Textual Analysis of Alien Poster

There is no doubt that the Alien films are one of the most popular and successful films of all time. But how did it become so big? It all started with its original poster, which is a recognisable masterpiece in the film industry- priceless and precise. 


The first thing to draw your eye is the glowing, daunting green mist which is being released from the egg. Through the use of this specific green colour, the audience is immediately told that whatever lies within the egg is unfriendly and most likely dangerous. This adds mystery and an urge to find out whatever it is that's inside the egg. 

Additionally, the designers have included a tagline which states "IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM". This is absolutely terrifying to the audience as they are told that in the film, many people are going to inevitably and brutally be killed by, with some logical speculation because of the green mist, whatever is inside the egg. Also, the us of a tagline sets the tone and genre of the film. In this poster, the tagline emphasises that the film be a horror film, which is a great example of the target audience the film producers are aiming for-young adults who enjoy being petrified. 

After studying the egg in the middle and the tagline, the audience is then drawn to the title of the film. In the poster, the title is spread out across the majority of the poster, with large spaces in between each letter. I personally believe this is to outline the isolationism which exists in the vast landscape of space, which is to freak out the audience and make them feel uncomfortable. 

To emphasise the use of colour in the poster, the majority of the poster is nothing but pitch black. This is used to yet again portray the danger and isolationism of space. I also think it is to relate to the tagline, because in a way the blackness proves that no one can hear your cries for help if you need it. 


At the bottom of the poster, is a sort of net. Although I'm not completely sure, I think that is there to once again show that there is no escape if you encounter the extra-terrestrial creature whom lies within the egg. 





At the bottom of the poster in a different coloured section, is the list of actors and actresses who took part in the film. The font size is smaller as that information is not seen as important in this poster, and additionally I think they are placed there because the designer of the poster wants to keep the poster as scary as possible, and having the actors' name large would take away this factor.   






To finish, this poster is, in my opinion, the most iconic and successful film poster created. It clearly highlights the intended genre and audience target of the film creators, and I highly recommend this film to any film fanatic.