Film students are people too

Set in the year 2154, Avatar tells the story of the RDA Corporation who are mining a valuable resource called Unobtainium on the planet Pandora, a lush Earth-like moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. (Unobtainium is a humorous term used mainly in the aerospace industry. It describes a material that is perfect for an application, but does not exist, is extremely expensive, or violates the laws of physics. Unobtainium is also a general concept term used by sci-fi enthusiasts for any fictional substance that is needed to build a certain device that is crucial to the plot of a sci-fi story.)  Pandora is inhabited by blue-skinned humanoid race called the Na’Vi. To learn about the Na’Vi and Pandora’s biosphere, RDA scientists use Na’Vi-human hybrid bodies called avatars that are operated via mental link by genetically matched humans. Jake Sully, a paraplegic former Marine, replaces his twin brother in the Avatar programme after he was murdered during a robbery. The head scientist of the Avatar programme, Dr. Grace Augustine, considers Jake to be an idiot as he has no scientific experience. Because of this, she places him as a bodyguard during information gathering exercises into Pandora’s jungles. The head of Sec-Ops, the RDA’s private security force, Colonel Miles Quaritch, promises Jake that the company will help him walk again if he gathers intelligence about the Na’Vi.

Whilst out on one of Dr. Augustine’s field trips to the jungle, Jake is attacked by a creature called a Thanator, (a large hexapod land predator) the most fearsome creature on Pandora. During the attack, Jake is separated from the rest of the RDA group and has to fend for himself overnight whilst he waits to be rescued. During the night Jake is stalked and set upon by a pack of vicious Viperwolves (who bear a vocal resemblance to hyena’s) but is saved by a native female called Neytiri. After seeing a mystical sign from the Na’Vi’s mother goddess, Eywa, Neytiri decides to take Jake back to home tree, her clan’s dwelling. Whilst there, Jake meets Neytiri’s father, clan chief Eytukan. Neytiri’s mother, Mo’at, the clan’s spiritual leader, orders her daughter to teach the “warrior dream walker” their ways. When Grace learns that Jake is passing information to Quaritch, she relocates herself, Jake, and Norm to a remote outpost. And over the space of three months, Jake grows close to Neytiri and her people and is eventually accepted as a member of the clan, after which, Jake and Neytiri choose each other as mates.

The RDA send in the bulldozers to destroy part of the Pandora jungles as a warning to the Na’Vi that this is what will eventually happen to home tree if they do not leave. It is here that Jake shows his allegiance with the Na’Vi by destroying the bulldozer. However, when he returns to home tree to warn the tribe about the ‘sky people’ that are on their way he is accused of being a traitor and segregated from the clan. In an attempt to regain the Na’Vi’s trust, Jake takes a dangerous gamble and links with a Toruk, a powerful flying predator that has been tamed only five times in Na’Vi history. Supported by the new Omaticaya chief, Tsu’tey, Jake recruits thousands of warriors from neighbouring clans. On the eve of battle, he prays to Eywa and asks for her help in defeating the Sky People before they destroy Pandora. Quaritch detects the mobilization of the Na’Vi and convinces Selfridge to authorize a pre-emptive strike against the Tree of Souls, calculating that its destruction will demoralize the natives. The Na’Vi fight back and eventually win the battle with Neytiri defeating and killing Quaritch. The humans are forced to leave Pandora and the film ends with the clan performing a ritual dedicated to Eywa which permanently transfers Jake from his human body into that of his avatar.

James Cameron is famous for making big-budget, spectacle films and Avatar is certainly no exception to the rule. Up until the release of Avatar in 2009, James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic held the records for biggest budget ($200 million estimated) and also the record for biggest worldwide gross ($1,843.2 billion), However, Avatar smashed both of these records with an estimated budget of $310 million (although there is speculation that this figure snowballed during filmmaking and is actually closer to $500 million) and a worldwide gross of $2,777.5 billion. A large proportion of this phenomenal budget was spent on special effects, specifically, the use of CGI, motion capture and 3-D filming, with the movie being 40% live action and 60% photo-realistic CGI. Cameron originally planned to have the film completed for release in 1999 but because technology was not yet advanced enough, the special effects he wanted increased the budget to $400 million. No studio would fund the film, and it was shelved for eight years. Cameron was eventually convinced that CGI technology had advanced enough for him to make the film when he saw Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).

