History of Horror
Horror films have only been about a hundred years where the term ‘horror movies’ first appeared in writings when the release of Universals Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931). Horror films are disturbing movies that scares the audience and startle them when watching.
Horror films usually hits into the mind of the viewers and fright them psychologically causing anxiety and sometimes excitement when watching. The main aim for horror film as a genre is to bring about a negative emotional reaction from its viewers. The way horror films try to achieve this is by including common fearful events such as nightmares, phobias and fears. Horror movies are based on the 19th century and was elicited from the gothic culture.
'Horror' was first introduced in the Horace Walpole's 1764 novel,
The Castle of Otranto, which included various supernatural shocks and mysterious
melodrama. However after centuries began to create short story or novella form
to scare their readers - J S Le Fanu, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins Horror movies have completed this tasks successfuly. They have done and death. 'In addition they also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time'- (reference from wikipedia)
Horror films usually hits into the mind of the viewers and fright them psychologically causing anxiety and sometimes excitement when watching. The main aim for horror film as a genre is to bring about a negative emotional reaction from its viewers. The way horror films try to achieve this is by including common fearful events such as nightmares, phobias and fears. Horror movies are based on the 19th century and was elicited from the gothic culture.
'Horror' was first introduced in the Horace Walpole's 1764 novel,
The Castle of Otranto, which included various supernatural shocks and mysterious
melodrama. However after centuries began to create short story or novella form
to scare their readers - J S Le Fanu, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins Horror movies have completed this tasks successfuly. They have done and death. 'In addition they also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time'- (reference from wikipedia)
Conventions of Horror
Horror films have many conventions to it from a media theorist called Graeme Burton:
- Protagonists: this is the main characters of the films and usually survives till the end when others die.
- Stock characters: these are the characters that die in the beginning or middle and don’t really survive till the end.
- Stock situations: e.g. car chases, shoot outs, chases between the victim and killer.
- Icons: these are props, actors, music. Something that becomes iconic of the film or genre. All of these are really important in a horror film because it plays a huge part to make the film scarier.
- Background and décor: the setting of the film or set decoration.
- Themes: e.g. love, revenge, betrayal, survival, family, honour.
There are many other conventions of horror films such as:
- Cameras Angle/Movements: usually have extreme close ups shots of victims face to show fear, long shots to show what they’re doing, low/high angle to show the character either looking up and down and whatever they’re looking at, point of view shots, tilt is used to sometime show the point of view of the character of how they’re looking at a object or another character, track in/out to cause tension.
- Lighting: most horror films uses a lot of low- key lighting to make it more chilling and creates suspense.
- Sound: eerie/creepy music is use a lot especially when the killer is presence in the scene to create tension, foley sounds e.g. footsteps/panting/weapon sounds, incidental music to create atmosphere to the action.
- Editing: long takes are used to build up fear and anxiety, a lot of quick cuts especially when killer chases victims to show the feelings and fear.
- Protagonists: this is the main characters of the films and usually survives till the end when others die.
- Stock characters: these are the characters that die in the beginning or middle and don’t really survive till the end.
- Stock situations: e.g. car chases, shoot outs, chases between the victim and killer.
- Icons: these are props, actors, music. Something that becomes iconic of the film or genre. All of these are really important in a horror film because it plays a huge part to make the film scarier.
- Background and décor: the setting of the film or set decoration.
- Themes: e.g. love, revenge, betrayal, survival, family, honour.
There are many other conventions of horror films such as:
- Cameras Angle/Movements: usually have extreme close ups shots of victims face to show fear, long shots to show what they’re doing, low/high angle to show the character either looking up and down and whatever they’re looking at, point of view shots, tilt is used to sometime show the point of view of the character of how they’re looking at a object or another character, track in/out to cause tension.
- Lighting: most horror films uses a lot of low- key lighting to make it more chilling and creates suspense.
- Sound: eerie/creepy music is use a lot especially when the killer is presence in the scene to create tension, foley sounds e.g. footsteps/panting/weapon sounds, incidental music to create atmosphere to the action.
