John Carpenter versus Rob Zombie: The Battle for King of Halloween Jeremiah Underwood COM 170 Marla Dean John Carpenter versus Rob Zombie: The Battle for King of Halloween In 1978, John Carpenter created an evil force with his film Halloween and the introduction of the psychopathic serial killer, Michael Myers. His story of a faceless murderer who returns to a small Midwestern town on Halloween night frightened theatergoers all over the world. Nearly 30 years later, heavy metal musician turned director Rob Zombie re-envisioned this classic horror story, by presenting a frightening new take on the story of Michael Myers. Although the original and remake share similarities, Zombie’s use of characters, character development, plot …show more content…
When she is introduced, with all her nervousness, it is clear to the audience that she is ill-equipped for the events that will unfold throughout the movie. At no point in the film does she evolve from being an overly anxious teenage girl. In contrast, Zombie’s Laurie undergoes a much more realistic and drastic transformation. As her character interacts with Michael, she goes from scared, pleading victim to vengeful heroine. This metamorphosis drives home the revelation that Laurie is Michael’s sister, and that the evil that lurked within Michael’s soul may well have been seeded in hers as well; it is not revealed in Carpenter’s film, but is introduced in the …show more content…
Carpenter, except for a brief moment during the opening scene, does not give any indication of why Michael is evil; in Carpenter’s version he just is. Contrarily, Zombie spends the first of half of his film showing the degradation of young Michael, his incarceration, and his deepening disdain for all those around him. While Carpenter leaves the audience wondering why Michael has returned, Zombie answers this question and more with his inclusion of Michael’s back-story. By including this denouement at the beginning of the film, Zombie allows the audience to focus more on the final events; knowing full well who Michael is and what his ultimate goal
To begin with, some people would say they enjoy a horror movie that gets them scared out of their wits. They go see these movies once a month on average, for fun, each time choosing a newer sequel like “Final Destination” or “The evil Dead”. King says “When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at tenth-row center in a theater showing a horror movie we are daring the nightmare” (405). As a writer of best-sel...
Max Brooks explains in his article ‘’The Movies That Rose From The Grave’’ [2006], that zombies and the supernatural forces have impacted and have become popular in the world today. The first main idea that Brooks points out is the way society has changed the meaning and glimpse for the supernatural creatures like zombies causing them to become increasingly popular. To support this zombie movies have changed from darkness and mystery to violent and bloodier scenes therefore making them more prevailing. The second main idea that is discussed by Brooks is how the media has helped to increase the popularity of zombies, vampires, ghosts. Highlighted by the author particularity both ‘’resident evil,
Halloween is rife with psychological scares that affect its audience greatly. “Symbolism, dreamlike imagery, emotional rather than rational logic” are present in Psychoanalytic criticism. Siskel and Ebert talked about how the movie makes you feel as if you are the protagonist, scared for your life and feeling every bit of suspense (Siskel and Ebert). The movie is purely fueled by emotional responses to what is happening to the characters and focuses itself purely on how the audience will respond. In the clip shown, the main protagonist talks about how she killed the killer but he is shown alive. The movie is not concerned with the logic; otherwise, the killer would have at least been slowed down by the injuries he sustained. Siskel and Ebert laud the movie on its set up of scenes, score, character development, and use of lighting to make the audience feel the terror the characters undergo.
Analysis of the Opening Sequences of John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) and Wes Craven’s Scream (1996)
Michael changed drastically over the course of only a few weeks. He learned more about his friends, family, and himself than he ever wanted to know.
