Horror can be defined as a genre meant to psychologically trigger individual fear with the presence of certain supernatural or abstract characteristics. The genre is dependent on people’s fascination with unrealism and the sensation that comes from experiencing fear personified into tangible elements on a screen. Horror films have thrilled audiences for decades, revealing stories of the more sinister parts of life. The popular allure that stems from the genre comes from the tension moviegoers experience when aroused by specific stimuli uniquely present in these cinematic features (Walters). Over time, as the genre progressed, the standardized elements found in a typical horror movie began to shift in different directions primarily due to changing societal circumstances and increasing consumer demand for cinematic innovation. The expansive nature of the different codes and conventions within the horror genre, coupled with the evolution of society’s fascination with these characteristics, has led to the mutation of the genre itself in order to allow for unique approaches to a familiar style in response to both economic developments and taste shifts within the consumer industry.
The movie Scream (1996) is an American horror film directed by ‘Wes Craven’ and written by ‘Kevin Williamson’. The movie tells the tale of a high school student who became the victim of mysterious killer. The story of the movie has been inspired by the news story of serial killing. Scream became the fifteenth highest grossing film of the year 1996 that has been considered a big achievement for a horror movie since they are usually made with low budgets. The cast of the movie plays an important role in its success at the box office. Unlike many other horror movies, Scream casts some famous names of the industry like ‘Drew Barrymore, Courtenay
One might say that horror film- genre has been invented by feminists. Horror films seem to be one of the only genres that have women as heroines instead of dominated side characters. In horror genre women are the ones fighting against evil and men are the ones dying trying to help these heroines. Or perhaps the horror genre uses heroines to differ it self from hero dominant action genre. Or maybe horror films were created to represent the ultimate horror of the dominant masculine society: a strong woman who can survive by herself. This essay will analyse genders used in contemporary horror genre and it will delve in to the difference of masculinity and femininity presented in present horror films.
“Horror film”. For most people, the first things that come to mind are monstrous paranormal antagonists, a plethora of gruesome deaths, and, of course, the infamous jump scares that so often drive the thrill and exhilaration of such films. While films under this genre are intended to illicit negative emotions, such as fear, alarm, and anxiety, these same aspects are ironically what attracts viewers endlessly. As an avid horror film fan myself, I have seen many horror thrillers that have shaped and developed my understanding of this particular genre. In analyzing what makes a horror film a horror film, I will be discussing three different films: “Child’s Play”, “The Birds”, and “Paranormal Activity”. While these films have their own distinct
Horror films have been around for over 100 years, petrifying people and bringing their worst fears to life but still they can’t get enough of this sick and gory genre that is unbelievably entertaining and captivating to the audience. Horror comes with many sub-genres from your bloody slashers like Friday the 13th to your Supernatural-Horrors like The Exorcist, but in the end they all seem to do their job by scaring you and leaving you with nightmares for weeks on end. Usually Horror’s films have the same character stereotypes such as the nerd, the jock, the slut, the virgin, the junky, the tough hero, the unlikely hero and last but not least the masked murderer, but yet they all play their own part in the making of these horrors movies whether it is the extremely slow walk the killer does but almost always catches the victim, or the unwise decision to split up and investigate where the unusual noise is coming from.
Many horror films provide their audiences with scares and screams. Not many viewers follow what kind of model the films follow to appease their viewers. However, after reading film theorist Carol Clover’s essay, watching one of the films she associates in the novel “Halloween”, and also watching the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” I say almost every “slasher” or horror film follows a model similar to Clover’s. The model that is a female is featured as a primary character and that the female tends to always overcome a situation at some point throughout the film to become victorious.
