Horror Movie Test Flashcards
A horror film is a movie that
seeks to elicit a physiological reaction
Horror films often aim to evoke the viewers’
nightmares, fears, revulsions, and terror of the unknown.
Plots of the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an
evil force, event, or personage into the everyday world.
Within the horror genre, there has been a stereotyping of…
These films tend to have a predominantly…
The horror genre, in particular, holds…
minorities and people of colour, especially in American films.
white cast and audience and cast minorities as violent, and as ‘monsters’ and ‘villains.’
the power play with aspects of violence in intriguing and symbolic ways.
Stories in horror films are very central to…
The films often cater to the fears of…
Many horror films stem from a…
white culture and lifestyle.
white people, drawing upon their fantasies.
figure or event interfering with an ideal or precious lifestyle, threatening to take away the comfort of the protagonists.
In horror films made by/created for minorities…
Many of these films explore not only the horror of…
realism acts as the source of fear, rearing from current issues faced by minorities and using it cinematically.
being a minority and the struggles but also deal with the added danger of being a woman.
3 KEY THEMES AND PLOT STRUCTURES OF THE HORROR GENRE
- First to Die Trope: Often, the minority in the film has a small role and is killed fairly early on in the film.
- Magical Negro: Usually, an older African American character, the Magical Negro informs the protagonist of the realities of the horror they face and acts as a guide. Usually, this character is often also killed at some point so as to give the protagonist more of a cause to defeat ‘the evil.’
- Magical Aboriginal Figure: Similar to the Magical Negro in its racial pigeonholing, however, is often portrayed as a shaman or medicine man, which enforces the idea of Native American cultures being a thing of the past.
THE DUVERNAY TEST
The “DuVernay Test” is the race equivalent of the Bechdel Test. It aims to point out the lack of people of colour in Hollywood movies through a measure of their importance to a particular movie or the lack of a gratuitous link to white actors.
Poster of Black & White
Poster of Ink Background
Get Out Poster Analysis
The reaction of the man in the first poster is one of complete horror, but the man isn’t running away. He is bound to a chair, gripping it tightly while looking up at something terrifying. This suggests to the audience that the movie includes themes of psychological and physical torture, keeping the man in place while mentally and potentially physically tormenting him.
Both images in the background and/or text use the contrast black and white imagery to highlight the racial division showcased in the movie.
The second poster has a mirrored ink splash used in the background. These ink splashes are used in psychiatry by a psychologists to determine the headspace and personality of a patient by asking the patient what they see in the ink splash. The answer can then be used to help the psychologist understand the mind of their patient, notably things like their fears, desires, and life perspectives.
When Chris goes into “the sunken place” the use of camera angles that make him look
small
While Rosie and Chris are talking about what happened to Logan, there are cuts to the rest of the part playing bingo, Rosie’s dad who is showing numbers with a picture of Chris (they are..
auctioning him off with Bingo)
Georgina and all the servants use “whiter” language
ie. “snitch?” “tattletale”
Chris meets another black man (Logan) and he also responds weirdly, he does not fist bump him, he
shakes his hand
When Chris meets Rosie’s family’s friends they all make weirdly related comments to race - “Is it true? Is it better”
“black is in fashion” etc
The realization that Rose was in on it - She finds the keys and goes “You know I can’t give you these keys right babe?”
She finds the keys and goes
“You know I can’t give you these keys right babe?
It a mostly linear structure but the beginning scene does connect to the end of the movie and creates a full circle moment - The guy being kidnapped wa
s “Logan”
Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany - Jesse Owens (Black sprinter) won the gold medal in front of Hitler, the person Jesse Owens beat was Rose’s grandfather which is why he
takes over the black body and does exercises outside
Georgina spills Chris’s tea, and Missy is rude to her - this could have been
the actual Black lady’s way of acting out or warning Chris
Donald Trump the president was a racist at the time the movie was made so it was good that the movie was well-received and encouraged
more movies to be told and received
Get Out Alternative Ending
Was supposed to end with a police officer seeing Chris trying to choke Rose and being arrested for the murder of her whole family
Chris tells Rod that he does not want to prove himself “he’s done
Audiences were deflated by this ending and already understood the social issue
This is why the ending was changed, because the audience still feels the fear when the police car arrives, but it ends on a happier note
Why did Peele choose to include the deer in the film?
Peele chose to include the deer for what it symbolizes…
Deer as a whole - represents Black people by the way Dean Armitage speaks about eradicating them
“You know what I say? I say one down, a couple hundred thousand to go. I don’t mean to get on my high horse, but I’m telling you, I do not like the deer. I’m sick of it; they’re taking over”
Ironic - Chris uses the deer head, the symbol for Black folk, as a weapon to escape and kill the Armitages
The dead deer from when he was detained - a symbol of ancestors watching over him, giving him guidance and strength
The deer lying on the side of the road and the one used as a weapon - represented Chris’ mother
Which is why Chris was so intrigued by the deer Rose hit - reminded him of his mother being hit by that car and left to die in the street.