His experimental and unique perverse screenwriting has shocked and inspired numerous people. His aesthetics painted horror vividly and presented itself dramatically. His musical and cinematic vision was a healthy extension of his devilishly, clever, and demented mind. His modes of publication with music, film and print, had and still a tremendous fanbase. He has gained our attention in every media related forum and we can’t look away, even if we try. He has left us cheering, screaming and on the edge of our seats. We leave feeling bad about ourselves for watching his visual storytelling unfold. “You know, it’s like, I’m going to sit here for 90 minutes and watch these guys get fucked up with no hope. That’s what I love about these films, you walk out feeling bad about yourself, saying “Why did I enjoy that? What does this say about me as a person?” It is a cathartic experience that horror lovers can have again and again. Not acting on those horrific urges, but instead, becoming one of his characters that were just never really understood and that evil is real. Evil never dies and revenge always wins or at least in horror
It wasn’t a pleasant meeting at Nonna house. Josie was very rude towards Michael. She wanted to make Michael feel bad. She did that by saying “My mother had me young” (page 39). After that statement, Michael’s face went pale and he looked at her in absolute shock.
Reflecting back on the most iconic figures in the history of horror cinema, characters like Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees still shine brighter than all the rest – even despite their current lack of utilization. In the meantime, an array of other “big bads,” ranging from Ghostface, Jigsaw, and Annabelle, has attempted to climb the proverbial ladder into the (imaginary) horror hall of fame.
Film scholars around the world agree that all genres of film are part of the “genre cycle”. This cycle contains four different stages that a specific genre goes through. These stages are: primitive, classic, revisionist, and parody. Each stage that the genre goes through brings something different to that genre’s meaning and what the audience expects. I believe that looking at the horror genre will be the most beneficial since it has clearly gone through each stage.
Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned. (Horror Films)
Although she seems unresponsive in the beginning, the mother finally wishes Michael the best. She says that social services had branded Michael "a runner," and she forecasts that Leigh Anne will find one day that he has run away for good without giving any previous notice. Leigh Anne also faces some tough guys from the projects who had made ugly insinuations about her before. They are left speechless when she threatens them and is not afraid of them at all.
Laurie also displays that there is a connection between her and Michael Myers, as well. This is displayed by the fact that Micheal Myers is obviously drawn to her, as he stares into the classroom she is in, peers into her house, and the house she is babysitting in. Laurie also notices Michael Myers’s presence before anyone else does. Yet when Laurie tries to call attention to Michael Myer’s presences he disappears. Laurie must face Michael Myer’s in a final face-off, unlike the others she is able to survive this face off, and it is the ultimate difference between her and her friends.
Soon after the story begins we get an insight into who Michael truly is. One could easily describe him as a Meek young man, as the narrator states Michael is very unsure of himself while asking the townspeople questions on the subject of the whereabouts of the Hangman. Though, his insecurities do not stop him from his ability to do his job. To be a decent writer you have to be observant, which fits Michaels personality perfectly. While describing the Hangman's appearance he notices small details that most people would skim over. Describing him as “a little fellow, without
At a time when the stalker movie had been exploited to all ends and the image of mute, staggering, vicious killers had been etched into society’s consciousness to the point of exhaustion, a new kid entered the block. The year was 1984 and it was time for a new villain to enter into the horror genre. A villain that was agile, intelligent, almost inviolable yet viscous, and by all means deadly. A Nightmare on Elm Street introduced the distinctive presence of Fred Krueger to the horror industry and to the audience. Freddy Krueger took the center stage and with him a new era of horror films began. This horribly scarred man who wore a ragged slouch hat, dirty red-and-green striped sweater, and a glove outfitted with knives at the fingers reinvented the stalker genre like no other film had. Fred Krueger breathed new life into the dying horror genre of the early 1980’s.
Would you rather be horrified beyond repair or thrilled to the point of no return? In horror, the main purpose is to invoke fear and dread into the audience in the most unrealistic way. Horror movies involve supernatural entities such as ghosts, vampires, teleportation, and being completely immortal. As thriller films are grounded in realism and involve more suspense, mystery, and a sense of panic. Though both genres will frighten the audience, it will happen in two different ways. Whether the horror thrills or the thriller horrifies, a scare is always incorporated.