- Editing: long takes are used to build up fear and anxiety, a lot of quick cuts especially when killer chases victims to show the feelings and fear.
Horror Films
Scream 2
Scream 2 is a 1997 American (slasher) film created and written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven
Two years after the terrifying events that occurred in Woodsboro, Sidney is now attending Windsor College in Cincinnati with long time friend Randy. Meanwhile, Gale Weathers best selling book on Sidney's life has now been made into a major motion picture. When two college students are killed in a theatre while watching the new film "Stab," Sidney knows deep down that history is for sure repeating itself again. Gale Weathers is present around the college reporting on the latest gruesome details that her movie has sparked. Dewey comes to visit Sidney after he hears the news also. No one believes the murders were in any way connected to Woodsboro, until more students around the campus are found dead. Gale and Dewey investigate and find that someone is trying to recreate Woodsboro. Sidney is no rookie when it comes to surviving a killer but someone wiser is on campusto show her some good old fashion revenge.
Two years after the terrifying events that occurred in Woodsboro, Sidney is now attending Windsor College in Cincinnati with long time friend Randy. Meanwhile, Gale Weathers best selling book on Sidney's life has now been made into a major motion picture. When two college students are killed in a theatre while watching the new film "Stab," Sidney knows deep down that history is for sure repeating itself again. Gale Weathers is present around the college reporting on the latest gruesome details that her movie has sparked. Dewey comes to visit Sidney after he hears the news also. No one believes the murders were in any way connected to Woodsboro, until more students around the campus are found dead. Gale and Dewey investigate and find that someone is trying to recreate Woodsboro. Sidney is no rookie when it comes to surviving a killer but someone wiser is on campusto show her some good old fashion revenge.
Ichi The Killer
Ichi the Killer is a Japanese horror made in 2001 directed by Takashi Miike based on a manga serious with the same name. The story is about a Yakuza boss named Anjo disappears with 300million yen and the yakuza gangs search for answers and revenge against other rival gangs. Soon they encounter Ichi, psychotic sexually repressed young man with amazing martial arts abilities and blades that comes out of his shoes. Nao Omori as Ichi and was most known for this role along with Tandanobu Kakihara and many other casts.
It was released in Canada, Japan, UK and Germany but the British Board of Films Classification refused to allow the release of the film uncut in Britain. In Hong Kong, fifteen minutes of footage were cut. In the US, it has been showed uncut. The soundtrack was written and produced by a band called Boredoms.
Apparently vomit bags were handed out at the Toronto International Film Festival to those attending the midnight screening of this film. Similar bags were handed out during the Stockholm International Film Festival. Reportedly, watching the movie caused one person to faint and another to throw-up.
It was released in Canada, Japan, UK and Germany but the British Board of Films Classification refused to allow the release of the film uncut in Britain. In Hong Kong, fifteen minutes of footage were cut. In the US, it has been showed uncut. The soundtrack was written and produced by a band called Boredoms.
Apparently vomit bags were handed out at the Toronto International Film Festival to those attending the midnight screening of this film. Similar bags were handed out during the Stockholm International Film Festival. Reportedly, watching the movie caused one person to faint and another to throw-up.
Horror Film Director: Joe Dante
Joe Dante is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art. After a stint as a film reviewer, he began his filmmaking apprenticeship in 1974 as trailer editor for Roger Corman's New World Pictures. He made his directorial debut in 1976 with Hollywood Boulevard (co-directed with Allan Arkush), a thinly disguised spoof of New World exploitation pictures which was shot in ten days
He has produced filmss such as:
· The Movie Orgy (1968)
· Hollywood Boulevard (with Allan Arkush) (1976)
· Piranha (1978)
· Rock 'n' Roll High School (with Allan Arkush) (1979) (uncredited)
· The Howling (1981)
· Police Squad! (1982) (TV)
He has produced filmss such as:
· The Movie Orgy (1968)
· Hollywood Boulevard (with Allan Arkush) (1976)
· Piranha (1978)
· Rock 'n' Roll High School (with Allan Arkush) (1979) (uncredited)
· The Howling (1981)
· Police Squad! (1982) (TV)