HALLOWEEN
In spirit of the season, I wanted to discuss scary movies.
We all love a good horror flick right? And we can all agree that a good horror movie is hard to find.
I read a lot about scary movies recently, and I wanted to look up what makes a movie scary.
There are FOUR key components to what makes us scared when watching a scary movie. We need to be pushed to the edge of our seats, screaming at the tv, and covering our eyes to say this, this is a good scary movie.
1. When we as the viewer can see something that our character can not.
It’s that moment in the film when you see our protagonist turn down the dark hall way, then lightning flashes and a scary murderer with a mask is standing at the end of the hall behind her! This “pop up” effect makes our heart jump, as well as our anxiety for the safety of our character here!
2. Gorey is indeed scary
Although not all of us like to see brains splattered on the floor, and guys pouring out, and zombies eating hearts, and people’s throats being cut open – we can all admit its scary as fuck to see that gorey bloodiness! Movies like the SAW franchise are a perfect example of this. Even the classiic (but was remade too many times) Halloween has many gorey moments that are probably the scariest.
3. What we CAN’T see but can hear.
When we can’t see what’s going on, were on edge. You’ve got anticipation building up, and deep inside we all know that character hiding under the bed is going to be found, but were extremely scared when the monster’s footsteps are coming down the hall and into the room. The build up to the point when this monster/creature/killer is revieled is so nerve-wracking and makes us jump out of our skin.
4. The unexpected
My personal favorite scary movie technique is the sudden pop outs in a scene. When suddenly, out of nowhere, a knife goes through the wall in front of a character’s face, it was very unexpected and I bet most of you shrieked. Or when your killer is revieled and it’s the last character you expected it would be. These moments are gem’s in horror films, if done the right way, at the right moment in the film.
I think a great Halloween movie that definitely hits all these points are the “Halloween” movies (all of them…and yes.. they make a remake about every 6 years. For some reason).
I think another very very very very (very) important factor in a horror movie is the MUSIC.
We all know the tune to Halloween. We all know the tune for the Saw movies. We all know the tune of the ringer that’s in “One Missed Call” and we know these songs because they impact our feeling as we watch the film. Scary music in a scary scene, as the music builds up, the scene builds intesity. They go hand in hand and are crucial for a scary movie.
So please, go home, get in the mood, throw on your favorite horror flicks and pick out the scariest scenes in the movie. I bet the scenes will hit one of my four points. Let me know!
Film Frenzies 