It’s the use of these outstanding special effects that have made Avatar a worldwide sensation. Fox spent $150 million on marketing and advertisement for the film and, judging by the box office figures, it paid off. With the added appeal or 3-D filming, which audiences still find a novel idea, there was no doubt that the film was going to be popular on an epic proportion. In total, 90% of all advance ticket sales for Avatar were for 3-D screenings. When the trailer was released it firmly lodged its place amongst the most viewed trailers in the history of film marketing, reaching the first place of all trailers viewed on Apple.com with 4 million views. However, this colossal popularity also provoked pirating and Avatar was illegally downloaded 500,000 times during its initial two days of release, building to 900,000 over the first week, which even surpassed the previous pirated record-holder, The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009). Avatar had established itself, through clever advertising, marketing and the word of mouth of those who saw it in theatres, as a ‘must see’ film, which made its infamy balloon to the point where you were looked upon as though you were a social outcast if you had not yet seen the film. Social networking groups were set up under names such as “The ‘I still have not seen Avatar’ Minority” and, in contrast, “Avatar: You haven’t lived until you’ve seen it!” It seemed the case that you were either taking the view of ‘best film of the year’ or, you just weren’t all that bothered by it. Needless to say, the prior were the larger group and this devotion towards the film has developed through the lush, alien world that Cameron created using digital techniques.

James Cameron has always continued to push the boundaries of filmmaking and also, the limits on budgeting, but he is also responsible for some of the most ground-breaking techniques in contemporary cinema. For example, when filming Titanic called for underwater camera movements that were impossible with existing equipment, Cameron helped develop a new underwater camera that could withstand higher pressure enabling him to collect shots of the RMS Titanic wreck. This is not dissimilar to Avatar where again; the technology on hand wasn’t quite what Cameron needed so therefore, he simply developed something that did the job he wanted it to. For instance, Cameron and Vince Pace developed the Fusion Camera System a.k.a. Reality Camera System 1 as a way to shoot features in stereoscopic 3-D. The digital high-definition camera was used on Cameron’s documentaries and movies Aliens of the Deep and Ghosts of the Abyss along with Avatar. Cameron pioneered a specially designed camera built into a 6-inch boom that allowed the facial expressions of the actors to be captured and digitally recorded for the animators to use later. To achieve the face capturing, actors wore individually made skull caps fitted with a tiny camera positioned in front of the actors’ faces; the information collected about their facial expressions and eyes is then transmitted to computers. According to Cameron, the method allows the filmmakers to transfer 100% of the actors’ physical performances to their digital counterparts. A technically challenging scene was near the end of the film when the computer-generated Neytiri held the live action Jake in human form, and attention was given to the details of the shadows and reflected light between them.

Visual Effects remain a significant part of the marketing for any major movie. Effects vendors are typically required to finish their most spectacular shots early enough for them to be used in advance trailers and as part of the ‘making of’ section in the DVD extras. Avatar is essentially a 2 hour 45 minute visual effect spectacle. Although the special effects are complimentary to the narrative, Cameron himself has admitted that the film would have been released 10 years ago had the technology at the time been capable of creating what he wanted. 60% of what the audience see when they are viewing Avatar is computer generated, whether that be the actors in their Na’Vi form, or the various exotic flora and fauna of Pandora itself. Cameron makes a point of framing the most impressive visual effects by using various techniques. For instance, once Jake has caught and tamed his Banshee, Neytiri tells him that he must take flight in order to seal the bond; this is then followed by a 6 minute montage of Jake and Neytiri flying around various parts of Pandora (see below images) this enables the viewer to take a kind of visceral pleasure in the stunning colours and landscapes of Pandora.

