Eli Roth's Creepy Clown Poster Is Banned In Italy

Despite its venerable history in movie horror, it appears that Italy is a bit squeamish when it comes to creepy clowns.

The admittedly slightly horrifying poster for the Eli Roth-produced ‘Clown’ – which has clearly struck a chord with the coulrophobic censors – has been banned.

- McConaughey: I’m Ready For A Rom-Com
- Nolan Was Wanted For Justice League
- Ghostbusters Cast Reunited

This from the land that gave the world horror master Dario Argento and films like ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ and ‘Zombie Flesh Eaters’.

But still, Italian censors have ruled it’s too graphic, and perhaps the tagline ‘Nessum bambino e al sicuro’ – or ‘No child is safe’ – is a little bit on the frightening side for youngsters.

The PR and marketing team on the forthcoming horror were quick to capitalise on the controversy, however.

Roth later shared on Instagram a new version, emblazoned with ‘L’Immagine di questo poster e stata censurata’ – or ‘The image of this poster was censored’.

The director seemed pleased enough with the outcome, adding that the new poster – with the clown peering through the letters – was 'even creepier’.

The movie – which sees a father seemingly cursed by a sinister clown suit he unearths for his son’s birthday - came to being after director Jon Watts made a stand-alone trailer – which Roth later saw and decided to help Watts make into a full-length movie.

Meanwhile, the hype around the poster will no doubt assist the movie’s marketing, as it has in many other cases before.

Last year, the furore around the poster for ‘Sin City 2: A Dame To Kill For’, which featured an all-too scantily-clad Eva Green, certainly drew attention to the film (tho it didn’t convert the attention to ticket sales, sadly).

Terry Gilliam’s poster for ‘Zero Theorem’ with Christoph Waltz was also kyboshed earlier this year, because of Waltz’s visible bottom.

Whether that had the same effect as Eva Green on ‘Sin City’, we’re honestly not sure…

Other posters to have fallen foul of the censors include Kevin Smith’s Zack & Miri Make A Porno’, ‘Saw II’, which featured severed digits, and, interestingly, ‘The Rules of Attraction’, which featured stuffed toys in lewd positions.

You can check out the really rather frightening Italian trailer for ‘Clown’ below. You have been warned…

Image credits: M2/Dimension/Stage 6/Weinstein Company/Lionsgate