Someone doesn't know how to render smoke

I've been seeing these advertisements throughout the city for a new horror flick called "The Haunting in Connecticut". I can't think of anything scarier than Connecticut. The first time I saw these posters, I couldn't really make out WTF I was looking at. But upon closer inspection though, I thought someone had vandalized the posters with some brown love.


Looks like a Zune ad.


Upon even closer inspection, the only thing that crossed my mind was: "ew"


What Haley Joel Osment is reduced to acting in these days.


What is apparent about this poster is that someone doesn't know how to properly render smoke. The volumetric and specular effects are so full of fail. The smoke or ghostly ectoplasm I'm familiar with usually has a thin, wispy, ethereal quality to it. But this particular smoke has a lot of girth, is brown, reminiscent of large intestines, and appears to to have a somewhat metallic, shiny, chocolate chrome effect. Chrome + Chocolate = Scary. Maybe it's the smoke of Montezuma's ghost.


Two girls, one cup, and one boy with ipecac.


To be fair, perhaps it's not supposed to be some ectoplasmic goo from beyond at all, but the aftermath of some bratwurst fest in Hamburg gone horribly awry. In which case, the poster graphic is perfect!