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. Truthfully, though – and not for a lack of trying, there’s just something missing from the “new school” brand of horror villains, the majority of which attempt to do their damage within an overly abused haunted house setting. A few haunting characters, like The Babdook or the unnamed entity from It Follows, stand out as clever genre additions. …show more content…
In the first film, Bughuul was sly and sinister enough to remain a shadowy mystery – only to have this latest installment treat him like an angry puppet master that isn’t capable of carrying out his own dastardly plans. Like the Saw franchise, though, Sinister 2 features an array of unique murder sequences – varying from electrocution and Alligator (or Crocodiles) decapitations to lighting victims ablaze on a cross and forcing vermin to munch on people’s insides. Jigsaw would surely be proud, but keep in mind children are behind these deadly deeds – and such nonsensical occurrences typically forces this film to be more laughable than frightening. On the storyline front, Sinister 2 is a lackadaisical tale that reinforces the notion that horror sequels are usually inferior films. Here, the overuse of children, meshed with a lackluster lead with barely anything to do or accomplish, culminates into a flaccid, unimpressive production. It also doesn’t help that previous film’s most interesting characters, including Ellison (Ethan Hunt), the Sheriff (Fred Thompson), and Professor Jonas (Vincent D’Onofrio), are nowhere to be
In order to scare us, books, movies, and television shows will take the most ordinary things and make it into a monster. For instance, the movie IT takes a clown and turns it into
siblings, "creature features" and "slashers," both terrify and fascinate us with their ghoulish brand of
Older films relied more on a sense of dread, rather than jump scares, to create horror films. As for the newest film, The Mummy will “adopt elements of James Cameron's Aliens. Just as that beloved sci-fi sequel blended a visceral amount of carnage with genuine terror, so too will the upcoming Mummy film deliver the scares in a gripping manner. Rather than rely quiet tension, the film will utilize terror that comes at you full force” (Schwerdtfeger, 2017). The recent films, such as The Mummy directed by Stephen Sommers, are action packed in hopes of delivering a film with the same storyline as before, but still offering entertainment and terror.
Scream 4 utilizes today’s millennial culture of technology, Youtube, and blogs to once again reinvent the slasher genre. Scream 4 combines just the right amount of comedy within the story to still stay true to the genre and pokes fun at the previous three films and the genre as a whole. Although there is nothing significantly new with regards to the story of Scream 4, the mystery of who is under the mask was well done and keeps the viewer guessing. The identity of the masked killer is a surprising one and makes an interesting comment on fame in modern
Overall, in Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, his suggestion that we view horror movies to “reestablish our feelings of essential normality” (562) and there is a “potential lyncher in almost all of us” (562) has brought forth many aspects that I have never really thought about. Why do we have so much excitement when it comes to horror films? Everyone has their own opinion, which will never end with one definite answer. Stephen King thinks there’s and evil in all of us, but I don’t think so. The evil only comes out if you make it, we do not need horror films for psychic
Master of Horror Wes Craven continues the Scream films with a adrenaline-filled sequal that is just as fun as the first. With characters from the first Scream and a entire new lineup of characters in Scream 2. You'll be in for a roller coaster ride of thrills and chills making you want more at the end.
Some would say watching horror movies and being scared out of your wits is a fun way to spend their hard earned money. They go see these movies on average once a week, each time choosing a newer version of a trilogy like “Chucky” or “The evil Dead”. Film making has come a long way over the last few decades, the graphic...
As writers and producers saw the amazing popularity and success of the movie Scream many other copy cat versions were made. Movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend all followed the same teen slasher format. Nothing is being left up to the movie viewer’s imagination anymore. Everything for the past thirty years was spelled out and given to the viewer, leaving the identity of the killer as the only form of mystery. The genre of horror was losing a very important battle. The bone-chilling movies of the past were giving way to the comedic teen movies of the present.
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.
I don’t think there was ever a time that I was bored and wanted to turn it off. I was completely immersed in the plot by the end of the movie. There were so many jump scares in this movie that I had nightmares for a week after it. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a good horror movie that will actually scare you. I don’t scare very easily and this movie scared me to death. I absolutely loved the movie and will probably watch it at the very least three more times. I don’t think i’ve ever enjoyed watching a movie more than I enjoyed Insidious Chapter 2. It was completely worth my time and money to watch
movie is an unexpected one as no one would have foreseen something so serious to happen out
Many of the major studio horror films are marketed towards a PG-13 through R audience. The genre has evolved over time where it is at a point that the blockbusters seem to follow a basic formula that is easily replicated. Jump scares and loud noises are common throughout many of these films, which tend to be released in mass as the years start to reach the autumn season. Sequels and reboots to the major horror franchises are also commonplace for studios, one such example is the Saw franchise. Independent horror films differ from this strategy. Typically they rely on either a unique character or focus on building elements of suspense. They don’t often rely on jump scares, rather opting for an emphasis on acting, direction, editing, and a cohesive script. One such example of a successful independent horror film would be El Orfanato, which New Line Cinema eventually purchased the rights of the film after its release in American
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)
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...
Horror movies have been part of mainstream cinema since the early 1930s when films such as Dracula and Frankenstein were created. As the horror genre evolved, so did the stories in the films. Friday the 13th (Marcus Nipsel, 2009) is a very good example of this evolution. Even though it is a remake, Friday the 13th changed the way horror movies were seen by the audience. The ideas and theory behind this slasher sub-genre of horror films can be summed up in a book. Carol Clover, an American professor of film studies, wrote a book in 1992 entitled Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film in which she described the horror film genre. In a chapter entitled “Her Body, Himself”, Clover describes how weapons play a very important role in horror movies as well as explaining her Final Girl theory. Her book’s ideas changed not only academic notions but also popular beliefs on horror films. The 2009 remake of Friday the 13th implies that Carol Clover’s ideas about 80s slasher films, including male tormentors, the importance of weapons, and the Final Girl, have stayed the same through the years.