Other examples of this can be seen when the characters are in the floating Hallelujah Mountains and when Jake is being attacked by Viperwolves and a Thanator. These scenes are shown in slow motion, which again give the viewer the pleasure of having more time to sit and take notice of the marvellous creatures on the screen.

Another scene during the film which provides a particularly strong argument towards Avatar’s special effects being purely for a spectatorship basis, is the scene which takes place shortly after Neytiri has helped Jake defeat the Viperwolves. It is night time and as they are walking through the jungle any plant life that is touched or walked upon lights up and glows in a neon fashion.

This is the moment in Avatar where, for me, the special effects really come into their own and provide the viewer with breathtaking visual landscapes. The variety of colours, shapes and textures provide an insight into the stunning world of Pandora. It allows us to believe, that for that particular moment in time, we too are on Pandora and experiencing all the magic and wonder of this exotic landscape with the same surprise and curiosity as Jake. There is no doubt in my mind that James Cameron has done this purposefully, not only to enhance and compliment the overall narrative and mise-en-scene of the film, but also as a way of shouting out ‘look what we can do!’ It is an acknowledgement that the images in front of the viewer are made and created, and that this is something to marvel at. The creation of this extraordinary fantasy world has also been acknowledged by critics and Avatar has won several awards for its visual effects, including “Best Visual Effects” awards at the 2010 Oscars and BAFTA’s and an array of awards from the 2010 Visual Effects Society Awards including; “Outstanding created environment”, “outstanding matte paintings”, “outstanding models and miniatures” and, of course, “outstanding visual effects.” These awards and prizes are a recognition that computer generated visual effects can also be used to enhance the viewer’s visual pleasure of the film, rather than only being used to create narrative continuity.

The cinema audience have come to the realization that we are allowed to be fully aware that computer imagery has been used, and we are allowed to be in awe at what has been created. Our fascination and curiosity with CGI is expected and encouraged. Where as the visual effects used to ‘blend in’ with the film and allow the viewer to sit and watch a feature without really paying attention to, or noticing the manifestation on show, the effects are now so prominent that is impossible to not appreciate them. It is now no longer a case of whether any visual effects are possible but of how quickly and economically they can be done. Public consensus on special effects in cinema seems to be ‘more, more, more!’ with 3-D becoming ever increasingly popular, it would seem that as an audience we want to be given the opportunity to be involved in the film itself. Watching a feature such as Avatar in 3-D and being subjected to parts of the screen action flying out towards you and past you, allows us to appreciate the film on a whole new level and generally enjoy the cinematic experience in a way that has never before been possible. These epic films with superb visuals have become phenomenally popular and it would seem that the consumer need for bigger, better and more outlandish special effects is only going to become a more prominent feature of the cinematic blockbuster world.

German expressionist cinema is renowned and celebrated for a number of reasons but more so for the distinctive style it created and became famous for. The main features of the expressionist style are the use of a closed set with painted backdrops creating a distorted world for the characters to explore, the chiaroscuro lighting and the overall appearance of the characters, usually dressed head to toe in tight black clothing with heavy black eye makeup. For this case study I will be exploring how these three main features have become iconic of not only the German Expressionist movement, but also with Gothic culture, and more specifically, as an instantly recognizable feature within many music videos of  contemporary rock and heavy metal artists.

1. Screen-Cap from Forsaken by Queen of the Damned

2. Screen-Cap from Redeemer by Queen of the Damned

3. Screen-Cap from ‘Her Ghost in the Fog’ by Cradle of Filth

4. Screen-Cap for ‘The Blister Exists’ by Slipknot

5. Screen-Cap from ‘The Blister Exists’ by Slipknot

6. Screen-Cap from ‘Funeral of Hearts’ by HIM

The above six screen-caps are all examples of Chiaroscuro lighting within contemporary music videos. Images one, two, four and five feature more classic examples of Chiaroscuro and feature a stark contrast between light and shadows. Images three and six create a Chiaroscuro effect by having the main characters of the video dressed in black clothing and contrasting this against the white of the snow covered surroundings. By parodying the Chiaroscuro lighting that was made famous by the German Expressionist films, these music videos create a sense of mystery and foreboding within each videos individual landscape. By creating this kind of atmosphere within the videos, the artists then ensure that their appearance ties in with that which has come to be expected with rock/heavy metal music, i.e. that which we now consider to be ‘Gothic’. This classic appearance is another feature which can be married with Expressionist film conventions and is apparent in many music videos. 

