Scream: The True Story Behind the Mask (2/22-2/27)

     Scream is said to be one of the most successful horror films in movie history. With it's combined effort to criticize traditional aspects of scary movies as well as actually depict a plot based on true events, Scream is a staple when discussing well-made horror flicks. The production was released in 1996 and grossed over 400 million dollars in the United States alone, and the iconic mask worn by the serial killer has became an international symbol for horror.
     Wes Craven is highly acclaimed for "revitalizing the horror genre." Critics agree that, "Scream blended slasher violence with murder mystery and it played on the stereotypes and conventions of classic horror films breathing new life into the genre."  What may seem like pure fiction is actually partly based on facts; in 1990, thirty-six year old serial killer, Danny Harold Rolling, stalked, tortured and murdered five young students in Gainsville at the University of Florida. He was even dubbed, "The Gainsville Ripper," and Wes Craven sought his creative vision to turn this real-life horror into a Hollywood classic. The murders ensued panic around the area and launched one of the country's largest manhunt in search of a criminal. In 1994, Rolling pleaded guilty to all five counts of first degree murder and was accordingly convicted.
     The opening of the film itself is mildly sarcastic and draws the audience in by making references to typical mistakes and blunders committed by protagonists of horror films, such as the one being targeted in the beginning scene. Scream was modern in the sense that it portrayed an almost satirical side of horror, yet continued to direct a story that was to portray the terrifying story of a masked killer. The cast perfectly embodied the typical 90s' generation of style and behavior, but it also revamped the industry, as the genre was slowly dying in popularity. Screenwriters and critics offer insight that, "...a chunk of 'Scream''s success is due to being in the right place at the right time."
 
Actual serial killer, Danny Harold Rolling.                     Iconic Scream mask.

The True Story Scream. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from www.discoveryuk.com website:
http://www.discoveryuk.com/web/the-true-story/about/scream/ 

Hall, P. (2011, March 31). The Lasting Legacy of the 'Scream' Franchise. Retrieved February 26,
2015, from news.moviefone.com website: http://news.moviefone.com/2011/03/31/
scream-movies-legacy/

Women Can Be Scary Too! (2/16-2/20)

    The horror film industry typically lends itself to slight gender discrimination and stereotypes accordingly. But, as the "Women in Horror" movement has sparked a fire in female directors and actresses alike. Dominating masculine characters and "hyper sadist" men tend to overtake the genre, allowing little recognition for women figures, and if females are included, they are usually embodied by misogynistic representations. The movement's theoretical goal is to have the gender of a filmmaker be completely irrelevant and unimportant, but discrimination against females in the industry is a painful reality. Actor-filmmaker Rose McGowan recently states at the New York Film Critics Circle, "I ask you to take up the hand of the female director until we no longer say "female director."
    As awareness is strengthening the growth and prevalence of goals from the movement, the situation is improving as female leads, producers, and directors are receiving high praise and recognition for their work. Director Jennifer Kent recently acquired industry claim with the production of the Australian horror film entitled, "The Babadook." She reached Rotten Tomatoes Top Ten of the Year list, making gender irregardless because the film itself deserves attention. Critics of the movie claim that it's success lies in its portrayal of a non-sexualized female lead that is pivotal in plot development.
     One criticism that the "Women in Horror" movement makes about the industry is that female film-making is taken less seriously and considered more novel or juvenile in nature. Contrary to popular opinion, female productions have long taken reign in history such as "Ida Lupino's proto-slasher The Hitch-Hiker (1953) or Maya Deren's supernaturally-imbued experimental masterpiece Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)."
     Hopefully, the horror film industry will eventually become gender neutral and the achievements of women in movie production will be respected just as highly as those of males. The Women in Horror movement is a powerful change in the industry that is promoting the successes of female filmmakers and it can only grow from where it stands now.

Heller-Nicholas, A. (2015, February 18). Women in horror: who is horror for? Retrieved February 19,
     2015, from http://screen.artshub.com.au/ website: http://screen.artshub.com.au/news-article/
     features/film/women-in-horror-who-is-horror-for-247192

 
Director Jennifer Kent and her recent Australian blockbuster film, "The Babadook."

