Magazine Cover Analysis - (Entertainment Weekly July 4th, 2014)

• The colour scheme of the page has connotations of a Post-Apocalyptic setting, as there is not much variety in colour, as it consists mainly of different shades of brown. This is reminiscent of Post-Apocalyptic movie posters, as well as the general palette of visual Post-Apocalyptic fiction.
• The clothes that Hardy and Theron are wearing connote a Post-Apocalyptic setting, as they are the sort of clothes that are stereotypically seen in Post-Apocalyptic setting. They are rugged and appear somewhat improvised and damaged. This communicates a dangerous setting.
• Hardy is holding a gun. There are also rifle and pistol magazines in his jacket. This conveys a dangerous setting, as well as an action-packed film.
• The empty wasteland in the background is very stereotypical setting in Post-Apocalyptic fiction.
• Also in the background is an explosion. This has been given a motion blur in order to make it look less static and more dangerous. This also suggests that the film will be action-packed.
• All of these elements come together to create a very stereotypical Post-Apocalyptic image. This is due to the fact that this particular issue is devoted to Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic fiction, so an image has been used that is instantly recognisable as being related to the genre.
• The cover line 'Mad Max' is in a style that appears like it is writing that has been painted quickly. This fits in with the Post-Apocalyptic style of the cover as it looks rugged. It also conveys that the film is not serious and dramatic, meaning that it is probably action-heavy.
• The plug on the page features positive adjectives such as 'coolest' and 'badass'. This boosts the status of the articles within and makes people want to buy the magazine.
• There is also puff such as 'Exclusive first look' that boosts the status of the magazine and makes people more likely to purchase the magazine. This also implies that the magazine is mainstream and faces competition.
• The names of the stars that appear on the cover also appear in yellow text. This is the only yellow text on the page, so it therefore stands out. This draws attention to it, meaning that fans of Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron may be more likely to buy the magazine.