7. Screen-Cap from ‘Redeemer’ by Queen of the Damned

8. Screen-Cap from ‘Funeral of Hearts’ by HIM

9. Screen-Cap from ‘Foresaken’ by Queen of the Damned

10. The Vampire Nosferatu

Within these videos and Expressionist films, the reoccurring look which emerges with many characters/bands is that of tight, black clothing and blacked out eyes. This is reminiscent of the appearance of the vampire Nosferatu in the 1922 film of the same name as can be seen in image number ten. This is especially apparent in the video for the songs ‘Forsaken’ and ‘Redeemer’ by Queen of the Damned. The singer Lestat has a stage persona of being a vampire and plays on this very well, as can be seen in the above images (one, seven and nine) where his appearance is nearly identical to that of Nosferatu, even down to the excessively long nails. This homage to Nosferatu can also be seen in the clothing of Ville Valo (lead singer of band HIM) in images six and eight. Although it is not as much of a drastic look compared to that of Lestat in Queen of the Damned, the similarity is still visible in the style of his coat and black eyeliner.

“Gothic representations of death are so resonant because they occur in a realm clearly delineated as other than ordinary, the supernatural realm of ghosts and spirits, of revenants and vampires, of monsters and zombies, as they also touch on torture, murder and transgressive desire for destruction. Death becomes attractive because it is apparently unreal, the result of exaggerated passions revealing itself in the midst of hallucinatory delusions and involving characters that have been transported into worlds made unfamiliar, either because they are located in some distant historical past or because the setting is from the start, a phantasmatic one.” Mulvey-Roberts. Pg39-40

Within these music videos it could be said that the singers want to recreate this iconic look in a way of promoting themselves as being ‘undead’ as the character of Nosferatu obviously is, which again ties in with the Gothic conventions of death and the macabre, themes which also featured in German Expressionist films.

The final aspect of German Expressionist films that I am going to discuss in reference to contemporary music videos is that of painted backdrops and set design within the videos.

 11. Screen-Cap from ‘Her Ghost in the Fog’ by Cradle of Filth 

Images one and two give some examples of this painted set design, and image eleven shows another way the same effect is achieved when using cardboard cut-outs rather than a painted backdrop. This helps to create the mysterious atmosphere that we have come to associate with Gothic style music along with establishing an instantly recognizable visual image. Within German Expressionism this iconic imagery is best associated with the 1920 film Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Dir. Robert Wiene) which can be used as a cornerstone example of the Expressionist movement and its features. ‘Perhaps the most famous of these films is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). Robert Wiene’s Expressionist catalogue of images and devices…that would be exploited in hundreds of later films. Shot entirely in the studio, on macabre, canted sets with dislocated or forced perspectives.’ Grunenberg. Pg. 64 

This exploitation of Caligari can be seen within contemporary music videos too, and there are some examples of videos that re-create Caligari scenes almost identically, such as the video for the song ‘Forsaken’ by Queen of the Damned and the video for the song ‘Living Dead Girl’ by Rob Zombie. These similarities become evident when conducting a side by side comparison of the two videos against the film.

12. A Screen-Cap from Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920. Dir. Robert Wiene) 

13. A Screen-Cap from ‘Forsaken’ by Queen of the Damned.

14. A Screen-Cap from ‘Living Dead Girl’ by Rob Zombie

Although image fourteen depicts a different part of the film to that of image thirteen, we can still see the almost identical set pieces and backdrops between the two music videos and the film, more so when comparing the set design of image fourteen to that of the screen-cap from the film as there is virtually no difference between the two, even the shape and placement of the vignette is identical.  The other famous scene from Caligari that is re-created in both music videos is the moment when Cesare is sneaking through the village whilst pressed against the wall.