Horror Movies: Why Do We Like Them So Much? (2/8-2/13)

     There are multiple criticisms of horror films that analyze why the genre's viewership enjoys them as much they do. The horror film industry has had a major breakthrough and it's evolution in terms of audience has progressed dramatically.
      The psychoanalytic theory states how horror movies provide a release for feelings that have been suppressed or what society may oppress the viewership from experiencing. Film critic Robin Wood states that the monster Frankenstein is "identified with repressed homosexuality." He theorizes that horror films provide an outlet for violent transgression that is pleasurable because it reminds the audience of nostalgic childhood which didn't deem gore as taboo. Scholars argue, "other psychoanalytic theories saw horror in the opposite light: as a safe and cathartic way to deal with darker feelings." Overall, these opinions rely on the idea that the fear does not particularly lie in what the evil in the film represents, but it is what is inspired by the terror that becomes a curious topic of discussion. The article thus states, "One feature of  Philosopher Noel Carroll’s theory is that it captures the paradoxical nature of horror’s allure: the very oddity that makes monsters repulsive is precisely what makes them attractive."
     One other hypothesis lies in the gender theory. It begins to explain how horror films present a unique experience for male viewers. A professor at the University of California, Carol J. Clover, argued that "this was one of the few film genres that regularly asked male audiences to identify with a triumphant female protagonist. It gave teenage boys license to indulge a gender-bending fantasy that was, she wrote, 'unapproved for adult males.'" The horror film industry has been modern in it's use of character archetypes in the regard that typically, strong female leads are involved in central conflicts and plot development in the story.
    Horror films have become a staple in American culture and there are numerous different perspectives on what keeps national audiences so drawn to them. The horror film industry's appeal can only be theorized, and all contain elements that make up the bigger picture: as adults we forget how enjoyable being scared can be, so in turn, these movies provide a way to bring back the fun. By buying in on these insights, horror films will continue to maintain a stable viewership that keeps coming back for more.


Zinoman, J. (2011, July 16). The Critique of Pure Horror. Retrieved February 13, 2015, from
      www.nytimes.com website: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/opinion/sunday/
      17gray.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

How One Horror Film is Hoping to Revamp a Community (2/2-2/6)

     The writer and director of an upcoming horror film are aiming to reboost the local atmosphere and industry of Staffordshire, a small county in the West Midlands of England. Steven Beattie and Philip Kempson are preparing to start shooting their film, ‘Beneath Still Water’, a retelling of the story of the Blakemere mermaid, a seemingly local legend that has the community buzzing. A plot summary of the movie goes as follows: A young man is in love with a woman who he claims is a witch, and after rejecting his advances, the girl is thrown in the lake and drowns, thus creating the Blakemere mermaid. Since the legend is well-known around the country, the project is creating excitement in the local community among tourists and residents alike. The men are anticipating the use of local casting and location use of the area to truly capture the realistic aspect of the story. The film's director states: "It is a great opportunity to showcase the locales and talent that normally would not be shown. The area used to be in a lot of films in the 1950s and a few of the mining collieries were used for films set in Wales. We want to bring back the industry to Stoke and people are already latching on to it.”
    The pair also states that the onset of the horror film has spurred talent searches throughout the local community, bringing out actors who know how to represent the authentic, original storytelling trying to be achieved. The project is bringing variety to the job market in Staffordshire especially and the community feels a sense of being on a "united front" in order to accurately depict this legend and keep it genuine to it's roots.
    Not only do I believe that this project will tremendously boost the morale of this town known to be a coal-mining mecca, but it will create recognition of such an unknown area. By being displayed in the horror film industry, the town could be used for further projects in the future and local actors could possibly land a Hollywood role on the big-screens. 

