AOB 2 Structure AOB 3 Meaning - The Shining

In the shining there is the Exposition, the complication, the climax and the resolution. The exposition of the shining is when everything is established. The audience meet the characters, the location and new job. The complications begin when the father, Jack, is told about a caretaker from a few years ago. Other complications are 'Tony' and the room 237. The climax's of the film would be the chases in the maze, Jack and Wendy (the bat) on the stairs and the Jack with the axe. The resolution of the film would be when Wendy and Danny escape and Jack freezing to death.

The film is split up into the beginning, middle and end. In the beginning we meet the characters, we have the interview and we move to the hotel and have the tour. This is ellipsis and it only takes several minutes to show all this. The middle section shows the family at the hotel. Jack is getting on with his book and starting to see things strangely. Near the end of the middle section, Jack turns mad. The The ending shows Jack completely mad and trying to kill his family. The story ends with the mother and son escaping and Jack dying.

There are different devices used to tell the story.

One of them being 'ellipsis'. As I have already mentioned this is when a large period of time is shown in a matter of minutes in the film. Most films have ellipsis as they show days weeks or months in a couple of hours of film. This is done by only showing what is important.

The film is linear meaning that the beginning of the film as at the beginning and the end of the film shows the end. Although the film is linear it uses flashbacks. Danny with 'the shining' has flashbacks which shows him what has happened and what is about to happen. At parts in the film, the audience are unsure whether these are flashbacks are of the future as well as the past. In the shining there are maguffins. These are things that put in the film just to confuse the audience. Examples of this are the blood coming out of the elevator and the 'animal' and the man in the bedroom. Another device is Deus ex machina. This is when the views thing 'oh right' when everything comes together at the end. There are arguments that the shining does and doesn't have this. An example of this is that Jack has always been the caretaker; and arguments against this is that these things were only put in there to confuse the audience.

The film is another adaptation of a noval by Steven King. They chose Jack Nicholson to play Jack Torrence as people knew he was good at acting 'madness'. He had recently been in a film where his charactor had gone mad. This would attract audiences because they knew the acting would be good.

Stanley Kubrick has a definite style of film making. A feature of his style are long tracking shots. For example when the camera follows Danny on his tricycle peddling around the hotel corridors. The shots of this are filmed using a steady cam, so that the filming stays smooth. Another feature is that he allows the actors to create the characters. The actor makes the the character more realistic. Music is also important. In the shinning there always seems to be some sort of back ground music playing. This can create the suspense and fear.

In the scene of 'Here's Johnny', the film creates meaning. The clip make the english feel fear. This is created by many things. One being the music. There is always music playing, in this scene it is a low hmm, creating suspense. As well as the music other sounds create fear, such as the axe crashing in to the doors and the screaming from Wendy. The actions of Jack creates fear. He has an axe and is smashing down a door. The camera thrashes from side to side following the axe smashing into the door. The axe itself creates fear. Connotations of an axe are chopping, violence and murder.

The film also uses new advances in technology. For example steadicam. This allows a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly over an uneven surface. The Shinning was one of the first films to use steady cam.

AOB 1 - Development of genre

See bolow

The Wicker man

On the remote Hebridean island of Summerisle there is an anonymous report of a missing girl. Sergeant Neil Howie goes from the mainland to the island to investigate. The story follows the Sergeant and his investigations around the pagan island, only to find out that it was all a trick and he is there to be sacrificed.

The film fits into the horror genre because it features typical horror film features, such as strange happenings, fire and death. It also falls into horror as it does a good

 job of horrifying the audience. 

The film was hated by the film company because it shows a pagan cult killing a Christian man. The time when this film came out, the majority of people were Christian and to s

ee this film made them hate it. 

Witch Finder

The witch finder was made in 1968 and was directed by Micheal Reeves. It was produced by Tigon Films and in America is called 'Conquers Worm'. The reason for the film was to make more money. The film was another made of the Poe triange. These had the same genre, same director and same actors.

The film Kicked off a new wave of Poe interpretations. 1968 was the end of the hippy ideal which meant a rise of anti-authority. The film involves alot of violence, although the hippie view is love and peace and that war and violence is bad. By the end the charactors become mad for violence.

The film shows the witch finder going around from town to town finding people who have any evidence of being witches and then punishing them resulting in death.

The film falls into horror as it shows alot of violence and killing. The film had to be heavily cencered by the BBFC as the film had too many long screams. The film also shows alot of corrupting power. The film shows the witch finder finding people to convict and then is bribed in to things along the way. The film has messages about corruption.

The original lead role was writen for Donald Pleasance, but the AIP wanted Vincent Price to play it. This resulted in changes in the script. The changes in the script make Vincent Price more assertive, and not a simpering goverment worker as the script was origionally.

House of Usher

Introduction

The film is about a man that goes to get his wife to be. He discovered that the house her and her brother live in is unsafe and that they believe the house is haunted. The house is built on a pit which causes the house to shake, causing it to crack. The viewers are led to believe that either the house IS haunted or that the brother thinks the house is haunted and poisoning everyone else's minds. The shaking of the house causes coincidences that seem to back up the brothers story. 

Style and Visual Language

The film is set in a dark creepy forest. All the vegetation is dead. The opening sequence is a man riding a horse through the forest. The camera follows a few trees away to give the effect of being watched. In the film there is the big house, containing many secrets, secret passageways, fake deaths and many things are over the top.