15. Screen-cap from Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

16. Screen-Cap from ‘Forsaken’ by Queen of the Damned

17. Screen-Cap from ‘Living Dead Girl’ by Rob Zombie

In this instance, it is the video for ‘Forsaken’ that has the most similarity to the original film, the main reason being that Lestat is dressed head to toe in black, like Cesare and therefore becomes a shadow in a pool of light whilst walking against the wall. However, in the Rob Zombie video, the somnambulist has been changed from a male character to a female one in order to better relate to the songs title (Living Dead Girl) the shadowy effect created by the black clothes of Cesare and Lestat is lost within the ‘Living Dead Girl’ video as she is wearing a white dress and therefore seems to blend in against the wall rather than standing out and contrasting the set.

By paying homage to Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari in this way, these music videos not only portray the artist’s appraisal and admiration for the film, but also ensure the on-going legacy that German Expressionist films hold within contemporary popular culture. Caligari is a visual signifier for the Expressionist films as it encapsulates all aspects of the movement in a distinctive style that few other films of the period were able to create.

The function of gender is to set us as either male/masculine or female/feminine. Gender is set by social, psychological, physical and biological ideals. These ideals result in the female being economically inferior to the male, being associated with more domestic tasks than those of the public sphere, as being more emotional and less strong. We are born male or female but are socially defined as masculine or feminine.

These pre-determined ideas are continued through each generation and imposed upon us from birth. New born boys are dressed in blue, girls in pink. Boys are given toy planes and cars; girls are given dolls and teddy bears. These binary oppositions continue throughout our adulthood and regulate how we should behave, dress and live. They also decide our hobbies and interests and are also apparent within mainstream cinema. Mainstream cinema does not function to undermine dominant ideology…given that Hollywood is obsessed with selling gender differences and particularly heterosexuality, it is naturally wary of destabilizing cultural stability.” A film’s ideological meanings refer to the ideas that the film conveys about its world’s social relations, economic structures, and political institutions and mainstream films enforce these ideas upon us from a young age. For example, Disney cartoons are something that most contemporary audiences grew up watching during their childhood years and they are all teeming with the typical male/female ideals. According to Disney’s values, in a traditional patriarchal family, the father is the protector and breadwinner, and the mother is the nurturer and caregiver. This is apparent in Beauty & the Beast (1991) with the character of Gaston. With his cleft chin, broad shoulders, brawny chest, wavy hair and towering height, Gaston fulfils the stereotyped image of male beauty. And with his past times of hunting, drinking and male bonding, he fulfils the stereotyped image of masculinity as well. Gaston does not simply look the part of the hyper-masculine male; he holds all the opinions that are supposed to go with it. Not only does he decide to marry Belle without asking her opinion, he paints a picture of their wedded bliss: “A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, and my little wife massaging my feet whilst the little ones play on the floor – six or seven of them” And, in a condemning moment he tells Belle that “it’s not right for a girl to read.” Consequently, classic Disney male heroes fight for survival and success, while the female protagonist is preoccupied with love and marriage. Disney also implies social taboo’s, such as homosexuality. Even today, when the issue of gay and lesbian relationships has become an open social discourse, Disney’s representation of non-heterosexual orientation remains in the dark with only an occasional portrait of a womanly man (such as Hannah Montana’s stylist) or a comic moment of gender transgression (such as the cross-dressing scene in Mulan). Within Disney, homosexuality is never presented in a serious light; rather, it is seen as comic relief.

