Why do audiences watch horror movies?
Jeffrey Goldstein, psychiatrist, believes that "modern horror film serves many of the same functions for the adolescent that the fairy tale serves for the child, for instance to warn of evil in familiar places. Horror films are designed to elicit strong emotional reactions from viewers, including fear and dread; and this they do. Nearly everyone reports having been disturbed at some time by an image from a film or television program."
The viewer and the film
Researchers have identified various motives for viewing horror films, including the need for excitement, the desire to feel intense emotions, and distraction from everyday concerns. Although dramatic films can fulfill some of these needs, movies depicting violence and horror have features that other forms of drama do not, including the violation of social norms and the portrayal of events seldom seen in real life.
People rarely view horror films alone. Violent entertainment appeals primarily to males, and it appeals to them mostly in groups. For many young people and adults, horror films are a topic of conversation, a source of shared experience, and a means of self-presentation. Not everyone will like the blood and gore, but many may continue to watch because of other goals, such as demonstrating their ability to tolerate it, or the desire to master the threatening images.
.To explore our own roles as an audience & analyse audience theories
Effects on audience reaction:
Changes/factors
Desensitised by similar horror movies
Age
Personal experience
General knowledge of horror movies
Technology used
Own beliefs/worries
Critiscism
Imagination
Rebellion
Gender
Actors
Curiosity/escape from reality
Emotional responses/rest of audience
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Thursday 24 November 2011
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 1974
.Cult horror film (slasher)
.Written, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper & Kim Henkel
.The film is considered an innovator of the slasher genre - pre-dating Halloween, Friday 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street
.Cast mainly non professional actors
.Despite being labelled as excessively graphic, there is not much explicit "gore"
.Violence and gore is implied
.Hooper was hoping for a PG rating which is why the explicit "gore" is kept to a minimum. Needless to say, he failed. The film has an R rating
.An independent film which cost $83,532
.Generated over $36m at the U.S box office in 1974
.The most sucessful independent film ever - until Halloween in 1978
.The film was highly influential for the "slasher genre"
.This film, like "Psycho" and "Silence Of The Lambs", was inspired by the Wisconsin serial killer, Ed Gein
.Ed Gein did apparently wear human skin but he didn't use a chainsaw
.The mis en scene in this film is very important, the house was modelled on crime scene notes describing .Gein's house
The film is renowned for its use of the marketing technique (based on true events) ...The false documents
.The film is filmed in documentary style - it is interesting to note that hooper was formerly a documentary cameraman
.The small budget dictated the use of non-actors and the camera equipment. The film used proved a masterstroke as fans and critics alike claim the "gritty" look gives the film its documentary-style feel and therefore embeds the "horror" in reality
.Hooper also directed Poltergeist
.Hooper likes to taunt the audience by exploring taboos - in this film it's cannibalism
.The eerie and disturbing music score was not composed for this film. Much of it came from the sounds an animal would hear inside a slaughterhouse
.Became a sucess because of word of mouth - not much money for a marketing campaign.
.Early 1970's America was a hotbed of social unrest. Massive fuel shortages, Watergate and the Vietnam War. High unemployment
.Dinner table scene shot in one 27 hour shoot
"Inspired camera angles and brave new editing techniques ensured that when the eye didn't see something, the imagination would fill in the blanks
.Written, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper & Kim Henkel
.The film is considered an innovator of the slasher genre - pre-dating Halloween, Friday 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street
.Cast mainly non professional actors
.Despite being labelled as excessively graphic, there is not much explicit "gore"
.Violence and gore is implied
.Hooper was hoping for a PG rating which is why the explicit "gore" is kept to a minimum. Needless to say, he failed. The film has an R rating
.An independent film which cost $83,532
.Generated over $36m at the U.S box office in 1974
.The most sucessful independent film ever - until Halloween in 1978
.The film was highly influential for the "slasher genre"
.This film, like "Psycho" and "Silence Of The Lambs", was inspired by the Wisconsin serial killer, Ed Gein
.Ed Gein did apparently wear human skin but he didn't use a chainsaw
.The mis en scene in this film is very important, the house was modelled on crime scene notes describing .Gein's house
The film is renowned for its use of the marketing technique (based on true events) ...The false documents
.The film is filmed in documentary style - it is interesting to note that hooper was formerly a documentary cameraman
.The small budget dictated the use of non-actors and the camera equipment. The film used proved a masterstroke as fans and critics alike claim the "gritty" look gives the film its documentary-style feel and therefore embeds the "horror" in reality
.Hooper also directed Poltergeist
.Hooper likes to taunt the audience by exploring taboos - in this film it's cannibalism
.The eerie and disturbing music score was not composed for this film. Much of it came from the sounds an animal would hear inside a slaughterhouse
.Became a sucess because of word of mouth - not much money for a marketing campaign.
