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Deconstructing the horror movie
Deconstructing the horror
movie Horror
films as a genre have been around since the very beginning of the motion picture. Their
unique appeal has similarities to that of adventure movies, with the aspect of fear and sharp shocks comparable to the adrenaline
rushes of a car chase or a western shoot out. Yet to be able to appreciate horror,
the viewer may need to undertake certain key factors when understanding what they are about to watch. Often the unpleasant is a factor, and in many examples, graphic violence and disturbing imagery. Although that’s not to say there isn’t a horror movie out there for the more squeamish among
us – some of the best rely on an underlying atmosphere rather than blood letting, and these can often be as effective
as those that the make up artist has gone to town on. One
example is John Carpenter’s Halloween.
Made in 1978, at the dawn of the stalk and slash sub-genre that later defined the ‘video nasty’ era of
the mid eighties. Yet his effective and still frightening movie has little to
no on screen violence, at least no where near what we usually expect from such a film – as Halloween’s later sequels
were to prove. This film chose clever camera work, a superb, chilling piano score,
and just good, old fashioned suspense. Yet
if one was to consider becoming a horror fan, then it is easy to appreciate they would need a few brass balls to take on some
of the greats. Horror as a word means something nasty – and if you ain’t
up to seeing some of the stuff out there, then maybe you are in the wrong genre. Horror
lives for shocks and gore, but these two don’t always work so well alone, and their combination, as well as an expert
eye for atmosphere and a sense of unease, can work together to create something unforgettable.
Around the same time as Halloween’s release came another, much more gutsier offering from
Some
films can takes things too far – an example being when the violence is just their to repulse or offend the viewer, disgust
them even, and the surrounding movie has little or no purpose than to string such scenes together. It is clear what the director is doing; hiding his / her own lack of talent behind a mask of violence. The fact that some of these despicable films go on to achieve cult status is certainly
something to ponder. The great shame though is that in the mid eighties, many
horror movies with similar subject matter fell under the axe of the censor, and were often banned from being seen at all –
regardless if they were well made or just pieces of exploitative trash. I recommend
doing your homework before purchasing such so called ‘classics’. So in
closing, it is therefore advisable to be cautious. The Recommended
viewing: The Shining A Nightmare On Re-Animator Opera Deep Red Return Of The Living Dead: Parts 1-3 From Beyond Dead Ringers An American Werewolf In London Videodrome The Dark Half The People Under The Stairs Hellraiser (1,2,3) |
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