Wes Craven’s horror movie “Scream”, inspired the gruesome murder of Gina Castillo. Castillo’s sixteen year old son and his fifteen year old cousin killed Gina Castillo. Why would anyone wish to watch the petrifying film, “Scream”? What would trigger a person to take inspiration from the horror movie, “Scream”. Stephen King describes horror as a piece of the human condition. Author of several horror novels, Stephen King wrote an essay titled “Why We Crave Horror.” In this paper he thoroughly explains why the human species craves horror and how it makes humans feel. In this essay, Stephen King precisely claims that humans desire, horror because horror pushes them to face their fears, renew their feelings of normality, and to expose
The arguments presented in this book are clear and organized in a logical manner. Among the different writers whose works are featured in the book, they offer different examples to explore the genre of horror films from different perspectives. The writers also attempt to explain the how modern day horror film are related to certain themes of blood and gore, and the relationships between pornography and horror film among other things.
Aaron Bady’s review of the hit show Stranger Things defends the show and its use of “play”. Stranger Things quite remarkably manages to encapture elements of the sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and horror genres, making it a universally liked show. However, some critics have disagreed. First, Bady restates the circulating conversations about the show. These particular conversations state that the show is not original. Bady addresses that these findings are indeed correct but “do not matter.” Then, he discusses why it “does not matter” and why there ought to be some other standard than originality when critiquing artwork. More broadly, Bady appeals to the television community as a whole and he suggests that its extreme concern with source
Over the years, the television and the entertainment it brings along has been one of man’s many inventions which has embellished living rooms around the world. As the television, advanced in luminosity, resolution and clarity, so has the want for its presence increased in people’s lives. Programming on the big screen has brought laughter, tears, terror and even education to the modern world. One of such terror, is the fascination with evil, bloodshed and portrayal of doom on the big screen. It is even more fascinating to realize that some people want more, and more of these gory and terrifying displayed imagery. One of such scary movies displayed on television, is that of a creature that looks more of a cross breed
In Stephen King’s somewhat subjective essay in the 1984 Playboy magazine, Why We Crave Horror Movies, King describes his reasoning behind why so many people are fond of watching movies residing in the horror genre. The content of his essay, though inserted in an unconventional area for
Horror films are movies that aim to elicit a strong physiological reaction in the viewer, such as raised heartbeat and fear. Three horror films by the names of Psycho, Scream and The Messengers will be analysed and compared to an episode of the popular children’s show Shaun the Sheep. Five elements will be addressed in this analysis, those being camera techniques, Mise-en-scene, Editing, Lighting and Sound.
Quentin Tarantino is well known and often criticized for his depiction of violence in his films. Although at times graphic, Tarantino’s violence holds a purpose. This paper will look at two films, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, and their depiction of violence and the aesthetics used. It will also look at classic film conventions and ultraviolence aesthetics used by Tarantino.
The article, Times Like These, I Wish There Was a Real Dexter:Unpacking Serial Murder Ideologies And Metaphors From TV’s Dexter Internet Forum, talks about the T.V show Dexter and how viewers respond to Dexter killing criminals and relating it to reality. This article relates to my topic because it explains the components of having a successful T.V show like having a controversial storyline and a unique character that most people found interesting. This article has helped me focus my research because I realized that I want to focus on the creative side of television like the directing, the storyline and the viewers of the popular shows.
Do you enjoy watching murder, the paranormal, and any other morbid scene which makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, your palms sweat, and your adrenaline surge? Why people enjoy watching murder, tragedy, and carnage in their spare time has been a mysterious phenomenon. If these gruesomely horrific scenes would not be enjoyable in real life, why is watching a recreation of it so riveting? Stephen King, a world-renowned horror novelist, wrote “Why We Crave Horror Movies” to give insight as to why horror movies, although gruesome and morbid, captivate audiences. King also aims to persuade readers to continue to watch horror movies, arguing that they are a crucial part of keeping sanity. King delves into this psychological aspect of humans and believes that the desire to watch horror films is a normal tendency of humankind. “Why We Crave Horror Movies” includes appeals to emotion, logic, and author credibility in order to convince readers of the positive, normal desire to watch horror films, why it is important to watch them, and why the reader should believe what the author is saying. King utilizes the rhetorical devices—pathos, logos, and ethos—in an effective way through the use of metaphor, logic, humor, and emotion to persuade readers that watching horror films is normal.