.Early 1970's America was a hotbed of social unrest. Massive fuel shortages, Watergate and the Vietnam War. High unemployment
.Dinner table scene shot in one 27 hour shoot
"Inspired camera angles and brave new editing techniques ensured that when the eye didn't see something, the imagination would fill in the blanks
Bringing Sall Home
Camera Angles:
Low angle
Close up
Panning
Tilt
2 Shot
High angle
Point of view - Objective, Intrusion
Music - Building up sound
Mis En Scene/Editing - Focus, disorientation
Fade to black
Doorway, voyeur
Friday 18 November 2011
Claude Levi - Strauss
Following Aristotle (all drama is conflict) - Binary opposition
E.g
Good - Evil
Light - Dark
Right - Wrong
Honesty - Deciet
All narratives have to be driven by conflict caused by opposing forces.
E.g
Good - Evil
Light - Dark
Right - Wrong
Honesty - Deciet
All narratives have to be driven by conflict caused by opposing forces.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Todorov's Narrative Theory
6 part structure
Equilibrium
Disruption
Complications
Crisis
Climax
Resolution
Theory Application to psycho
The equilibrium - "Discreet lovers Marion Crane and Sam Loomis want to marry but cannot"
Disruption - "Marion steals $40,000"
Crisis - "An anonymous figure enters the bathroom and stabs Marion to death"
Twist - "Norman appears, dressed in his mother's clothing and a wig, and attempts to attack Lila"
Explanation - "Mrs.Bates is alive in Norman's fractured psyche"
Resolution - "In the final moments of the film, Norman is seen sitting alone in a jail cell thinking in Mother's voice"
Alfred Hitchcock
.Directer over 50 films
.Thousands of storyboards per film
.Appears briefly in each film
.Perfected voyeurism in film
.New camera angles
.New take on representation
.Career spanned 60 years
.Social taboos included
.Relied heavily upon psychological
.Influenced Quentin Tarnetino
.Thousands of storyboards per film
.Appears briefly in each film
.Perfected voyeurism in film
.New camera angles
.New take on representation
.Career spanned 60 years
.Social taboos included
.Relied heavily upon psychological
.Influenced Quentin Tarnetino
Psycho - 1960
The Shower Scene
Camera angles
. P.O.V
.High angle
.Low angle
.Profile
.Zoom
.Close up
.Head and shoulders
.Birds eye view
.Pan
.Long shots
.Extreme long shot
Music/Sound/Silence
.Silence - normality
.Violin - Psycho strings - Urgency
.Shower curtain rips
.Screams
.Knife to flesh
editing
.Quick cuts - fast pace, disorientation
Point of View
.Removed, objective
.Marian's
.Killers
Mis En Scene
.Money in newspaper - concealment
.Water and blood
.Knife and clothing of Mrs. Bates
How does Hitchcock create tension leading up to and during the shower scene?