- Propels him to look at the animal dying but serves as a warning of his own potential destiny if he keeps travelling down this path
What is the significance of the deer to the plot?
Get Out’s Deer Connects To Chris’ Past Trauma
In the first act - A deer jumps out in front of the car Rose is driving, leaving it fighting for it’s life on the side of the road
This deeply affects Chris but does not seem to bother Rose
It is Chris’ mother trying to warn him
When Chris is hypnotized by Missy - Chris reveals his mother was killed in a hit-and-run when he was younger which he blames himself for as he did not call for help quick enough
The deer represents Chris’ mother, why the event affects him
When Chris is escaping - Chris uses the stuffed deer to kill the Armitages and free himself
This is Chris’ mother helping to save him
What is the audience supposed to learn from the deer?
How the Armitage Family Sees Black People
When Chris and Rose tell Dean about how they hit a deer - he praises Rose for hitting the deer, goes on to rant about the entire species and how they ruin the local neighbourhoods, explaining how eradicating them would be of great service to the community
Prepares the audience for what is yet to come - deer as a symbol for black people
How they are perceived to ruin neighbourhoods, how unassimilated they are and how they need to be locked up (or worse) for everyone’s safety
.
When the Armitages Appropriate Black Bodies - Black bodies are used by the Armitages for the convenience of wealthy white society
Justified as being for the greater good or “as a service to the community”
The audience sees how Dean’s tangent is not just referring to the deer, but whom it represents to him in the form of black bodies
What is the historical significance of the deer?
“Buck” meaning Male Deer as a Racial Slur
In post-Civil War America - “Black Buck” was a racist slur in for black men who refused to bow to white authority and lusted after white women
The deer mounted on the wall of the recreation room is male, known as a buck, shown by its antlers
This buck was hunted by Dean
In the Armitage Home - Dean was a hunter, and procured many exotic souvenirs during his travels abroad
Each were from black culture - black appropriation
Dean’s favourite bits of blackness were given new life as decorative trophies (Nduaguba, 2017).
The Black men and women Rose has dated - also hunted and immortalized as trophies like the Buck hanging on the wall
The “Buck” is Chris with historical roots to post-Civil War America
What does the deer say about modern society?
Preconceived Notions & The Appropriation of Black Culture
In Dean’s Tangent about Deer - Dean states that deer ruin the local neighbourhoods and says eradicating them would be of great service to the community
This represents the preconceived notions that modern society has towards Black people
The idea that Black people ruin neighbourhoods - with poverty, drugs, crime, etc
The idea that black men specifically need to be locked up for everyone’s safety
Without taking into account the systemic racism that causes issues of poverty, crime, and drugs in Black communities
Dean’s Trophies of Deer + Souvenirs - Dean hangs the hunted deer in the recreation room and has many souvenirs from Black culture in the home
Commenting on how white society uses bits and pieces of black culture to show off and appropriate, without respecting the people that the culture belongs to
Things I pulled from others’ inquiries
The “silver spoon” as a symbol for privilege
The run rabbit run song is used to establish a predator-prey relationship
Deer as a symbol of Black people - Dean’s
Speech
The “Silver Spoon” motif has been classically used to embody economic privilege, which the Armitages clearly have. The real-world connection here is how White society has always used its
economic advantages to render the Black population powerless to control its own destiny.
The presence of an Asian person at the cocktail party echoes the preaching of Triangulation Theory, which outlines how Asians are generally thought to be above Blacks in contemporary society while still being below White people. His question to Chris about whether he felt more advantaged or disadvantaged being Black was also very deliberately written. The line highlights the
“in-between-ness” of “Model Minority” Asians in the US.
While Chris is talking to Georgina about her life at the Armitage residence, she starts shedding tears while speaking to him. Again—the plot would suggest that the ‘actual’
Georgina is trying to escape captivity, which is communicated through the tears.
Also Georgina purposefully spilling the tea
Why Get Out works?
Connection to Sundown Towns
In what ways does the film reflect the historical experiences of Black individuals in the United States, in relation to themes of racism and discrimination?
Slavery & Police Brutality
What parallels can be drawn between the events depicted in “Get Out” and historical examples of exploitation, manipulation, or abuse of marginalized communities?
Uyghur - China
Rohingya - Myanmar
Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany carried out brutal experiments on prisoners and civilians through groups like Unit 731
The Holocaust
Residential Schools
Discuss the significance of the “Sunken Place” as a metaphor for the experience of being marginalized or silenced within society.
“Glass ceiling” for women
What do you think deer could be symbolic of in the film? How does this reinforce the film’s themes?