If it can be argued that Disney presents us with our first taste of Hollywood’s attempts to enforce male and female ideals upon it’s young viewers, than standard film genres could be accused of continuing these stereotypes not only through the characterisation of male and female roles but also in the way the genres are presented to audiences as a full package. Genre does not just refer to the film type but also to the spectator’s expectations and hypothesis. It also refers to the role of specific institutional discourses that feed into and form generic structures. Certain genres can be deemed gender specific, for example westerns for men and melodrama for women, however, what are the ideological operations at work and what are the spectator/text relationships depending on what sort of genre was being viewed? Also, considering the gendered subjectivity of the viewer, what can be said about pleasure in viewing? “Ideological inflections within film genre find representation through a series of binary oppositions which, among other hegemonic ‘realities’ reinforce gender distinctions. For example, constructs of sexuality are based around images of the active male versus the passive female, independence versus entrapment (though marriage and family)…Sexuality is constructed also as good/bad, pure/perverse.” [Hayward, S. pg 186] Clearly, sexuality and gender are strongly coded by film genre. For example the sexuality of characters in a Western differs from that of characters in a musical. At the very least the hero of the musical is looking to settle down and marry. The hero of the western however, will satisfy himself with a brief affair and then move on. The western also continues the ‘Disney’ ideal, as often the narrative centres around the female figure as the source of disruption that then sets off a trajectory of male desire and its ultimate resolution in heterosexual couple formation.

So why is it that the Western is typically perceived as a ‘male’ genre? It could be argued that this is due to its similarities with action and adventure films. Both genres are famous for their iconic male characters, (Clint Eastwood and John Wayne in westerns and Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger in action & adventure) and both are also associated with violence and weaponry. Perhaps this is why they are deemed ‘male’ as guns and violence are things that society and its ideals tell us men should take interest in. Men such as Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis are seen as ‘heroes’ and are figures for other men to look up to and aspire to be. Historically the primary demand placed upon men as been the demand by other men that they correspond to the current male definition of what a man should be. “Anatomy alone does not provide the answer: even the most self-sufficient males seem to need something extra…usually it’s a gun…the gun is the classic indicator that a man is ‘real’” [Lapsley & Westlake. Pg 240] Generally speaking, the male hero is therefore concentrated in films addressed primarily to male audiences such as westerns, action and adventure, thrillers, war films etc.

“The box office success of the white body-builder as star has been one of the most visible aspects of recent action and adventure cinema. The visibility of the built male body, in both film and advertising images, represents part of a larger shift in the male image and in the range of identities that are on offer in Western popular culture.” [Tasker, Y. pg 73] This ‘macho’ figure is apparent in the overly muscular frames of stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Typically, the image of a male body builder has been associated with excessiveness and narcissism, men who are ‘top heavy’ with muscles, standing on a stage, striking poses that emphasize their muscles even more. Of course, this is what Arnold Schwarzenegger first became famous for and it could be argued that he (and similar actors) has been responsible for turning this image of excessiveness into one of health and ‘hero’. These two variants can be seen to provide the limits for the meanings of the muscular male body, both within cinema and as an image circulated within popular culture more generally. However, one question needs to be asked, taking into account the stereotypical audience gender associations with this genre, why would the male gaze require emphasis on such an excessive figure of masculinity? Is it something that the typical man aspires to be? Do all men secretly desire to be this archetypal figure of masculinity? If this is the case then one would need to focus on the way these men are shot within the films they appear in, for example, in Predator (1987) there are several scenes where the character of Dutch (Schwarzenegger) is presented in a series of close ups of his torso and biceps as he lifts a truck up off the ground with one hand and uses his brute strength to break fully grown tree’s. Taking into account the fact that this is supposedly a male film it could be argued that these images of bulging biceps and torso’s are Homo-erotic in the sense that it is the male viewer taking pleasure in watching the masculine figure. On the other hand, perhaps this is an attempt to make the films appeal to women, as a way of sexualising the male figure the film makers are appealing to the female voyeur. “The male pin up is certainly of a different order to the female pin up, shot through with a different set of anxieties, difficulties and pleasures. Richard Dyer links these uncertainties to the problematic processes through which male power is maintained in Western culture, processes that involve the disavowal of the very fact the man is being looked at, and the use of an insistent imagery which stresses hero-ness, partly through muscularity, a quality traditionally associated with masculinity.” [Tasker, Y. pg 77] This kind of spectacle has been dubbed ‘physical acting’ and along with these over-muscular body-builder figures, the action and adventure genre also features the ‘wise guy’, typical of the character played by Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1991). Whilst these films are still big budget spectaculars that we associate with the body-builder, Willis is known for his voice as much as his body and his role in these films as a wise guy enacts a different kind of masculine performance to that associated with the body-builder.

