Horror

Question 1

Narrative Films

Answer 1

films that tell a fictional story, typically action-based

Question 2

Genre Films

Answer 2

films in a specific style with common elements, such as Horror or Sci-Fi films

Question 3

Action

Answer 3

a character trying to get what they want

Question 4

Plot

Answer 4

the arrangement of actions in a story

Question 5

Protagonist

Answer 5

the main character taking the central actions

Question 6

Antagonist

Answer 6

the main character opposing the protagonist’s actions

Question 7

Conflict

Answer 7

resistance to a character getting what they want

Question 8

Dramatic Question

Answer 8

the main question if action in the film

Question 9

Crisis

Answer 9

the point in the plot where the action is in question, the moment of greatest tension in the film

Question 10

Climax

Answer 10

the answer to the dramatic question (happens after the crisis)

Question 11

Hero

Answer 11

a protagonist with positive traits who is willing to sacrifice himself or herself for a greater good; we see our best selves in the hero

Question 12

Antihero

Answer 12

a protagonist with negative traits who is fascinating because of their personality or bizarre traits; we see our worst selves in the antihero, or see our worst fears

Question 13

Ambiguity

Answer 13

a deliberate lack of clarity used for evocative purposes that stimulates the audience’s curiosity

Question 14

“Otherness”

Answer 14

the concept that in Horror or Sci-Fi films, the monster, alien or antagonist, often represents not just something that is different, but also repressed social groups, repressed elements of the culture, repressed feelings or repressed fears

Question 15

Startle Effect

Answer 15

when something suddenly jumps out in a horror film and it is scary; also called a “jump scare”

Question 16

The Other

Answer 16

a repressed element of society that is perceived (often incorrectly) as a threat external to the culture. This concept has long been tied to psychoanalysis and identified with repressed ideas concerning sexuality. (It can also be associated with race, gender, religion, etc.) While the Other is something (supposedly) to be feared by society, particularly the middle class; it is also a source of attraction, as humans are drawn to exotic, rebellious ideas that may be discouraged by the moral majority. In horror films, the monster is a clear example of “the other”.

Question 17

Conventions

Answer 17

repeatable actions, traits, elements within particular films/genres

Question 18

Expressionism

Answer 18

a form of art in which the inner emotions of a character are expressed, often through distortion, (for example, in the setting) more than actual “reality.” An example of this is THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI

Question 19

Splatter film

Answer 19

horror exploitation film

Question 20

Exploitation film

Answer 20

film genre that uses someone, something, or some topic mainly for the purpose of monetary gain and without regard to quality or often ethics

Question 21

Grindhouse theatre

Answer 21

theatre which mainly shows exploitation films

Question 22

Auteur theory

Answer 22

theory of filmmaking in which the director is viewed as the major creative force in a motion picture

Question 23

Horror Auteur

Answer 23

An outstanding, visionary director who specializes in the Horror genre.

Question 24

Dracula

Answer 24

Carl Laemmle Jr wanted to produce the film and appointed Tod Browning to direct the film. Karl Freud was involved in the visual/atmosphere in the film while Lugios played Dracula. First showing of the movie had mixed reactions, but it was overall successful creating a new genre of ‘monster movies’. During its release many americans were scared of european immigrants after WWI.