Hitchcock recognized that tension was important in extracting the right reaction from the audience concerning the shower scene, but whilst creating such an uneasy atmosphere it was crucial not to reveal the specific details and events of the plot. The tension begins to build along with the dynamics of the plot, when Todorov’s theory is applied to Psycho, the disruption of the equilibrium as Marion Crane is dressing in her bedroom and the camera is used to portray her thoughts on the money that she later takes. It is at its greatest during the scene with the suspicious police officer, subdues as Marion reaches Bates Motel and then begins to grow once again until the murder in the shower scene. The effects of the tension are achieved mainly by the reliance Hitchcock had on the audiences’ feelings changing swiftly as the tension rises and falls, each reaction exaggerating the next one. The use of mise en scene, such as the way that the stuffed birds have been positioned, like they are looming over the pair representing Mrs.Bates’ controlling nature or showing Norman’s sexual interest in Marion is also effective as it is a subtle message, but shows the effort Hitchcock made to deliberately create a tense atmosphere. Further examples of how tension is created include the various camera angles, shots and editing techniques like those present in the hiding of the money whilst in the Motel room, non-diegetic sound, for example the music whilst Marion is in the car on her way out of town, and the actors' actions and reactions, most importantly the conversations between Norman and Marion, and Norman and Mrs. Bates.
Marion Crane’s dressing scene in the bedroom includes no diegetic sound; however the audience is fully aware of Marion’s thoughts. The camera is used in various ways to achieve this, alongside the movement and facial expressions of Marion and the mise en scene (suitcase). We as the audience are exposed to foreshadow the following major events and the reasons for them through the specific shots, such as the close up of the paperwork for a car that Marion’s body is later left in. We are made aware by the emphasis on the money that Marion’s greed is clouding her judgment. As the audience can recognize this and Marion remains oblivious, the audience feels frustration, and they become more aware of tense situations. It is possible that the tension is meant to transcend through the screen and audience, as again we are introduced to the voyeuristic nature of some of Hitchcock’s scenes for the effect of feeling closer to the characters, as if it is all of us in the situation and room together. The most effective aspects of this scene are definitely the camera work and sound. The silence of Marion in conjunction with the nature of the scene allows the audience to concentrate on the direction of the camera, as if they embody Marion’s temptation.
The scene with the Police officer is particularly effective in creating tension, as after the dressing scene, the audience is aware of what she has done, and can provide reason for her nervousness, his suspicion and imagine possible outcomes with Marion as she desperately attempts to appear “normal”. Although the camera angles are less detailed and do not allow the audience to have the point of view of a companion traveling with Marion, the audience are still not completely detached from the scene, and recognize the tension immediately, especially when the policeman watches Marion at the car dealership. The greatest moment of the scene for showing tension was the guilt on Marion’s face coupled with the patience of the Policeman as Marion removed the money from her handbag to find her license. This is extremely effective, as the angle of the camera is tilted downward and shows Marion confined to the small space of the car, as if her own conscience is closing in on her.
The parlor scene with Norman Bates overwhelms the audience with tension; I believe the mise en scene and the camera shots and angles are the main reason. The stuffed birds on the walls resemble the side of Norman that is not visible whilst he is talking to Marion, and seem to loom over the pair and cast shadows, making the scene more dramatic.
The sound of the water in the beginning of the shower scene against the silence of Marion and the isolated Motel, suggests to the audience that Marion is vulnerable to danger and reflects the uneasiness of the previous scenes with the caution Marion takes to rip the evidence and dispose of it in the toilet, showing her feelings of guilt and then her attempt to cleanse herself in the shower. The head and shoulders shot of Marion from different angles around the shower remind the audience that Marion is enclosed by the walls of the shower, and the close ups of the shower head show the normality of the shower, to contrast the abnormal following events and how oblivious Marion was to them.
Camera angles
. P.O.V
.High angle
.Low angle
.Profile
.Zoom
.Close up
.Head and shoulders
.Birds eye view
.Pan
.Long shots
.Extreme long shot
Music/Sound/Silence
.Silence - normality
.Violin - Psycho strings - Urgency
.Shower curtain rips
.Screams
.Knife to flesh
editing
.Quick cuts - fast pace, disorientation
Point of View
.Removed, objective
.Marian's
.Killers
Mis En Scene
.Money in newspaper - concealment
.Water and blood
.Knife and clothing of Mrs. Bates
How does Hitchcock create tension leading up to and during the shower scene?
