Horror
Horror films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our worst fears. They are made in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a nerve-wracking experience. Horror films focus on the dark side of life, the forbidden, strange, and dark side of life. They try to incorporate our most primitive fear and extort it, making us terrified. Horror films go back to the beginning of filmmaking itself. Some of the first great movies ever made were of the horror genre. Horror films bring us back to our childhood imagination of the unreal world. They incorporate imaginary monsters, like ghosts, that do not really exist. This brings us back to our childhood, where we were much more fearful, therefore making us scared. Horror films, when done well and with less reliance on horrifying special effects, can be extremely potent film forms, tapping into our dream states and the horror of the irrational and unknown, and the horror within man himself. Horror films developed out of a number of sources: folktales with devil characters, witchcraft, fables, myths, and ghost stories. Horror films deal with the viewer's nightmares, hidden worst fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Although a good deal of it is about the supernatural, if some films contain a plot about morbidity, serial killers, a disease/virus outbreak and surrealism, they may be termed "horror". Plots written within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage, commonly of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. Themes or elements often prevalent in typical horror films include ghosts, torture, gore, werewolves, ancient curses, Satanism, demons, vicious animals, vampires, cannibals, haunted houses, zombies and masked serial killers. Conversely, stories of the supernatural are not necessarily always a horror movie as well.
The earliest horror films were about vampires, monsters, and ghouls. Bloodsuckers and vampire bats have always intrigued and frightened people from cultures around the world. Many religions, myths, folk-tales and cults espoused the idea of obtaining the life-essence from blood. Vampires began to emerge in popular fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries, during which the vampire movie, Dracula was made. Dracula is considered to be a horror film because it makes people terrified. It focused on the inner fears of the viewer. According to filmsite.org, the first genuine vampire picture was Nosferatu, directed by F. W. Murnau. It was shot on location as an unauthorized film adaptation of Stoker's Dracula.
After a while, with new technologies and special effects being created, there was a greater range of films that could be made. These new technologies meant more violent graphics which meant thing would be much more horrifying. This opened the door for movie ratings. In 1968, the MPAA created a new rating system with G, M, R, and X ratings, in part as a response to the subversive, violent themes of horror films. In the 1970s, nightmarish horror and terror lurked everywhere. One of the top box-office hits in the early 70s was Willard about a wimpish 27-year-old loner who trained his bloodthirsty pet rodent friends to vengefully attack his co-worker enemies. This movie was rated R. It is considered to be horror film because is unrealistic and would never happen in real life. Yet it is not too unreal so as not to be feared of during everyday life.
According to filmsite.org one of the most popular horror films of all time is the classic and definitive monster film Frankenstein. The film's name was derived from the mad, obsessed scientist, Dr. Henry Frankenstein, who experimentally creates an artificial life. This obviously could never happen. Yet the slim possibility that it actually will is so terrifying that it causes everyone to go insane. This is the reason it is a horror film. When watching the movie your mind goes off into another world. The fear of this there world is too much for one to handle. You are simply horrified.
All in all horror film deal with a person’s inner most fear. They bring it out and try to scare the living day out of the audience. There are goblins, ghouls, monsters and tons of other made up creatures that can at least seem to be somewhat real. Even if the things are not real if gives the viewer enough belief to possibly happen in real life. This is what makes the viewer so terrified. The possibility that something that terrible could possibly happen.
Fantasy
Fantasy films are unrealistic stories that relate to something in the real world. Unlike science fiction films, fantasy films take the viewer into a whole new world. Fantasy films are often in the context of the imagination, dreams, or hallucinations of a character or within the projected vision of the storyteller. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, and the extraordinary. They may appeal to both children and adults, depending upon the particular film.
In fantasy films, the main character usually undergoes some sort of unreal experience that leaves them in a world that they never thought could exist. Typically, the main characters in fantasies are princes or princesses. They are based on figures that the viewer aspires to be. This way the viewer can live vicariously through the character in the film. Some fantasy-type films might also include supernatural characters such as angels, gods, or fairies. Sometimes monstrous characters that represent evil spirits, or fabulous magicians and sorcerers are incorporated into fantasy films, and often overlap with supernatural films. They are often inspired or taken from myth or legend. They fill us with a sense of awe and touch off deep emotions.
Fantasy films are most likely to overlap with the film genres of science fiction and horror. When the narrative of a fantasy film tends to emphasize advanced technology in a fantastic world, it may be considered to be a science fiction film. Or when the supernatural, fantasy forces are specifically intended to frighten the audience, a fantasy film falls more within the horror genre.
The most classic, and probably the best-known fantasy film of all time is The Wizard of Oz. What this film did was bring the every day, rather ordinary world, to this far off magical place of Oz. Viewers could believe it because in the world of Oz there were people from Dorothy’s regular life back in Kansas. The Land of Oz was a magical place that Dorothy never believed was possible. This is truly a fantasy film because it takes the viewer on a journey through a magical world with witches and singing munchkins. That is exactly what a fantasy film is supposed to be. A trip to another world where it is up to the viewer to decide how they want to depict it.
All in all fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction and horror film, although the genres do overlap. When someone is watching a fantasy film they are escaping from their everyday life into another world. I personally think fantasy films are exciting and a good way to get some excitement into your life.
Parody
A parody is a work created to mock, comment on, or make fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation. Some genre theorists see parody as a natural development in the life cycle of any genre; this idea has proven especially beneficial for genre film theorists. Some people say that movies after the classic stage defined the conventions of the genre underwent a parody stage, in which those same conventions were ridiculed and critiqued. Because audiences had seen these classic movies, they had expectations for any new movie, and when these expectations were inverted, the audience laughed. One example of a parody film is the Scary Movie trilogy. They are spoofs of a bunch of different classic horror films. They take the seriousness of the horror films and turn them into subjects that the viewer can grasp as comedic. Although it may be somewhat stupid it is taking the viewers fears and distorting them so as to make them laugh. This is a very interesting technique and why I personally like parodies. A man that is very well known for his parodies is Charlie Chaplin. He is best known for his imitations of Hitler. He would make films about the army and war but make it comical. He would make Hitler look like a complete and utter fool. Since he looked similar to Hitler it was not that difficult for him. All in all, parodies are movies that make fun of other movies.
Mystery
Mystery films are usually considered a sub-type of crime/gangster film or suspense or thriller films that focus on the unsolved crime, usually the murder or disappearance of one or more of the characters, or a theft. There is usually one central character, the hard-boiled detective-hero, who meets various adventures and challenges in the cold and methodical pursuit of the criminal or the solution to the crime. The plot often centers on the deductive ability, confidence, or diligence of the detective as he attempts to unravel the crime or situation by piecing together clues and circumstances, seeking evidence, interrogating witnesses, and tracking down a criminal. Suspense is added as the protagonist struggles within the puzzle-like narrative to gather evidence and testimony, to investigate all motives, and to discover the one essential clue or fatal flaw that betrays the identity of the culprit. The detective often succeeds in cleverly trapping the killer or criminal where law-and-order officers and local police officials do not. Intensity, anxiety, and suspense build to an exciting climax, often with the detective using his fists or gun to solve the crime. This genre has ranged from early mystery tales, fictional or literary detective stories, to classic Hitchcockian suspense-thrillers to classic private detective films. If detection and the solution to a crime are not central to a 'mystery' film, then it blends into other genre film types, such as horror or suspense-thrillers. The most classic of all mystery films is of course Sherlock Holmes. If you want to see a classic mystery film see Sherlock Holmes.
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