The majority of big budget action and adventure films continue to focus primarily on male protagonists and to position women in supportive, often romantic roles. These sidekick/romantic roles, though diverse, indicate the place of the female character within the action and adventure genre. In developing roles for women as fighters, action and adventure and crime films have made use of stereotypes and images including the ‘butch’ type, the tomboy and the feisty heroine such as Sarah Connor in the Terminator series and Ripley in the Alien series. Although they are represented as masculine females who dress in combat trousers, vest and wield guns and similar weaponry, they are still essentially presented as sexual objects, for instance, the first time we see Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day she is doing pull ups, an essentially masculine act, however, she is doing them wearing a tight white vest top and shorts, a way of displaying her feminine figure and appealing to the male voyeur. In doing this the ‘male’ film becomes appealing to a female audience as they take pleasure in seeing a strong woman with morals and intelligence overcome a potentially life threatening experience without the aid of a man. However, so as not to alienate the majority gender, the women are presented in skimpy, tight fitting clothes again, continuing the socially defined gender roles of the voyeuristic male and the sexualised woman. The same can be said for Ripley in Alien. Played by Sigourney Weaver, Ripley represents one of Hollywood’s most visible action heroines in recent years. The characterisation of Ripley represented a significant development in the portrayal of action heroines, combining icons of the action narrative with borrowings from the horror film. The climatic action sequences of the film, in which Ripley undresses before her final confrontation with the alien, has generated a good deal of debate concerning the limits and possibilities of the cinematic representation of the action heroine. The figure of Ripley raises interesting questions of symbolic transgression, of the extent to which the positioning of a woman at the centre of the action narrative generates problems for the genre at the level of connotation. These female characters could then be accused of embodying a contradictory set of images of female desirability, a sexualised female image which emphasises physical strength.

These ‘masculine feminine’ characters should also be considered along with feminist film theory and the male gaze. Feminist film theory tends to share two major assumptions: gender is a social construction that oppresses women more than men and that patriarchy fashions these constructions. These shared premises then result in gender stereotypes being attacked a need for change within such films is called upon. Feminist theory focuses particularly on women’s experience of sexuality, work and the family, inevitably challenging traditional frameworks of knowledge. According to Feminist film theorists, mainstream cinema did not represent women’s lived experience but only stereotypes of women’s social status or, indeed, lack of status. Using Freudian psychoanalysis Laura Mulvey explores the ways in which popular cinema offers the spectator not only voyeuristic, but also fetishist pleasures. “According to Mulvey, mainstream cinema appeals to the scopaphillic instinct (a term Freud chose for the activity of looking at another as an erotic object). Mulvey concludes that this gaze is male and that cinema relies on three kinds of gaze: The camera, usually operated by a man, looking at women as objects, the look of the male actors within the film which is structured to make their gaze powerful; and the gaze of the spectator, who is presumed to be male, voyeuristically identifying with the camera/actor gazing at women represented in fetishist and stereotypical ways.” [Humm. Pg 14] Whilst apparently shooting in a ‘neutral’ way the look of the camera(man) and, to a point, the director and the editor, make a particular selection of shots, close ups, angles and so on which control how we look at a particular scene, therefore controlling the woman as image through the pleasurable fantasy of power evoked by voyeurism. Mulvey figures cinema as irreducibly shaped by sexual difference, arguing that film is constructed around looks or gazes, which in turn shape editing and narrative, and, further, that these looks are completely and eternally those of men looking at women. As Berger commented in his book ‘Ways of Seeing’ (1972) “Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.” Feminists have long claimed that the cultural and gendered binaries man/woman, culture/nature have always made ‘woman’ inferior and this is apparent in the examples I have discussed above. If women are to be successful then they must display the characteristics of men.

