rather than the movie itself.

The poster's graphics are eye-catching, with the recognizable orange and black font befitting of its time, and the main character Alex complete with his iconic bowler hat and eye makeup. Aside from the tagline, it is certainly more comfortable viewing than the movie.

1 Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

There are a number of iconic movies with equally iconic logos and one great example is GhostbustersThe movie itself is timeless, and the famous logo is still recignizable to this day. Ghostbusters II, on the other hand, failed to achieve the critical and commercial success of its predecessor. Nevertheless, this poster is perhaps almost as iconic as the first film's.

Its popularity is due to the fact that it utilizes the iconic Ghostbusters logo in an inventive way, having the ghost hold up two fingers to indicate its status as a sequel. This builds on the excitement and fun from the first film whilst being just different enough. Though the movie may have not lived up to the hype, the poster certainly did.

NEXT: 10 Things That Still Hold Up Today In Ghostbusters



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