Horror Genre

Genre - Horror
 
      A genre that I tend to stay away from is the horror genre. However, I am still intrigued by horror movies, occasionally viewing ones that I do not think will give me persistent nightmare. The Horror films attempt to elicit fear in the audience.


Genre Conventions- Content

     Many horror films take place in an isolated area and the characters are unable to call for help or find a place to run. The setting is usually creepy, abandoned houses and forests.  A group of friends, usually a mix of boys and girls, decide to be a little "crazy" and go somewhere that they know is not safe. Or, you have a family that wants a change of scenery so they decide to buy an old abandoned house.  But then, once these people  realize they are in danger, they are upset. Its funny though, because they are the ones that put themselves in the situation in the first place. Often times, its also raining and thundering which enhances the feeling  of dread and isolation.

    Plots of horror movies usually involve spirits or monsters. The spirits possess people and cause immense havoc. The ghosts are usually people that previously lived in the location that the characters are at, and the spirits seek revenge and have evil personal vendettas. The monsters in horror films usually want to either eat, or kill the people. They are usually very large and ghastly. There will also be plenty of jump scares in these films. The audience will be tricked into thinking that everything is calm because of the calm music in the background, but then all of a sudden BAM, a hideous monster cover the screen.

    Death is very prevalent in horror films. More often than not, someone will die in a horror movie, so you have to walk into the theater knowing that one of your favorite naive charters is going to die within the next hour and a half.  Characters in horror films typically start out as very full of themselves and naive, such as the "jock" character and the "blonde cheerleader". They think that everything is all find and dandy, but when ghosts or monsters appear, they become scaredy cats. Often, you will have a movie about a group of friends. But by the end of the movie, only 1 will be left standing and their clothes will probably tattered and covered in blood. Film makers like to have a large cast because it makes the audience guess who will be picked off first, creating more suspension which is a key element of the genre.


Genre Conventions- Production Techniques

The same props appear in many horror films such as knives, axes, and  chainsaws. This is probably because these objects are brutal and can cause very bloody deaths which is what also occurs in many horror films. People for some odd reason like to see people get hurt, so these weapons are perfect for giving people that blood, gruesome image that the audience desires.

   The colors used in horror films are normally dark dreary colors like dark blues and blacks. This is because these colors insinuate that there is danger and mystery. These colors aid in making the film more suspenseful. Lighting is a very important mise-en-scene element in horror films. Often, there is a flickering light to let the audience know that something bad is bound to happen. The lighting is usually very dim which establishes feelings  of uncertainty as the audience does not know what is responsible for it.

   The costumes in horror films are usually stereotypical representations of the characters. If you have a "jock"character, he will probably be wearing his prized letterman jacket to let the audience know that he his "tough" and "macho" and "strong". The dumb blonde cheerleader will probably be wearing a cleavage bearing shirt and shorts. Audience members, for some odd reason, love to watch a pretty girl get torn up or brutally murdered.  Many times, the wicked character usually wears a mask. This is usually because the person behind the mask is just an average person, so wearing the mask makes the film scarier and adds more suspense because it makes the audience wonder who the person is under that mask.

   Horror films also use lots of non-diegetic sound which enhances the intensity of a scene. It lets the audience know that something bad is about to happen, thus creating tension. The diegetic sound in the movie is also very exaggerated such as creaky floor boards and a door opening. This creates an eerie affect which horror film producers strive for.


Film #1- It (2017)



The film starts out with a little boy name Gerogie being severed and dragged into a sewer by a killer clown named Pennywise. The colors during this scene are very dark and blue insinuating feelings of mystery and suspense with potential sadness. It is also raining which is a popular element in horror movies. The first few moments of the film already have the most prevalent element of horror films- death. The following summer, Georgie's brother and his friends are still haunted by the disappearance of Georgie. The friends then learn that their town has been plagued by unexplained tragedies and child disappearance for centuries(even more death). They begin to investigate and search for answers regarding the disappearances. Trying to find answers is a very common convention of horror films.  Each member of the group encounters the terrifying phenomena in various forms: the clown that attacked Gerogie, a headless boy, a fountain of blood, a diseased, rotting man, a creepy painting that comes to life, parents burning alive, and a phantom Georgie. They realize they are all being terrorized by the same being. They then find out that "it" wakens every 27 years to feed on the children of their town. Monsters eating people is very popular in films of the horror genre.  One of the friends gets taken by "it" and the boys go into the sewer to confront it and get their friend back. They end up, after a serious battle with "it", taking their friend back. However, "it" is not killed and retreats back to the sewer and will starve during its hibernation. The friends vow to go back when they are older to fight "it" if it returns.



Film #2- The Conjuring

Roger and Carolyn Perron move to a broken-down farmhouse with their five daughters. Right away, the film embodies the genre of horror because they move to a dilapidated, deserted house. Within the first few nights of staying at the house, paranormal events begin to occur. Spirits are very prominent in horror films as they are absolutely terrifying and create immense turmoil. All of the clocks stop at exactly 3:07 pm, birds fly into the windows, and their dog Sadie is found dead in their backyard. A death of a character in a horror film, very surprising indeed. The children encounter the spirit many times and one of the children claims that the spirit wants the family dead. A vengeful spirit is a common element of horror films. The family ends up hiring demonoligists and they inform the family that the house that they bought used to belong to an accused witch. She sacrificed her baby to the devil, cursed all who took her land, and then killed herself. It was also discovered that there had previously been many deaths on the property. A haunted house, very typical of the horror genre. One of the children becomes possessed and she needs to have an exorcism performed on her to save her life. Once the exorcism is complete, they are able to lift the witch's curse forever.



Other Horror Film Examples-



1. Psycho


2. Halloween



3. Hereditary



4. Cabin in the Woods



5. The Visit