What scares you? It could be spiders, death, evil clowns, or anything simple as the dark itself.
Ghosts, ghouls, goblins, demons, skeletons, cemeteries, ghost stories, zombies, oh my!
Here's some simple ingredients I know for a fact a true horror film cannot succeed without: suspense, a powerful music score, props, thrilling cinematography, substance, and atmosphere.
In the following video clip, this scene in the film: "The Shining-1980" is a perfect example of the elements I have mentioned. Watch the clip and I'll explain why...
As you watched this, the music is erratic and bold, heightening and eerie as Jack begins chopping at the door with an axe. Great example for a thrilling music score. His wife on the other side of the room is terrified and is trapped inside the room, and her screams become more shrill and fearful. Powerful cinematography has a role here, the camera focusing the most terrifying images that can be seen if there was a third person perspective. If you watched the movie from the beginning you know that the spirits of the hotel are having a negative effect on Jack and have embedded homicidal tendencies that are causing him to become murderous. Throughout the movie, the camera shows us what horror truly looks like. Here is one more clip:
The terror his wife is feeling is palpable as she reads the texts on the papers, which were supposed to be her husband's work. Obviously the hotel has drove him crazy, and the suspense thickens and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you await for what happens next. This film was an amazing adaption of Stephen King bestselling book, which fills the film with so much substance it's overflowing.
Music Score!
Here is a video a fan made of a compilation of all the best scores ever orchestrated. From John Carpenter with his infamous Halloween theme, to Bernard Herrmann with the theme of Psycho which has gone down in history as the sound to make when you are pretend slashing someone. *wink wink*
Another example of perfect cinematography is the movie: Jaws-1975. Why do you think watching this film was so scary? Think about it...it's all about how you are viewing what is going on. Almost every scary moment in this film is of the shark's POV (Point of View). You are up close and personal on the devouring, even closer to see the brilliant display of horror on the actor's faces. The score was also amazing, because the constant thumping in the music makes your heart start racing and if you're in the water...you'll always look behind you. This clip is the epic scene when Quint meets his end by jaws. Notice how the scene has no music, for Quint time has run out and you have to hold you're breath as you watch him struggle to keep his lower body away from the razor-sharp teeth inches away from him. The pain that is portrayed by Quint as the shark seizes him and flings him side to side and moments later sinks back into the ocean.
Props!
You have to have props! The reason why people react to physical props and artistic detailed make-up and special effects is because we know it is real. When our eyes witness that of the physical, it is believable and our brain has a hard time debunking what it interprets through the eyes.
Click Me! This crazy loon makes so much sense but beware, he has only 6 minutes to explain everything to you about horror, remakes, CGI and other media issues. So he's speaking very very fast. I wasn't able to embed the video but at least I could link the video.
And why do you think all these remakes that are surfacing just can't hold a candle to the originals...or even do them justice? It's a fact, they are carbon copying the originals and just replacing everything with CGI and therein lies all the focus. Just because you hype up a film with explosions, limbs being hacked off every two seconds, constant this and that...it doesn't make it a masterpiece. I'm sorry but the only Director and Writer that can come close to accomplishing the old thrill of the macabre is Rob Zombie.
I apologize but this video I had to play. It's a speculation on the originals and the current remakes...and why remakes bite. The creator terribly sings the song: Time of Your Life by Greenday and reworks the lyrics to express his distaste for remakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment