Movie Article

How to Read a Movie Poster

Posters often reveal more about the business of making the film than the film itself

You can't judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to a movie, its poster is a good place to start.

A poster can often reveal more about the business that went into making a movie than about the film itself. Lawyers and guilds run amok over the credits, contractually grabbing as much attention for their clients as they can. In fact, anyone who ever owned a movie's rights — and the number can be legion — can get a credit on the poster. Whether moviegoers bother to read the fine print is irrelevant.

Originally posted Mar 26, 1993 Published in issue #163 Mar 26, 1993 Order article reprints

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