Hitchcock recognized that tension was important in extracting the right reaction from the audience concerning the shower scene, but whilst creating such an uneasy atmosphere it was crucial not to reveal the specific details and events of the plot. The tension begins to build along with the dynamics of the plot, when Todorov’s theory is applied to Psycho, the disruption of the equilibrium as Marion Crane is dressing in her bedroom and the camera is used to portray her thoughts on the money that she later takes. It is at its greatest during the scene with the suspicious police officer, subdues as Marion reaches Bates Motel and then begins to grow once again until the murder in the shower scene. The effects of the tension are achieved mainly by the reliance Hitchcock had on the audiences’ feelings changing swiftly as the tension rises and falls, each reaction exaggerating the next one. The use of mise en scene, such as the way that the stuffed birds have been positioned, like they are looming over the pair representing Mrs.Bates’ controlling nature or showing Norman’s sexual interest in Marion is also effective as it is a subtle message, but shows the effort Hitchcock made to deliberately create a tense atmosphere. Further examples of how tension is created include the various camera angles, shots and editing techniques like those present in the hiding of the money whilst in the Motel room, non-diegetic sound, for example the music whilst Marion is in the car on her way out of town, and the actors' actions and reactions, most importantly the conversations between Norman and Marion, and Norman and Mrs. Bates.
Marion Crane’s dressing scene in the bedroom includes no diegetic sound; however the audience is fully aware of Marion’s thoughts. The camera is used in various ways to achieve this, alongside the movement and facial expressions of Marion and the mise en scene (suitcase). We as the audience are exposed to foreshadow the following major events and the reasons for them through the specific shots, such as the close up of the paperwork for a car that Marion’s body is later left in. We are made aware by the emphasis on the money that Marion’s greed is clouding her judgment. As the audience can recognize this and Marion remains oblivious, the audience feels frustration, and they become more aware of tense situations. It is possible that the tension is meant to transcend through the screen and audience, as again we are introduced to the voyeuristic nature of some of Hitchcock’s scenes for the effect of feeling closer to the characters, as if it is all of us in the situation and room together. The most effective aspects of this scene are definitely the camera work and sound. The silence of Marion in conjunction with the nature of the scene allows the audience to concentrate on the direction of the camera, as if they embody Marion’s temptation.
The scene with the Police officer is particularly effective in creating tension, as after the dressing scene, the audience is aware of what she has done, and can provide reason for her nervousness, his suspicion and imagine possible outcomes with Marion as she desperately attempts to appear “normal”. Although the camera angles are less detailed and do not allow the audience to have the point of view of a companion traveling with Marion, the audience are still not completely detached from the scene, and recognize the tension immediately, especially when the policeman watches Marion at the car dealership. The greatest moment of the scene for showing tension was the guilt on Marion’s face coupled with the patience of the Policeman as Marion removed the money from her handbag to find her license. This is extremely effective, as the angle of the camera is tilted downward and shows Marion confined to the small space of the car, as if her own conscience is closing in on her.
The parlor scene with Norman Bates overwhelms the audience with tension; I believe the mise en scene and the camera shots and angles are the main reason. The stuffed birds on the walls resemble the side of Norman that is not visible whilst he is talking to Marion, and seem to loom over the pair and cast shadows, making the scene more dramatic.
The sound of the water in the beginning of the shower scene against the silence of Marion and the isolated Motel, suggests to the audience that Marion is vulnerable to danger and reflects the uneasiness of the previous scenes with the caution Marion takes to rip the evidence and dispose of it in the toilet, showing her feelings of guilt and then her attempt to cleanse herself in the shower. The head and shoulders shot of Marion from different angles around the shower remind the audience that Marion is enclosed by the walls of the shower, and the close ups of the shower head show the normality of the shower, to contrast the abnormal following events and how oblivious Marion was to them.
