Spooky movie assignment, Need Help. - by LancerChronics
LancerChronics on 11/10/2006 at 14:52
Having a little trouble with an assignment, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask the forum:
I know I already did another thread similar to this, but this is much more serious. I'm currently in a Film Analysis class in which I have to write a paper comparing two movies in a particular genre. "Horror" genre is not allowed. However after talking with my instructor, I found out that I am allowed to create my own genre, so long as I make a good argument for it.
The essay must be 6-8 pages, with history of the genre, plot summary, and analysis.
I want to do a "spooky" genre. NOT HORROR. Here's the difference(as I am trying to argue):
1)Horror is meant to shock the shit out of you, Spooky is more physcological. You scare yourself. Taffers should think "First part of the cradle" spooky. In a spooky movie, atmosphere and ambience is everything. I'm thinking ghost stories, murder mysteries, even a documentary if it fits the genre.
2)I CAN use a horror movie, so long as it ties into this made up genre as well.
So here's what I need help with:
-I need to make up a name for this genre, other than "spooky" cause it sounds to much like "horror". This is a college class, so I am serious about this name, I am currently trying to figure some examples out, but any help would be appreciated(so far all i got is "ghost stories" and "murder/unexplained mystery")
-Before I can decide on a name for the genre, I gonna need to pick my two movies as well. If you have any movie ideas that would fit my "spooky" category, name them. THEY MUST BE A LEAST MODERATELY OBTAINABLE, because I need to get them and watch them about four or five times each. So far all I can think of is maybe "The Village", "White Noise", and "The Sixth Sense". The two movies need to be somewhat different too, since I need to compare them(if their similar, there will be nothing to compare).
-I'm not asking for help on the essay, I need to do that, but I DO need ideas, so whatever help this forum can provide, Thank you.
Paz on 11/10/2006 at 15:04
"Psychological thriller"?
I recommend the original Willy Wonka and .. uh .. something else.
Malygris on 11/10/2006 at 15:21
What the fuck kind of college do you go to where you get assignments to make up new names for old genres?
Fragony on 11/10/2006 at 15:23
Maybe you should check out 'Riket', a Danish miniseries made by Lars von Trier. It might just be perfect.
KingAl on 11/10/2006 at 15:44
Quote Posted by Paz
"Psychological thriller"?
I second that one.
How about 'The Shining'? I mean, its gots decaying women and things, but it's mostly psychological. Stanley Kubrick = da bomb
Newbeing on 11/10/2006 at 16:50
Jacob's Ladder? More of a psychological thriller really.
LancerChronics on 11/10/2006 at 17:08
Psychological Thriller..hmm that may just work, but i need more examples of this. As much as I wish I can do "The Shining", I cannot. It is a movie that will be shown in class, so therefore, off limits. I'll look into Riket and Jacob's Ladder too, never seen either. Though I remember seeing the name "Jacob's Ladder" in DX.
Quote:
What the fuck kind of college do you go to where you get assignments to make up new names for old genres?
Hmm maybe I wasn't clear on what I am trying to do. I'm trying to make up a new genre that groups aspects that I enjoy (aka spooky) that isn't always found in horror, but can also be found elsewhere. A new genre is therefore required to describe these aspects as a whole. (But in all truth, this is also just a work around of the "no horror" criteria, though my instructor said he would accept it, if i did it right.) Oh, and thats University of Florida. Go Gators 6-0!
Oneiroscope on 11/10/2006 at 17:13
"Lovecraftian Humanism" - i.e. the reactions of people who get eaten by Unpeakable Ancient Alien Horrors From Beyond.
Dead Birds, The Resurrected, From Beyond, Re-Animator, Dagon, In The Mouth Of Madness, and there's a few others Im not thinking of. I personally recommend at least using The Resurrected. There's a great scene in the dark catacombs underneath Curwen's farmhouse. Practically definitive in it's use of the dark in enhancing terror. Dead Birds and In The Mouth Of Madness are great too, though more in the class of a homage and not directly based on Lovecraft.
Good luck, and much envy.
EDIT: btw it sounds like your "spooky" genre is a little like the "terror pictures" ol' Boris Karloff referred to. I don't remember the quote exactly, but he said something like: "There are horror pictures and there are terror pictures" the idea being that horror goes for the gross-out where terror has to be worked for. You can get desensitized to horror, you never get desensitized to terror. Horror relies on gore and special effects, terror has to use ambiance, music, story, you get the idea.
ANOTHER EDIT (sorry): One of the scariest movies I know is firmly NOT a horror movie. The original version of The Manchurian Candidate.
LancerChronics on 11/10/2006 at 17:41
Ah, those look like some very nice movies that I may want to see. However, most of them are so tied up in the horror genre, I am worried I may not be able to "sell" it. "The Mouth of Madness" seems like it might work nicely, though, so I will add that to my list of possibilities, along with Jacob's ladder. "Lovecraftian Humanism" is kind of a stretch for a genre, though. Manchurian Candidate sounds excellent, too.
I'm afraid Riket won't work since mini-series are not allowed.
Quote:
btw it sounds like your "spooky" genre is a little like the "terror pictures" ol' Boris Karloff referred to. I don't remember the quote exactly, but he said something like: "There are horror pictures and there are terror pictures" the idea being that horror goes for the gross-out where terror has to be worked for. You can get desensitized to horror, you never get desensitized to terror. Horror relies on gore and special effects, terror has to use ambiance, music, story, you get the idea.
Precisely!! That is exactly what I mean. You mind if i borrow this quote to try and "sell" my idea? Terror vs. Horror would make an excellent argument in an essay as well.
You all are being a really big help. All thoughts and ideas are welcome. The more genre ideas and movie titles, the better.
Risquit on 11/10/2006 at 19:10
Stir of Echos was a great spooky movie that had the misfortune of coming out around the same time as The Sixth Sense.