The Sentinel. (2015, February 2). Staffordshire horror film hopes to revitalise local industry.
Retrieved February 5, 2015, from http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/ website:
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Staffordshire-horror-film-hopes-revitalise-local/
story-25961760-detail/story.html

The Five Stock Characters We All Love (And Hate) 1/25-1/30

     Many horror films tend to build their characters from the five archetypes usually associated with typical horror movies. These characters motivations, beliefs, and actions alike are, at many occasions, predictable because they stem from those stock characters tucked away in the back pockets of screenwriters. Those five tend to be: the nerd, the jock, the token ethnic, the "promiscuous" girl, and the final guy/girl.
     The Nerd appears to be the most logical, rational character in the plot line who constantly warns the others of future events and serves as a symbol of foreshadowing in development of the story. The nerd is also the character that is most scrutinized by the others and finds himself or himself in situations he/she thought would be preventable. For example, Jamie Kennedy plays Randy in Scream and the author of the article states, "He’s the most self-aware character in a movie full of characters that know they’re filling out certain roles."
     The Jock appears to be a central character in horror films, being the "know-it-all", who usually stays alive long enough until he dies an ironic or "justified death." Also, the Jock sometimes ends up being the most-hated character, and this type of stock creation is typically stubborn until it is "too late."
      The "Promiscuous Girl" tends to remain in the movie long enough until she seems to clumsily fall into the arms of the killer or sleeps with the Jock. This archetype usually is expectedly not developed and left as a recognizable filler to the plot, as many horror movies seem to come with the characters that may not serve much of a purpose.
      The Token Ethnic stock character provides comic relief to the plot as well as a means for screenwriters or directors to incorporate "cultural diversity" into the film. These characters portray a sense of insight into the scenarios they find themselves . The most prominent feature of these characters seems to be that, "Oftentimes, these characters are gone long before we ever get too attached to them," as stated by the article.
      Last but certainly not least, horror films usually tend to inherit the hero or heroine of the plot that the movie centralizes its themes around: the Final Guy/Girl. He or she escapes most near-death scenarios of the film and comes out of the story alive. For example, the main character, Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) in Halloween embodies this archetype. The article states, "Strong, resourceful, smart… give her all the adjectives because Laurie is everything you want in a Final Girl. It’s the most important role..."


Although stock characters in horror films can be cheesy and overused, they are a great method to reel in audiences that continue to view movies with similar premises. Viewers of horror films tend to anticipate the same story lines, themes, and "villains", so in keeping characters consistent of their stock natures, the industry producers and/or directors can be sure to see a return of that viewership.



Del Vecchio, A. (2013, October 18). 5 FOR FRIDAY: THE ULTIMATE SLASHER FILM ARCHETYPE CHARACTERS.
Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://themaindamie.com/ website: http://themaindamie.com/2013/
10/18/5-for-friday-the-ultimate-slasher-film-archetype-characters/

Convergence in Horror Film Industry: Video Games (1/19-1/23)

     A video game based on the horror film, "Silent Hill", is set to be released in 2016 since it is still in the early stages of the development process (and will be accessible for PS4 users) by series creator Hideo Kojima and director Guillermo del Toro. Playable teasers and gaming-experience trailers have been used as a marketing strategy for the developers; nevertheless, user anticipation has been targeted through this. The game also features the one of the lead characters from ABC's The Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon. Demos have been available to PC and console gamers as well; and by providing this Kojima has said, "...its marketing value of driving up talk forSilent Hills has undoubtedly been achieved."
     The plot of the game opens with the player waking to dimly lit room and there is a never-ending loop of being trapped in these series of areas within the house. The insanity-inducing gaming experience has the character walking through a hallway and descending into a cellar, which results in being back in the first room which he awoke from. As observed by "Tech Times", "To progress, players had to look for or create the right trigger, which would lead to another go at the loop but with some things different."

Below is a link to the playable teaser:
http://youtu.be/Ay_RAkE7bUY

Not only is convergence across different types of media crucial to the profit margins of the beneficiaries, but experimenting with it gives way to reaching new audiences or connecting better to already established viewerships. Those who follow horror film series such as Silent Hill, can be excited to experience the plot line of the movie on an even more frightening platform. By releasing teasers and trailers for the it, creators have enabled users to become part of a favored horror film, which in turn locks in another type of audience preference that companies can cater their marketing and/or distribution towards.

Mamlit, A. (2014, August 20). Silent Hill PT for PS4 released: It's scary but it won't be out until 

     2016. Retrieved January 19, 2015, from www.techtimes.com website: http://www.techtimes.com/ 

     articles/13287/20140820/silent-hill-pt-for-ps4-released-its-scary-and-it-wont-

Fact or Fiction: The Truth Behind "The Exorcist Curse" (1/12-1/16)

     The Exorcist is said to be the most cursed movie of all time. Nine deaths have apparently been linked to the film that was based on a true 1949 real exorcism of a young boy. Jack MacGowran, who played the role of Burke Dennings in the film, died about a month before the film's release as a result of the flu, and strangely enough his character is killed as well. Valsiliki Maliaros, who played Father Karra's mother, also died in 1973 before the film's release, although in contrast, her death was of natural causes. 

     Strange events began to plague the cast and crew during production of the film. For example, Max von Sydow reportedly has his brother die during filming, but rumors have contradicted this saying that the actor did not even have a brother, and the truth still remains inconclusive. There is also skepticism surrounding the death of a cameraman's and his wife's child dying while the film was in production.

     Jason Miller, the actor that played the role of Father Karras, was approached by a priest in one of his most frequented restaurants. The priest handed him a medallion that was believed to be able to "protect him from the devil and any ways he might try to reveal himself." 

     Ellen Burstyn, who plays Regan's mother, was severely injured on set during filming. During a particular scene where the actresses was thrown away from the bed, the harness attached to her pulled too quickly, causing her intense pain, thus making her on-screen scream completely not feigned. 

     Testimonials from actors, director, and producers alike have stated that the set has caught on fire more than once, and due to these abnormal occurrences, the cast called for a priest to bless the studio. Many of those working on the film testified that they felt uneasy while shooting as well as objects would move by themselves. "Marcel Vercoutere, responsible for some of the movie's special effects, reports feeling very eerie when working on the set: 'There was definitely a feeling that it could happen, we were playing around with something that we shouldn't have been playing around with.'" One actor claimed to have picked up the telephone several times and have the line be completely off the hook.
     As millions who have watched the film attributed to it's success (no doubt that this was one of the most legendary movies in movie history), those working alongside the movie have "spoke out about the film and suggested that "the forces of darkness" were aligned with the film and that "there is a power of evil in the film, in the fabric of the film itself." As for the superstition surrounding The Exorcist, I do believe evil was in the inner workings of the film. Being a strong believer in the supernatural and paranormal, I highly think that playing around with topics such as those in The Exorcist should not be taken lightly and the consequences of doing so should be long thought out. And in working with such a powerful force, I think something might have not liked being messed with!

Winters, D. (2010). Cursed Movies: The Exorcist. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from

     http://www.isisinvestigations.com/ website: http://www.isisinvestigations.com/

     Exorcist_cursed_movie.html

  

Low Budgets --> High Profits (1/5-1/9)

     Most producers and directors tend to strive for the lowest possible spending price on their films or productions, but James Blum (owner and founder of the most lucrative horror production companies, Blumhouse Productions) reigns with the title of "supreme penny-pincher."
     In his method of madness, Blum focuses his approach on two central million-saving concepts. The first is that actors, directors, and Blum himself all are paid zero (union-mandated minimums) in exchange for dividends of the total profit. Secondly, locations are specifically chosen in accordance to their costs. Sets are made from scratch and every picture strives to be locally shot in Los Angeles in about 20 to 25 days. How can production companies get away with all of this corner-cutting? Summers states that, "Audiences don’t seem to care. Horror is a forgiving genre with a history of shoestring-budget classics." Actors and movie extras are flocking to be casted in Blum's productions because the risk of return is constantly increasing for the better. For example, Ethan Hawke earned $2 million for playing in The Purge, which is double the usual amount of compensation for the same role.
    Although many of his company's productions are, not all those released are quite as successful as blockbusters such as the Paranormal Activity series. Blum admits, "My pitch to directors is , 'I can't guarantee you a hit movie, but I can guarantee you that the movie is going to be yours," stressing the importance of recognition and ownership in the horror film industry.

Through being extremely frugal and consistent in his production methods, Blum has ensured his company's micro budget success. I believe it is extremely smart of Blum to incorporate his thrifty ways into his technique because he is possibly the most profitable movie producer in Hollywood (and who says your audience has to know about such large savings?)

Summers, N. (2014, April 14). Jason Blum, the Penny-Pinching Horror Movie Maestro. Retrieved January

     8, 2015, from www.businessweek.com website: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-24/

     jason-blum-the-penny-pinching-horror-movie-maestro