If it's in the Frame, or a music hook, there is no escaping The Babadook

I've been doing a fair bit of research on horror films since I've started writing the screenplay for "Fallen Angel". Primarily watching for the atmospheric elements that pull viewers from their seats and into the cinematic clutches of the spook at hand.

I started my research by putting on Netflix and watching a film that I've had on my list for some time now "The Babadook"

Now I won't spoil anything here because it's a film that I really would highly recommend watching, but for the purposes of this post I will be pulling a few frames from various parts of the film to help me illustrate my point so if you'd rather go into the film fresh then feel free to scroll on.

Now for a little background "The Babadook" is an Australian horror/thriller in which a hardworking widow unknowingly incurs the wrath of a malevolent demon known only as "The Babadook". Throughout the film we see out hero Amelia try, and occasionally fail to keep herself from losing her mind under the stress of being a single working mother as well as the target of supernatural attacks. The story alone is really well designed but where the movie really succeeded, at least in my opinion, was in cultivating a sense of helplessness especially through it's cinematography.

Helplessness

First of all the movie shows us outright the face of our shadowy assailant:

And quite a face it is. The Babadook is not an entity that wants to be seen, rather it hides in the shadows and seeps into our psyche when we are most vulnerable. Throughout the film we see the scene illustrated above play out for us over and over.

It's dark, we are alone, and our attacker could literally come from anywhere.

If you're interested in watching the film you can find it on Netflix, or through a couple of risky stream sites online. I'd advise paying special attention to the way the babadook forces a divide between the mother and her child. There are a lot of really well thought out parallels between the Mother and the Monster that I caught, and I definitely think It's a film that requires multiple viewings to fully appreciate.

A tribute to horror films... just in time for Halloween!

It's that time of year again. Trick or treaters everywhere, candy by the boat loads and costumes from the elaborate and clever costumes to the put together at the last minute costumes. But to be honest my favorite part of Halloween is the movies. They can range anywhere from the family oriented movies like Hocus Pocus or the more horror style of movie like Nightmare on Elm Street.  I prefer the horror style of movie this time of year.

Now none of these films would be around if it weren't for the pioneer of horror films, Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. Many of his films are considered to have established the benchmark for horror films. Almost every horror film can have at least one of their cinematography techniques traced back to one of Hitchcock's films. During their time, movies such as Psycho and The Birds terrified audiences. With clever cinematography and editing techniques, Hitchcock was able to strike fear into the hearts of audiences all over the world. Never before has a movie been able to strike emotions into an audience quite like Hitchcock can.






But in recent years horror films have somewhat strayed away from Hitchcock's style of horror. There are still traces of the same kind of scare factor Hitchcock was known for but now horror films are aiming for what I like to call "Gross-factor." By that I mean they will do everything they can think of to absolutely disgust and shock an audience. Instead of making us jump out of our seats with fear, horror films now a days make us cringe in our seats. Some examples include, Ithaca College's own Dan Heffner's Saw series, The Hills Have Eyes series, and The Human Centipede series.  I believe that these films are redefining the horror genre. The Gross-Horror films strike fear into it's audiences by grossing them out beyond their wildest imaginations.

Lastly, scary movies have become a part of Halloween more than ever. Iconic horror film characters such as Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street, Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th , and Michael Myers from Halloween have all become regulars as Halloween costumes.
You can't deny the impact that horror films have on people when deciding on what they want to be for Halloween. Its amazing the influence a movie can have on people.

 

Enjoy your trick-or-treating and watch a good horror film or two with your candy this Halloween. Happy Halloween everyone! 

Devil: The movie that makes elevators even creepier

DEVIL 

For all you horror film fanatics, this 2010 movie "Devil" is simply scary. It features five strangers get trapped in an elevator to face their ultimate death. The movie starts of with a low angle shot of a man committing suicide and a narration begins. The narrator begins to tell the audience about the stories his mother used to tell him regarding the pernicious ways of the Devil. As the movie progresses, we find each unique character has a horrible vice. One is a mattress salesman who cons people to buy his products, and another example of a woman who is waiting to inherit millions. 

The camera work is fluid and interesting in this film. It is odd that the majority of the film was filmed in an elevator, being such a small space and not having to work with much. Each time the lights go out, a death occurs and someone is dead when the lights come back on. I like that they chose to shoot it in this way because it makes the viewer have to imagine what is going on and that is even scarier. The lighting in the beginning of the movie is natural, but in the elevator it flickers on and off and their is a large use of shadows. It is almost a fun movie because the entire time you are trying to figure out who is killing everyone in the elevator; the black man, the grandmother, the young woman, the edgy man, or the middle eastern man? Watch the film to find out!

This is one of my favorite horror films because it is so simple, yet very well done. It was based on a story by M.Night Shyamalan and he is one of my favorite directors as well. Overall this movie is terrifying, especially to those who are religious. I am Catholic and the idea that the Devil walks among us is terrifying. In the end of the film, the narrator states "If the Devil is real, God must also be real" which is a great way to end the film in my opinion. 

Here is the trailer, check it out if you dare: