The FunhouseTobe Hooper // 1981 // 96 mins
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horror. Show all posts
Monday, 13 October 2014
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Friday, 3 October 2014
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Friday, 8 August 2014
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Monday, 14 July 2014
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Friday, 25 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 25
Excellent Use Of Soundtrack
Sinister
In a bid to try and retain some level of originality in my film choices for this series I have decided not to talk about Halloween today, despite the fact that it has probably the most iconic, brilliant and memorable soundtrack of any horror film. This decision meant that I spent a good deal of time racking my brain for another film that has an impressive soundtrack, and then I remembered Sinister.
I recently watched Sinister for the first time since I saw it in the cinema last year, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the films score. It was probably due to getting caught up in the story and scares during my initial viewing, but I had no recollection of the soundtrack for Sinister at all and so I was pleasantly impressed by how effective it was. I think that I liked Sinister quite a bit more than the majority of others, I felt that the story was wonderfully dark, featured a great villain/boogeyman and used found-footage techniques really well considering the recent over-exposure the style suffered.
The film's score, from Hellraiser, The Grudge and Drag Me To Hells' composer Christopher Young, befits it's namesake as a blend of unnerving soundbites and chilling music. Each track plays out as a mish-mash of different styles and sounds and so don't always work as whole pieces of music but used in moderation throughout the film they perfectly influence the dark tone of the film. At times the music sounds almost tribal and this is where the soundtrack really excels, working well to capture the chaotic nature of Baghul, the demonic villain.
While it's certainly not the greatest soundtrack to a horror film, Sinister's use of music is something that I really enjoyed and impressively original in comparison to the majority of recent horror films.
Sinister
In a bid to try and retain some level of originality in my film choices for this series I have decided not to talk about Halloween today, despite the fact that it has probably the most iconic, brilliant and memorable soundtrack of any horror film. This decision meant that I spent a good deal of time racking my brain for another film that has an impressive soundtrack, and then I remembered Sinister.I recently watched Sinister for the first time since I saw it in the cinema last year, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the films score. It was probably due to getting caught up in the story and scares during my initial viewing, but I had no recollection of the soundtrack for Sinister at all and so I was pleasantly impressed by how effective it was. I think that I liked Sinister quite a bit more than the majority of others, I felt that the story was wonderfully dark, featured a great villain/boogeyman and used found-footage techniques really well considering the recent over-exposure the style suffered.
The film's score, from Hellraiser, The Grudge and Drag Me To Hells' composer Christopher Young, befits it's namesake as a blend of unnerving soundbites and chilling music. Each track plays out as a mish-mash of different styles and sounds and so don't always work as whole pieces of music but used in moderation throughout the film they perfectly influence the dark tone of the film. At times the music sounds almost tribal and this is where the soundtrack really excels, working well to capture the chaotic nature of Baghul, the demonic villain.
While it's certainly not the greatest soundtrack to a horror film, Sinister's use of music is something that I really enjoyed and impressively original in comparison to the majority of recent horror films.
Thursday, 24 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 24
An Effective Jump Scare
Wait Until Dark
There were no other choices for this post.
I'm going to be awkward now and write this post without actually giving anything away about the jump scare in question. That is simply down to the fact that it is, without a doubt, the best example of the jump scare that I have ever seen in a film, and as a jump scare is only as effective as its unknowing viewer I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Wait Until Dark was advertised as more of horror film than it actually is, the film is a crime thriller in which a newly blinded Audrey Hepburn unknowingly homes a doll that contains a large amount of heroin. Dealer and general bad guy Harry Roat (Alan Arkin) plans to regain the doll and its contents by invading Hepburn's home with the help of two small-time con artists. The film is based upon a stage play of the same name and builds suspense through the consistent terrorisation of Hepburn's helpless protagonist. Both Hepburn and Arkin are fantastic in their respective roles, and the film works so well because of the strong characters they have helped build throughout the narrative.
When the film was first released cinema owners were given strict instructions that for the last eight minutes of the film lighting in the cinema would be reduced as low as it was legally allowed so as to heighten the experience. This is certainly a film that requires you be sat alone in a dark room with a big screen and the volume up in order to get the maximum effect. When I first saw this film I knew that it featured a fairly notorious jump scare but I was completely in the dark (sorry) as to when it would occur, and it got me good.
I'm a sucker for jump scares and no matter how badly executed they are they will quite often get the desired response from me, but this really is one of those truly brilliant scares that deserves it's reputation. If you watch this film for nothing else, watch it for this scene.
Wait Until Dark
There were no other choices for this post.I'm going to be awkward now and write this post without actually giving anything away about the jump scare in question. That is simply down to the fact that it is, without a doubt, the best example of the jump scare that I have ever seen in a film, and as a jump scare is only as effective as its unknowing viewer I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Wait Until Dark was advertised as more of horror film than it actually is, the film is a crime thriller in which a newly blinded Audrey Hepburn unknowingly homes a doll that contains a large amount of heroin. Dealer and general bad guy Harry Roat (Alan Arkin) plans to regain the doll and its contents by invading Hepburn's home with the help of two small-time con artists. The film is based upon a stage play of the same name and builds suspense through the consistent terrorisation of Hepburn's helpless protagonist. Both Hepburn and Arkin are fantastic in their respective roles, and the film works so well because of the strong characters they have helped build throughout the narrative.
When the film was first released cinema owners were given strict instructions that for the last eight minutes of the film lighting in the cinema would be reduced as low as it was legally allowed so as to heighten the experience. This is certainly a film that requires you be sat alone in a dark room with a big screen and the volume up in order to get the maximum effect. When I first saw this film I knew that it featured a fairly notorious jump scare but I was completely in the dark (sorry) as to when it would occur, and it got me good.
I'm a sucker for jump scares and no matter how badly executed they are they will quite often get the desired response from me, but this really is one of those truly brilliant scares that deserves it's reputation. If you watch this film for nothing else, watch it for this scene.
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 23
Graphics That Pull You Out Of The Movie
Mama
Mama
*This post contains plot spoilers for Mama*
The difficulty in choosing a focal film for this post was that it's too often the case that horror films are the go-to genre for truly awful special effects. I had plenty of choice but wanted to choose a film where the graphics had a majorly detrimental effect on my viewing experience.
I wrote a small review of Mama not long after seeing it, which can be found here, and touched on the low quality of the effects used in it, and this is the film most fresh in my memory whereby the graphics were too bad to enjoy. The concept of Mama as a mysterious presence that is only mentioned for the majority of the story requires a great deal of suspense and pay off in order to be effective. Instead, Mama is revealed quite clearly, in all of her hideously rendered glory, within the films prologue. While showing the antagonist so early in the film is a pretty self-destructive mistake it would have been less of a problem if it weren't for how bad the character actually looks.
Mama is a bundle of emaciated, dirty limbs topped with a gaunt, wild-haired face. She floats above the ground and holds the painful looking posture of a broken spine. Aside from the floating, which was a new development from the short film this is based on, there is nothing about her that could not have been achieved through practical effects and we all know how effectively scary body distortion can be when you can see that it's real. Hell, the movement tests from the films special features is miles scarier than anything from the finished film.
The decision to render Mama as a completely digital presence seems to only allow for some of the films more 'impossible' body distortion scenes which actually come off as more ridiculous than scary, so that was clearly a good decision. Even when we see Mama in her 'human' form she is CGI, which seems completely absurd but is probably due to no actual human possessing a face the size of the one they pasted onto the ghostly being. Mama is built up as a shadow dwelling, malevolent force and had she been created in a way that matched her reputation the film would have been much stronger, but as it stands her digital mug is given far too much screen time for something so shoddy. I won't even begin with the digital 'skinnied' children, I'll just let the picture below speak for me on that one.
Mama's script was never going to allow it to be a great film, but better graphics could have at the very least made it a scary one.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 22
A Frightening Child Actor
The Shining
Creepy children have been a staple of horror films for decades, whether they be ghosts, the undead or the subject of demonic possession. This is a sure development of cultural fears of children and the heightened awareness of the supernatural that they are perceived as having, a fear that the invisible friend that they claim to have could indeed be real. In spite of the influx of terrifying, monstrous children that provide countless choices for this post I have chosen a child that is very much alive, Danny from The Shining.
Until my first year at university The Shining had somehow managed to elude me, with the exception of the handful of iconic scenes that were always featured on countdowns of the best horror films of all time. When I finally got around to watching the film it was as a compulsory viewing for a class, and it lived up to it's reputation and then some. With The Shining Stanley Kubrick put to film some of the most disturbing, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful images seen in horror. The Shining is a haunted house film on a much larger scale and the hotel setting allows for a great variety in the scares and images that can be produced.
Danny Lloyd's portrayal of the young boy of the same name is central to the tense, fearsome atmosphere of the film as he is revealed early on to have an increased exposure to the supernatural events. While it is impossible not to feel scared for Danny throughout the ordeal at the Overlook Hotel, I find him at times to be just as effectively creepy as any of the ghosts that are housed there. The croaky voice he produces as he gives voice to the invisible friend that seems to occupy his index finger is a prime example of when he becomes a lot more scary than sweet, especially once it is revealed by Scatman Crother's character that he possesses a supernatural gift.
Similarly the sequences in which Danny rides his tricycle through the winding halls of the build up an incredibly tense atmosphere, and through association have always connected Danny with that feeling of dread, for me. There is something quietly frightening about this young boy, and while he is clearly an innocent throughout the narrative he has creeped me out just as much with each subsequent viewing.
Special mention goes to the twins, who definitely a whole lot more sinister and have probably tarnished the reputation of young twin girls for quite some time.
The Shining
Creepy children have been a staple of horror films for decades, whether they be ghosts, the undead or the subject of demonic possession. This is a sure development of cultural fears of children and the heightened awareness of the supernatural that they are perceived as having, a fear that the invisible friend that they claim to have could indeed be real. In spite of the influx of terrifying, monstrous children that provide countless choices for this post I have chosen a child that is very much alive, Danny from The Shining.Until my first year at university The Shining had somehow managed to elude me, with the exception of the handful of iconic scenes that were always featured on countdowns of the best horror films of all time. When I finally got around to watching the film it was as a compulsory viewing for a class, and it lived up to it's reputation and then some. With The Shining Stanley Kubrick put to film some of the most disturbing, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful images seen in horror. The Shining is a haunted house film on a much larger scale and the hotel setting allows for a great variety in the scares and images that can be produced.
Danny Lloyd's portrayal of the young boy of the same name is central to the tense, fearsome atmosphere of the film as he is revealed early on to have an increased exposure to the supernatural events. While it is impossible not to feel scared for Danny throughout the ordeal at the Overlook Hotel, I find him at times to be just as effectively creepy as any of the ghosts that are housed there. The croaky voice he produces as he gives voice to the invisible friend that seems to occupy his index finger is a prime example of when he becomes a lot more scary than sweet, especially once it is revealed by Scatman Crother's character that he possesses a supernatural gift.
Similarly the sequences in which Danny rides his tricycle through the winding halls of the build up an incredibly tense atmosphere, and through association have always connected Danny with that feeling of dread, for me. There is something quietly frightening about this young boy, and while he is clearly an innocent throughout the narrative he has creeped me out just as much with each subsequent viewing.
Special mention goes to the twins, who definitely a whole lot more sinister and have probably tarnished the reputation of young twin girls for quite some time.
Monday, 21 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 21
A Horror Movie That Only Makes You Laugh
The Cabin in the Woods
**This post contains spoilers. If you have any interest in watching The Cabin in the Woods I highly recommend watching it before reading this**
The Cabin in the Woods
**This post contains spoilers. If you have any interest in watching The Cabin in the Woods I highly recommend watching it before reading this**
Sunday, 20 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 20
A Great Remake
The Crazies
As I discussed in my post for day 2 of this challenge, remakes are almost always a troublesome beast. They are very rarely warranted and often disappoint. There are only a handful of horror remakes that have been any good, and even less that have surpassed their original in any way. I recently watched George A. Romero's 1973 film The Crazies and after seeing the original I can now say that I believe the 2010 remake has gained a spot in that elite group of superior remakes.
The original film has a great concept, wherein a crashed plane that was carrying a chemical weapon infects a small town and drives many of the inhabitants into a violent frenzy, but suffers from poor direction and lacklustre execution. The film flits between a group of seemingly uninfected citizens trying to escape the quarantined town, the military and doctors who are trying to control and solve the situation, and the gas-masked soldiers that are evacuating and containing the town. This approach completely removes any chance of identification as the narrative switches location too soon and too often for the viewer to have chance to properly engage with anyone s plight.
Breck Eisner's remake amends the originals faults by focusing in on the group of citizens, led by Timothy Olyphant's sheriff, and showing the infections outbreak from their unknowing perspective. The film is a lot darker in its representation of the infected and the horrifying acts that they commit, something that was disappointingly missing from the original, bar the opening scene. The performances are also considerably better in this version which only furthers an identification and sympathy from the veiwer with the ordeal these characters are enduring.
Watching the remake first may have spoilt any enjoyment I could have gained from the original film, but I am certain that under any conditions the recent update is the better piece of filmmaking.
The Crazies
As I discussed in my post for day 2 of this challenge, remakes are almost always a troublesome beast. They are very rarely warranted and often disappoint. There are only a handful of horror remakes that have been any good, and even less that have surpassed their original in any way. I recently watched George A. Romero's 1973 film The Crazies and after seeing the original I can now say that I believe the 2010 remake has gained a spot in that elite group of superior remakes.The original film has a great concept, wherein a crashed plane that was carrying a chemical weapon infects a small town and drives many of the inhabitants into a violent frenzy, but suffers from poor direction and lacklustre execution. The film flits between a group of seemingly uninfected citizens trying to escape the quarantined town, the military and doctors who are trying to control and solve the situation, and the gas-masked soldiers that are evacuating and containing the town. This approach completely removes any chance of identification as the narrative switches location too soon and too often for the viewer to have chance to properly engage with anyone s plight.
Breck Eisner's remake amends the originals faults by focusing in on the group of citizens, led by Timothy Olyphant's sheriff, and showing the infections outbreak from their unknowing perspective. The film is a lot darker in its representation of the infected and the horrifying acts that they commit, something that was disappointingly missing from the original, bar the opening scene. The performances are also considerably better in this version which only furthers an identification and sympathy from the veiwer with the ordeal these characters are enduring.
Watching the remake first may have spoilt any enjoyment I could have gained from the original film, but I am certain that under any conditions the recent update is the better piece of filmmaking.
Saturday, 19 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 19
A Horror Movie That Gives You Nightmares
The Silence of the Lambs
My job caught up with me this last weekend and so today will become a blogging marathon, with four posts to back date.
I struggled with choosing a film for this post as I really can't recall many films that have left me with nightmares after watching them. As I've said previously in this series I grew up watching a great deal of films that youngsters probably shouldn't be exposed too, but the earliest film that I remember really disturbing me was The Silence of the Lambs.
As I've gotten older and have seen the film more I have come to appreciate it as a brilliant crime thriller, but when I first watched this film I was at an age where my attention span was not too great. The disturbing relationship that develops between Clarice Starling and Dr Hannibal Lecter has turned Anthony Hopkins character into one of the most iconic characters of 90s cinema, but when I was younger it was Ted Levine's more obvious performance as Buffalo Bill that had the strongest effect on me.
American murderer Ed Gein has been the inspiration for three of cinema's most memorable and terrifying killers in Buffalo Bill, Leatherface and Norman Bates, and while Leatherface still scares me the most I can clearly recall how frightening I found the scenes in which Levine's character mocks and tortures his captor. The scene that I most vividly remember creeping me out was the final night-vision confrontation between Clarice and Bill in which he stalks her through the darkness, although 'It rubs the lotion on It's skin' still makes me squirm every time I hear it.
The Silence of the Lambs
My job caught up with me this last weekend and so today will become a blogging marathon, with four posts to back date.I struggled with choosing a film for this post as I really can't recall many films that have left me with nightmares after watching them. As I've said previously in this series I grew up watching a great deal of films that youngsters probably shouldn't be exposed too, but the earliest film that I remember really disturbing me was The Silence of the Lambs.
As I've gotten older and have seen the film more I have come to appreciate it as a brilliant crime thriller, but when I first watched this film I was at an age where my attention span was not too great. The disturbing relationship that develops between Clarice Starling and Dr Hannibal Lecter has turned Anthony Hopkins character into one of the most iconic characters of 90s cinema, but when I was younger it was Ted Levine's more obvious performance as Buffalo Bill that had the strongest effect on me.
American murderer Ed Gein has been the inspiration for three of cinema's most memorable and terrifying killers in Buffalo Bill, Leatherface and Norman Bates, and while Leatherface still scares me the most I can clearly recall how frightening I found the scenes in which Levine's character mocks and tortures his captor. The scene that I most vividly remember creeping me out was the final night-vision confrontation between Clarice and Bill in which he stalks her through the darkness, although 'It rubs the lotion on It's skin' still makes me squirm every time I hear it.
Friday, 18 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 18
A Movie With Unsettling Scenery
La Belle et la Bête
Day 18, and once again I have chosen a film that is not actually a horror film, but one which uses an aspect of the cinematic medium in a way that is evocative of the genre.
Jean Cocteau's adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale is a magical fantasy-romance that is host to some truly beautiful costumes, sets and makeup effects. Outside of the Beasts castle the scenery is all very mundane, the home of Belle and her family is relatively bare and ordinary and emphasises the young girls provincial life, (sorry, I couldn't resist). To contrast this the cursed castle that homes the Beast is extravagant and alive. The set design utilises some truly incredible effects through which arms and faces that come to life control the scenery. The inspired use of actors making up parts of the set allows Cocteau to realise the stories curse, which brings everything within the castle to life, in a practical and imaginative way that is a pleasure to watch.
The additional result of these effects is the creation of an eery atmosphere that persists throughout Belle's time in the castle. The stark black and white cinematography alone constructs the castle as a dark and mysterious location, but the addition of disembodied limbs controlling each room amplifies this interpretation of the castle. The trees that surround the castle open up to let visitors in and close behind them, creating an impression of seclusion, while a shot of Belle wandering down a long corridor with white drapes blowing in the wind becomes an extremely ghostly image. The live statues that adorn the castle are undoubtedly the most unsettling aspect of the scenery however, as they silently turn their faces to follow Belles movements through each room.
La Belle et la Bête is a stunning film that perfectly captures the magic of the story in a unique way. While the films story is not one of horror, the manipulation of scenery that is displayed here and the effect that is has is something that a good many supernatural horror films could learn from.
La Belle et la Bête
Day 18, and once again I have chosen a film that is not actually a horror film, but one which uses an aspect of the cinematic medium in a way that is evocative of the genre.Jean Cocteau's adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale is a magical fantasy-romance that is host to some truly beautiful costumes, sets and makeup effects. Outside of the Beasts castle the scenery is all very mundane, the home of Belle and her family is relatively bare and ordinary and emphasises the young girls provincial life, (sorry, I couldn't resist). To contrast this the cursed castle that homes the Beast is extravagant and alive. The set design utilises some truly incredible effects through which arms and faces that come to life control the scenery. The inspired use of actors making up parts of the set allows Cocteau to realise the stories curse, which brings everything within the castle to life, in a practical and imaginative way that is a pleasure to watch.
The additional result of these effects is the creation of an eery atmosphere that persists throughout Belle's time in the castle. The stark black and white cinematography alone constructs the castle as a dark and mysterious location, but the addition of disembodied limbs controlling each room amplifies this interpretation of the castle. The trees that surround the castle open up to let visitors in and close behind them, creating an impression of seclusion, while a shot of Belle wandering down a long corridor with white drapes blowing in the wind becomes an extremely ghostly image. The live statues that adorn the castle are undoubtedly the most unsettling aspect of the scenery however, as they silently turn their faces to follow Belles movements through each room.
La Belle et la Bête is a stunning film that perfectly captures the magic of the story in a unique way. While the films story is not one of horror, the manipulation of scenery that is displayed here and the effect that is has is something that a good many supernatural horror films could learn from.
Thursday, 17 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 17
A Bad Ass Post/Pre-Kill One-Liner
A Nightmare On Elm Street
I'm not the biggest fan of one-liners in horror films as I think they are a sure-fire way to kill any atmosphere that has been built thus far. I grew up on the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise but, as much as Freddy Krueger has been a favourite of mine since then, I do find the decent into comedy that the character and franchise took too severe. From the get-go Freddy had a dark sense of humour and Robert Englund certainly played that up, but the latter films simply became a cocktail of farce and gore, which I no longer enjoy.
A Nightmare On Elm Street
I'm not the biggest fan of one-liners in horror films as I think they are a sure-fire way to kill any atmosphere that has been built thus far. I grew up on the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise but, as much as Freddy Krueger has been a favourite of mine since then, I do find the decent into comedy that the character and franchise took too severe. From the get-go Freddy had a dark sense of humour and Robert Englund certainly played that up, but the latter films simply became a cocktail of farce and gore, which I no longer enjoy.
That being said he is still the only horror villain that I think can pull off a decent one-liner, besides maybe Chucky. My choice for today however is not a comical one, this particular one-liner comes from the villains second appearance in his first film, during Tina's dream. During her dream Tina finds herself in the alleyway outside her house. Freddy appears and his arms begin to elongate until his clawed glove reaches the metal fence to his side, which he scratches with his knives. Tina whimpers 'Please God', to which Freddy raises his gloved hand to his face and responds 'This is God', before chasing her into the house and ripping her to shreds.
The reason I love this line so much is because among all of his jokes and wise-cracks this is a rare line that is incredibly sinister. The scene itself, dodgy effects aside, is dark and atmospheric with the lighting in particular constructing Freddy as a fearsome silhouetted monster. The line 'This is God' quickly establishes the level of power he possesses and the helplessness of Tina's situation. He is in complete control of what happens in the dream world, actually making him a kind of God in his own right. The horrific following scene in which he kills the young girl only adds to this initial impression of the antagonist and it's a shame that a villain so effectively crafted later became somewhat of a joke.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 16
A Frightening Dream Sequence or Hallucination
Dumbo
Dumbo is probably one the the last films I think anyone would expect to see making an appearance on a Horror-themed list, but here it is. For anyone unfamiliar with Dumbo this scene takes place after the titular elephant and his friend Timothy Q. Mouse stumble upon some alcohol. They both get pretty stinking drunk and Dumbo begins blowing bubbles out of his trunk, one of witch transforms itself into the shape of an elephant. A hallucinatory sequence proceeds in which countless elephants perform and dance to the song 'Pink Elephants On Parade".
Walt Disney Productions have brought us countless well loved stories and characters, and Dumbo is no different as one of the companies most heart-warming and emotional films. But when Disney does scary, boy do they do scary. This sequence ranks, for me, among some of the most horrific dream sequences ever seen on film. I don't have a pre-existing aversion to elephants, but I do have a fear of the circus and so theres actually quite a lot in Dumbo that I find a bit unnerving. Pink Elephants On Parade takes the biscuit though. The circus-like trumpet music that dominates the opening of the number, along with the sinister vocals and animation of the elephants combine to make a sequence that has creeped me out for as long as I can remember.
This is Disney at it's most surreal, as the elephants multiply and morph into different shapes, sizes and colours. It is something that would not be out of place in this films predecessor, Fantasia, which has a few frightening scenes of it's own, and is a stunning interpretation of a drunken nightmare. Dumbo doesn't always get that much attention when Disney is discussed, probably due to it's lack of a Princess, but it is a wonderful film that can still make me cry, and also scare the crap out of me.
Dumbo
Dumbo is probably one the the last films I think anyone would expect to see making an appearance on a Horror-themed list, but here it is. For anyone unfamiliar with Dumbo this scene takes place after the titular elephant and his friend Timothy Q. Mouse stumble upon some alcohol. They both get pretty stinking drunk and Dumbo begins blowing bubbles out of his trunk, one of witch transforms itself into the shape of an elephant. A hallucinatory sequence proceeds in which countless elephants perform and dance to the song 'Pink Elephants On Parade".Walt Disney Productions have brought us countless well loved stories and characters, and Dumbo is no different as one of the companies most heart-warming and emotional films. But when Disney does scary, boy do they do scary. This sequence ranks, for me, among some of the most horrific dream sequences ever seen on film. I don't have a pre-existing aversion to elephants, but I do have a fear of the circus and so theres actually quite a lot in Dumbo that I find a bit unnerving. Pink Elephants On Parade takes the biscuit though. The circus-like trumpet music that dominates the opening of the number, along with the sinister vocals and animation of the elephants combine to make a sequence that has creeped me out for as long as I can remember.
This is Disney at it's most surreal, as the elephants multiply and morph into different shapes, sizes and colours. It is something that would not be out of place in this films predecessor, Fantasia, which has a few frightening scenes of it's own, and is a stunning interpretation of a drunken nightmare. Dumbo doesn't always get that much attention when Disney is discussed, probably due to it's lack of a Princess, but it is a wonderful film that can still make me cry, and also scare the crap out of me.
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
30 Days of Horror | Day 15
A Painfully Suspenseful Movie
Alien
I only watched Alien for the first time yesterday, and it is probably because it is so fresh in my mind that it seemed the perfect choice for today's post.
What Ridley Scott has done so well in Alien is craft an extremely claustrophobic atmosphere throughout the entire film, something that I was not at all expecting. Despite being set on a huge ship in the vastness of Space, the long corridors of the Nostromo become unnervingly enclosed once the titular space-beast gets loose and stalks the crew one by one. Even when the action takes place in larger areas, both inside and outside of the Nostromo, the darkness that dominates much of the film often tightly constrains the characters within a single part of the frame. I was anticipating grand, detailed sets and intricately crafted make up effects, and while those elements are certainly present, I was pleasantly surprised that they are often shrouded in darkness. This intensified the long sequences in which the crew try to locate the Alien, with the minimalist score also helping to create an unnerving atmosphere that builds up to nerve shattering scares almost every time.
Though I had never seen the film, I had a basic grasp of some of the major plot points and set-pieces and this proved to heighten the suspense even more as I endured the long build-ups with a fair idea of what was to come but no way of knowing just when it would occur. In a standard horror film the protagonist can run as far from the villain as possible but here there really isn't anywhere to run. The ship becomes a labyrinthine series of badly lit corridors that provide ample hiding places for the oversized monster, and watching these characters try and get away from an extra-terrestrial hide and seek champion is an incredibly suspenseful experience.
Alien
I only watched Alien for the first time yesterday, and it is probably because it is so fresh in my mind that it seemed the perfect choice for today's post.What Ridley Scott has done so well in Alien is craft an extremely claustrophobic atmosphere throughout the entire film, something that I was not at all expecting. Despite being set on a huge ship in the vastness of Space, the long corridors of the Nostromo become unnervingly enclosed once the titular space-beast gets loose and stalks the crew one by one. Even when the action takes place in larger areas, both inside and outside of the Nostromo, the darkness that dominates much of the film often tightly constrains the characters within a single part of the frame. I was anticipating grand, detailed sets and intricately crafted make up effects, and while those elements are certainly present, I was pleasantly surprised that they are often shrouded in darkness. This intensified the long sequences in which the crew try to locate the Alien, with the minimalist score also helping to create an unnerving atmosphere that builds up to nerve shattering scares almost every time.
Though I had never seen the film, I had a basic grasp of some of the major plot points and set-pieces and this proved to heighten the suspense even more as I endured the long build-ups with a fair idea of what was to come but no way of knowing just when it would occur. In a standard horror film the protagonist can run as far from the villain as possible but here there really isn't anywhere to run. The ship becomes a labyrinthine series of badly lit corridors that provide ample hiding places for the oversized monster, and watching these characters try and get away from an extra-terrestrial hide and seek champion is an incredibly suspenseful experience.
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