For the better part of a year, The Witch was receiving universal praise on the indie circuit – thanks to positive reviews coming from Sundance and the Toronto film festival. As such, the momentum granted the film a wide theatrical release – when normally, such a low-budget production would find itself skipping straight to streaming, on-demand markets. And, perhaps that would have been best for everyone… In The Witch, written and directed by newcomer, Robert Eggers, Anya Tyalor-Joy stars as…
The horror genre has evolved drastically over time. When one mentions horror today, they might imagine the screams of poor teenagers as all their guts are ripped from their bodies, or the unsettling tension created by the knowledge that evil lurks around characters that are oblivious. Over the years, horror has had to keep audiences on their toes and switch up their scaring tactics to kept the adrenaline pumping. But is the horror film dependent on the scares it provides, or the topic within the…
Jordan Peele’s film“Get Out”, the film showcases racial hypocrisy and white supremacy in modern day society. Best known for his appearance on the series “Key & Peele”, Jordan Peele made his directorial debut with a horror film that focuses on the life of a black man living in a white man’s world. Still keeping in touch with his comedic side, the movie was more lighthearted than a typical horror film. The film itself wasn't what scared people, yet it was the reality and message behind the film…
very much an uneasy feeling in the literature, as in that of a supernatural horror movie. Films such as The Blair Witch Project will use mythical elements as part of magical realism, in trying to make the audience process mentally; what is happening in the film. Many other horror and thriller genres use magical realism and especially dramatic irony as part of their themes. The old stereotype of a character in a horror film, going into a room when the audience knows there is a horrible creature…
popular film, much less a breakout role for the unknown actor”, Boris Karloff, also known as Frankenstein (Biography.com). James Whale, and starred Colin Clive and Mae Clarke, which is based on the best-selling novel, Frankenstein, written by Shelley, released Frankenstein in 1931. It is a story of a young scientist trying to create life after one has died and the struggles and drama that come along with that. Even after 86 years, Frankenstein is still remembered as the best horror film of that…
One of my favorite subgenres of film is Classic Horror. It is such a specific genre, but they are so good. In particular, I love the ones coming out of Universal in the 1930s through 1950s. What I enjoy most about the genre is the extravagant characters, amazing set design, and the themes. The characters in these films are truly larger than life and nothing short of iconic. Bela Lugosi's Dracula is over-the-top in the most amazing ways. His voice and his costume will live in the halls of…
Art imitates life and life imitates art. As an art form, films surrounds society in popular culture and general daily life. What an audience sees in film would be considered to mirror how people construct themselves. Gender portrayals in the movies can often be based on continually perpetuated stereotypes and expectations of how people should act. Firstly, the two films that will be discussed in this essay come from a time where there were believed to be only two genders and sexes. One was…
“real world” in the plot of this film. The depiction of real life as a more dangerous environment is another major problem with the escapist theme of Pan’s Labyrinth. Ofelia’s intersecting experiences between the Spanish Civil War and the Underworld define similar dangers that Ofelia must face as a child. Franco's Civil War was certainly a horrific event in Spanish history, yet the premise of escaping reality is not…
The evolution of horror spans many centuries. Starting with the Silent Films of Georges Méliès with “ The Haunted Castle” to the newest innovations in horror such as Unfriended. In the late 1800’s something like The Haunted Castle was horrifying, but not at all by today 's standards. Our perception of horror has changed over the years with how our lives have changed drastically. We went from handmade products to factory style production, from horse and buggy to Formula One Racing. Our…
caretaker of. She chooses to shoot the guy and get the money, then goes home and finds her brother had killed himself because he didn’t want her to have to deal with him. Would You Rather is completely opposite from the average horror film. It is a realistic horror, one that is actually possible. The antagonist survives with no harm to him, and the movie was mainly set in a bright room, unlike the dim lighting of most movies. But the biggest difference comes in the type of fear given off. In…