Black people - Dean’s speech
His mom - was left in a hit-and-run
Ancestors of Chris watching over him
What is the historical significance of a “silver spoon” being used in accordance with a teacup to hypnotize Chris and other Black people?
Privilege - passed down
Did any specific shot types or camera movements stick out to you from the film? What do you think Peele was trying to convey with these camera techniques?
Deer - close up on Chris’s face
Analyze the role of music in “Get Out,” specifically in relation to the songs; “Redbone” by Childish Gambino, “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” by Michael Abels, “Run Rabbit Run” by Flanagan and Allen, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. How did these songs contribute to the atmosphere, tension, and overall message of the film?
Red bone says “stay woke”
Run Rabbit Run - predator-prey relationship
Beginning with the first poster, it was not as obvious in its portrayal of the rich and poor but it did feature people with
either a black or white bar over their eyes. I believe that in the case the movie is about class discrimination, these bars were meant to symbolize who is rich and who is poor, with the white bars showing the rich people, who look a lot more comfortable in/around the house as they are lounging on chairs, in comparison to “the poor” who have the black bars over their eyes. This was also the first poster out of many that featured a tipi, which I think could be a symbol of cultural appropriation, especially because a lot of Indigenous people have been driven to poverty due to the systemic racism they face but rich, white people continue to exploit their culture.
Moving on to the second poster, it shows a layered house where as the building gets higher, the house looks “richer.”
The part of the house at the bottom looks poverty-stricken with objects falling off of the building and flooding pipes, while the top looks better off with glass windows and an overall cleaner appearance. This could suggest that the people living at the bottom of the house in Parasite are poorer than those at the top and are exploited due to their class differences.
In terms of the third poster, it shows a similar idea where the home above ground level is bright, lively, and friendly, but then there’s a hidden area underground that is dark and red. Overall, it generally suggests
something terribly wrong going on beneath the surface of the house with the home reflecting a facade that could cover up poverty.
Moving onto the fourth poster, it’s another house that appears to be split up as the colours of the walls are disconnected and there is also flooding in the bottom right corner. This again suggests to me an idea of class discrimination, perhaps the rich “class”
is disrupted by the poor and this is why the colours of the walls are misaligned.
Ending with the last poster, it shows the silhouettes of a man and a woman to reflect the origins of each individual and with it the views they may have on the world around them. The man may be from a rural or poor area, with lots of pollution reflected in his poster so his view is one of survival and necessity. The flowers on the lady would then represent her viewpoint on life, as it shows that she has a greater appreciation for beauty, and shows us that maybe she has not gone through the potential class-based struggles
that the man has. Thus, her viewpoint is a positive one rather than one that embodies a life of struggle, because, in terms of class discrimination, she has not gone through the class discrimination and poverty that the male has.
There is a funny slow-motion montage where the poor family tries to ward off a drunk man from peeing on their window, the son and father throw
water on him
There is another funny slow-motion montage where the poor family lunges at the housekeeper and her husband and the 6 are involved in a
fight until the phone rings
The overhead shot of the poor family in the rain is beautiful and really shows how small
they are in a world run by the rich
The rich mother is on a phone call describing how happy she is that the sky is clear thanks to yesterday’s rain, then we see a close up of Mr. Kim’s face, who has just lost everything because of the rain and is driving the rich lady around, it
is meant to emphasize how it benefited her and cost him everything
They discuss how the family is gullible, but really nice, the poor mother explains that they are nice because they are rich, it
is easy to be rich when you have everything “Money irons everything out”
The smell is used to represent class discrimination, the rich parents say Mr. Kim smells like “When you boil an old rag” and say that his smell “crosses the line” and that it is something that smells like when you ride the subway. They say t
that people who ride the subway have a “special smell,” so while they are nice people, they think they are better
The film purposefully uses the stereotype of Indigenous people in the film because the “natives” are the rich people and the “parasites” are the
poor people. Similar to how the Indigenous people were invaded by colonizers and literally given diseases from them.
A symbol has a
highly concentrated meaning
A viewing stone = Ki-woo’s
aspiration for wealth, it comes back after they get some wealth, then comes back when they find the basement flooded, and now he clings to it as the wealth goes away.
Smell = Inescapable
poverty, re-inforced while they are under the couch, relationship while poverty and how they cannot leave it
Motif is when symbols are
repeated
Theme is a
lesson that you can take away from the story that is supported by the story, theme is the meaning being expressed by motifs.
After the home is destroyed, Ki-Taek
loses his hope.
Ki-woo uses the stone to free himself from a life of poverty but
it leads to his failure
Ki-Taek snaps when he sees the guy
plug his nose
The theme is that people in poverty despite their
dreams do not have the power to join the rich
Banjiha - Basement Apartments
Seoul actually has basement apartments that were flooded
But it could leave people with nowhere to live because they cannot afford anything else
The basements smell bad because there is no fresh air underground
