1- Horror
2- Horror is a genre that is meant to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion and terror in the audience. Horror movies are mainly targeted for teens that want to be scared or entertained. The purpose of horror films is to frighten, panic, and even evoke peoples hidden fears. Some typical features that horror genres contain are monsters, evil, death, and blood. As you can see all of these are typical in a horror genre because they all evoke some sense of discomfort to the viewer. Another common aspect of horror films are that they all have a common aspect of scare. This means that they include random jump scares that make a viewer feel very odd and uncomfortable, producing a very eerie feeling.
3- In order to make a horror film there are many techniques involved. These techniques are mainly used to convey the feelings of fear and discomfort throughout the film. One main type of technique used in horror films are the colors used. To show a more sinister feeling horror films commonly use many dark colors; as we know these colors are used to show death, loneliness, and even suspense. These are also the main reasons why dark colors are used in horror films because when put together, they create a dark scene that expresses terror and fear. The two main colors used though are black and red, to represent blood, danger, and evil, which are common features in a horror film. Not only is color used to show the resemblance of a seen, but it is also used to show the role of the characters. For example, black on a character shows that he or she is evil and is most likely the monster, but white on the other hand, shows innocence and purity within a character. This isn’t always the case though, in many movies sometimes the monster is characterized using white to show that they are not as innocent as they seem. Another technique is the use of lightning. The use of low-key lighting in horror films help create shadows and unfamiliar figures that create suspense. Also, it is used to show the intentions of the characters. If a character is shown in a low lit background it means that they are most likely the monster or villain. If they are shown in a lit up background they are most likely the horror or the victim in the movie. Costumes also pay a major role in horror films. They help create a very uncomfortable atmosphere because usually the costumes resemble horrific monsters or sinister characteristics. Without the costumes horror films wouldn't have their iconic message of horror and suspense. Another crucial aspect of a horror film is its setting. The setting is usually in a very weird and odd location, where there aren’t many people. Also, the specific location of where the main scenes occur usually have some kind of haunted past. This means that if the movie were to take place in a house, the house would be broken down, dark, and someone probably died in the house. Lastly, many horror films usually have some iconic objects in them that resemble fear. For example, many films include some type of weapon and a mask. The use of these two help hide the monster and give us a distinctive image of them in our mind. By having a weapon it makes us think of them as more horrifying. Other common objects are religious items, such as the bible or a cross. These objects give a horror movie a sinister environment, due to the fact that they are linked with spirits.
4- Horror films are usually marketed using trailers, magazines, or even posters. Poster and magazine covers usually tend to show the main evil character, setting, or an iconic image in the film. The colors of these covers are usually dark and tend to stick with traditional horror conventions. The use of trailers to market a horror film is also very effective. They are very similar to most trailers, but they are instead designed to frighten the audience, so they realize that the film will scare them. By having that iconic message in them, it makes many people curious on whether or not it will scare them, making them go watch it.
5- Insidious: This is a very iconic horror film and has many common attributes that most horror films have. First of all, the colors in the film is very dark and there are many dark colors in the film. Most of the rooms in the house that the movie takes place are dark and creepy. Another aspect is its location. The movie takes place in a house that is supposedly haunted. By the house having this description, the movie begins to become suspenseful and scary, which are common feelings people get when watching horror films. Not only is the house dark, broken down, and has bad vibes, but it also is very isolated from the world. The place where the house takes place in doesn’t have many neighbors or people around it. The main character that is haunted also has a common attribute of horror genre films because it is a little boy that has been possessed by a demon. As I said before, many horror films have little kids play the role of the monster because it creates a weird atmosphere, since they are so innocent. Lastly, one of the main attributes that make this an iconic horror film are that there are spirits and demons involved. Many horror films use the props such as bibles or crosses, which is also seen in this movie, to help represent the presence of evil spirits. Due to all these attributes in the film, it really did well conveying the message of horror and fear, making it a great fir in the horror genre.
6- The Exorcist: This is one of my all time favorite horror films and it mainly has to do with the fact that it demonstrates the aspect of horror very well. The film has many common aspects of horror films such as: setting, events, characters, and props. The setting takes place in a town that is very creepy and seems to be isolated. The setting really fits in with the horror genre because it helps establish a creepy, lonely location. Also, the main event of the film takes place in a church, which makes us very uncomfortable due to its relative ness with spirits. The events that occur in the film are also common of many horror films. The film is about a little girl that begins to act weird and supposedly has made contact with the devil. Due to this, there is an exorcism that has to be done to remove the devil from her body. This is a common characteristic of horror films because most people don’t know a lot about spirits and devils, so it scares us and brings horror to the film. It doesn’t end there though, the movie also has very iconic characters in it. These include a little girl that is taken over by a devil. As stated before many horror genres use little girls or boys as their main character for the monster because it makes us uncomfortable. Lastly, the props used are very similar to many horror films because there are bibles, churches, and crosses involved with the exorcism. Not only does the movie have all the aspects of horror films but it is also very dark and all throughout the movie the audience has an eerie vibe. Overall, I believe this film did really good in representing the common aspects and characteristics of horror films.
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Chocolate1844563799999 Follow. (2015, May 25). Typical horror characteristics. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/chocolate1844563799999/typical-horror-characteristics-48574853
Edwards, H. (2012, November 21). Conventions of Horror genre. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/hmd048pyis0h/conventions-of-horror-genre/
Horror Films. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms.html