Wednesday 2 November 2011
The History of horror Films
1896 - Le Manoir Du Diable (Melies) - Vampire Horror
1913 - Der Golem (Wegener) - Monster Movie
1920 - The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - Psychological Horror
1922 - Nosferatu (Murnau) - Vampire and Gothic Horror
1923 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Gothic monster Horrror
1930's - Universal Studios made a plethora of horror films: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy
1950's - Horror moves toward sci-fi and becomes a hybrid with Invasion Horror: The Thing from Another World - 1951, Invasion of the body Snatchers 1956
1960's - Moves towards Psychological Horror and Slashers: Psycho - 1960, Peeping Tom - 1965
1970's - Moves towards Demonic Horror: Rosemary's Baby - 1970, The Exorcist -1973, The Omen - 1976
1980's - Video nasties - Friday the 13th - 1980, Nightmare on Elm Street - 1984
1990's - Postmodern - Self mocking and reflexive horrors: Scream - 1996, I Know What You Did Last Summer - 1996
2000's - Move towards more Supernatural Horror: Sixth Sense - 1999, Final destination - 1999, Also Action Horror Hybrids: Blade - 2000, van helsing - 2004
1913 - Der Golem (Wegener) - Monster Movie
1920 - The Cabinet of Dr Caligari - Psychological Horror
1922 - Nosferatu (Murnau) - Vampire and Gothic Horror
1923 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Gothic monster Horrror
1930's - Universal Studios made a plethora of horror films: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy
1950's - Horror moves toward sci-fi and becomes a hybrid with Invasion Horror: The Thing from Another World - 1951, Invasion of the body Snatchers 1956
1960's - Moves towards Psychological Horror and Slashers: Psycho - 1960, Peeping Tom - 1965
1970's - Moves towards Demonic Horror: Rosemary's Baby - 1970, The Exorcist -1973, The Omen - 1976
1980's - Video nasties - Friday the 13th - 1980, Nightmare on Elm Street - 1984
1990's - Postmodern - Self mocking and reflexive horrors: Scream - 1996, I Know What You Did Last Summer - 1996
2000's - Move towards more Supernatural Horror: Sixth Sense - 1999, Final destination - 1999, Also Action Horror Hybrids: Blade - 2000, van helsing - 2004
Camera Angle/Shot Purpose And Editing Techniques
Camera Angles/Shot
CU - Close Up
Shot used to reveal detail on a face/object
Head and Shoulders
used in news broadcasts reveals enough detail to see lips move and facial expressions
2 Shot
2 people in the scene, introduces a conversation, often used in conjunction with other shots
OS - Over the Shoulder
simulates a view of the subject as seen from the 2nd persons eyes
ECU - Extreme Close Up
used to reveal horror in the subjects face
LS - Long Shot
used to show movement in the subject's whole body
MS - Medium Shot
used to show upper body movement
ELS - Extra Long Shot
Establishing shot, important when subject is moving location
Editing
Nosferatu - 1922
An iconic image from the film; Count Orlok's shadow
A German expressionism film
Silent, black and white
Germany in 1922
Issues of reducing, limiting or abolishing weapons in Germany, the trial of war criminals had now receded into the background.
(Relates to vulnrability when weapons cannot be used as protection against powerful threats)
The issue of reparations and inflation, now dominated life in Germany.
(Relates to the greed, a recurring theme of the film)
Analysing the opening scene
What ideas are introduced?
The film's genre does not appear to be horror, but romance, a genre that horror films often include elements from. There is a clear stereotyping of the roles of men and women in a horror film.
The ideas of over sensitivity from the female character in the scene concerning the flowers, and the over protective and caring nature of the male character responding to her emotions shows this.
Who are the characters?
Ellen Hutter - appears to be very feminine, naive, relies on hutter, emotional
Hutter - Positive attitude, comforting/loving, masculine, responsible, takes care of Ellen
What are they doing?
Hutter is informing Ellen that he has to leave the country, he is entrusting his friend and his sister to take care of her
Connotations?
Sexism, love, loneliness,
Music and effect?
Violin and piano - nervous/panic during credits, fading into calm when Ellen is sewing, melancholy when Ellen is presented the flowers
Edits and their effects?
Fast cuts, showing different aspects/angles of the scene.
Iris in/out - seen as nostalgic
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