How it fits into horror

The Writer, Edgar Allan Poe, is famous for writing horror books. Poe along with producer, Roger Corman and Vincent Price made many horror films. They kept making them to make money. People went to see and enjoy the films because they knew they would be good as it had the same writer, producer and actors. They used this until the audience began to get bored with the same three people. The film also includes alot of otherness.This includes the house and the family line is believed to be haunted, and the mind games the brother uses. Other things that make it in to a horror is that there are deaths and funerals, a male villein with a female victim and a butler that knows everything that goes on. The females in the film are either beautiful or hideous. There are all typical features of horror films. 

What are the benefits of the producer and for the audience for using Vincent Price

The benefits of using the same producer is that the films have an unique selling point. The audience love this producer and know he does horror films well. He knows what he is doing and the audience know he will do it well. 

What would the audience of got from watching the film

The audience when watching this film will be hoping to be scared and shocked. They will enjoy the tension and the fact that it is a love story. The audience will also like trying to piece the clues together to find out what is going on. The butler seems to know a lot and gives away some of the clues, for example the soup swinging, the crack in the wall. Other suspicious things in the film that would excite the audience would be rocks jumping out of the fire, the chandelier falling and the banister breaking. The film would leave the audience paranoid.

Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein

Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein

What about the film makes it fit within the horror genre?

The film fits within the horror genre. Many features of the horror genre appear in the film, for instance thunder and lightning. This appears in the film when Frankenstein was creating the monster. Another feature of horror films, monsters. Frankenstein made a monster and the monster murders people. In the film there is also ‘blood and guts’ which are perfect for a horror film.. The music is also suitable for the horror genre.

This film could also be put into other genres. There is romance in the film. Also Frankenstein would also fit into the sci – fi genre. The film is about a man creating life from the dead using different experiments.

Who produced the film and what were the circumstances in which it was made?

The film was directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. It was released in 1994. The reason for the film (and other remakes) is to make money. As the original Frankenstein films were a success and made money therefore the remake should have a similar result.

From a modern day viewpoint how do you feel about the film?

People would have grown up with the original Frankenstein films. People would go watch this one and compare it to the original.. From a modern day viewpoint the film isn’t as scary as it would have been when released. This is because features of horror films have been too overused resulting in them not seeming as scary. This version of Frankenstein seems more realistic than the Bride of Frankenstein which we have watched. Although there are many parts in the film that are unrealistic, for example the fire. – ‘Elizabeth’ sets herself on fire then runs through the hall way resulting in the whole house catching fire immediately.

How would the audience of the 1994 enjoyed the film?

The audience of 1994 would probably of seen the original Frankenstein films, therefore while watching this film they would be constantly comparing and judging it against the originals. As well as comparing it to the film, the audience would of compared and judged it with the book. This film follows the book closer than the other films. The audience, I think, would of enjoyed the film

What are the links to the social / technological environment are there?

Around the time this film was made there were many break throughs with science. For examle Dolly the sheep has been cloned. Also now special effects were alot better and could make the film become even more realistic. 

What is the benefit of the genre to audiences?

The benefit of the horror genre strive to make the audience feel fear, horror and terror. The audience will go and see horror films as it gives them the trill of being scared. Horror films can get the heart racing and adrenaline rushing, this is why people enjoy them.

What is the benefits of the genre to producers.

The benefits of the horror genre to producers is that they are easy and cheap to make. Horror films are very similar and therefore use similar shots and scenes. This is good because producers can reuse sets, instead of making new ones all the time.

Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

Frankenstein. Bride Of Frankenstein

A. Frankenstein mostly fits into the horror genre. This is mainly because Frankenstein makes a monster out of the dead that goes around killing people. Classic features of a horror are death, murder, and blood. The music used is also for horror. It uses mainly minor chords which create a scary or sad mood. Frankenstein could also fit in Si-Fi as the film has alot to do with science - creating a living creature out of the dead.

Frankenstein was directed by James Whale and was produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. This is the sequel to Frankenstein (1931). Universal Pictures was the company that made it. Around the 1930's people wanted to save on money. This meant the company's used one or two genres so they could re-use sets and props. At this time Universal Pictures made many horror movies.

From a modern day viewpoint the audience view the film falls also into the comedy genre. Originally the audience would of found everything scary and serious. Now, quality of cameras and scenery are a lot better there for the quality of the film is not as good as films we are now used to.

In Frankenstein there are links to social and technological environments. Around the time when Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein were made many people were interested in new science ideas. This therefore made people interested in the sc-fi genre of the film.

The audience of the 1930's would of enjoyed the film although it would of scared them. The plot of a monster being created from the dead would be more scary to them then than it is to the modern day audience. Things like the spooky horror music used has been used a lot that that it doesn't have the same effect on modern day audiences.

The benefit of the horror genre strive to make the audience feel fear, horror and terror. The audience will go and see horror films as it gives them the trill of being scared. Horror films can get the heart racing and adrenaline rushing, this is why people enjoy them.

The benefits of the horror genre to producers is that they are easy and cheap to make. Horror films are very similar and therefore use similar shots and scenes. This is good because producers can reuse sets, instead of making new ones all the time.