Nothing can derail your excitement for a film quicker than poor marketing, be that a crappy trailer, or in usually more hilarious fashion, an awful, lazy, or just down-right misguided poster. Sometimes we wonder how people could possibly have been paid for the monstrosities that they've whipped up, either through a complete lack of invention, a crucial mis-reading of the film, or the fact that they've clearly knocked it out on a Friday afternoon when the office is clearing out early for someone's leaving do. Whatever the reason, here are 10 painfully horrendous film posters that left us laughing, crying or wondering how anybody involved with its creation still has a job.
10. Bangkok Dangerous
Nicolas Cage films are, for one reason or another, pretty synonymous with bad poster Photoshop jobs, but this one for Bangkok Dangerous nearly takes the prize home. As if Cage's ridiculous hair and alarming expression were not off-putting enough, his physical posture is just wrong in every aspect. Who sat around and thought, "I know, we'll have him hold out one hand like he's brandishing an invisible gun, and in the other, we'll have him retreat into his seemingly bottomless jacket pocket for another weapon!". Everything about the composition is off; Cage's hand looks too large, the movement to reach in his pocket is awkward, the bullet-holes are cheesy, there's too much gloss and shine on the jacket, and the flame effects at the bottom are just about the most generic-looking possible. Its tag-line really is true; it's all in the execution, and this poster resolutely fails, as did the film itself.