A similar case of the ‘masculine female’ can be seen in horror movies, especially slasher films and the character of the Final Girl. “The Final Girl is boyish…just as the killer is not fully masculine, she is not fully feminine – not, in any case, feminine in way of her friends. Her smartness, gravity, competence in mechanical and other practical matters and sexual reluctance set her apart from the other girls and ally her, ironically, with the very boys she fear or rejects, not to speak of the killer himself.” [Tasker, Y. pg 81] we could argue that horror movies are another example of a male oriented genre and that by giving masculine qualities to the only surviving female within the film, these movies are conforming to the social stereotypes of what are deemed male and female activities. For example, in The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the final girl, Nancy, survives and ultimately defeats the killer (Freddy Krueger) by setting a series of booby traps such as an exploding light and trip wires. “Women and girls are still punished for their sexuality, since the final girl survives because she stays pure and virginal. And further, the girl only survives by manifesting male types of virtues, like rigging bombs and jump starting cars.” [Freeland, C.A. Pg 57] Society tells us that these are activities associated with men and that by making the Final Girl a tomboy, male viewers find her assertiveness less threatening than if a glamorous, attractive female were to have performed the same tasks. All of this sways the horror genre to the side of the male viewer, however, we can argue that the genre is also directed at women, as, although it is through the killers eyes that we see the final girl at the beginning of the film, it is through her eyes that we see the killer, often around the middle of the film and increasingly towards the end. The gaze therefore becomes female. Horror could also be interpreted as a female genre from the perspective of the male viewer. Unlike action and adventure films, there are very little male characters within horror to identify with. Characters such as boyfriends or schoolmates of the girls are rarely developed, and even those who acquire some presence within the narrative are soon killed. Traditional authority figures such as policemen, fathers and sheriffs are usually incompetent, and are themselves often killed, leaving the girl, the films protagonist, to confront the killer on her own. As for the killer, he is usually invisible or scarcely seen during the first part of the film, and what is revealed when we finally get to see him it not something that is likely to evoke sympathy. He is often fat, deformed or dressed as a woman…in any event the killer is either himself killed or otherwise thrust out of the narrative. No male character of any significance survives to tell the tale. From this perspective, it would appear that the basis of horror films is to ridicule the male viewer. Socially speaking, horror should be a male dominated genre due to excess blood and gore (which is again a social trait associated with masculine interests) however, the genre seems to sway heavily in the favour of the female viewer as it is ultimately the women of the film who have the most power, for which we can give thanks to the Final Girl.

Within the examples of Horror, Western and the Action and Adventure genre’s it has become apparent that even though they are typically male orientated genre’s they also hold a female appeal, whether that be in the use of the female gaze or the use of strong willed, independent women. However, it would seem that this effect cannot be reversed when looking at female cinema and its appeal to men. ‘Female’ genres typically consist of Rom-Coms, Musicals, and Melodrama’s. If we look particularly at the Romantic-Comedy genre the sociological stereotypes towards women become more apparent. Rom-Com’s typically feature a woman who is looking for love and after a few failed relationships ultimately finds it with the ‘nice guy’ character who she has known from the start. From this we can argue that society tells us women are only interested in romance, which is deemed as unimportant when compared to the tasks and interests that men pursue, again an example of ‘Disney’ virtues. Although male films attempt to draw in a female audience there is very little, perhaps you could even go as far to say that there is nothing within female films that can appeal to a male audience, as if a man admits to liking and watching ‘female’ films such as romantic-comedies, he is ridiculed as a result of socially defined binary oppositions.

Horror films are not only one of the most popular genres in contemporary film, but also one of the most lucrative. Alfred Hitchcock once said, “People like to be scared when they feel safe.” and many theorists have attempted to explain why audiences find horror films so enjoyable, particularly when the films are designed to; scare, shock or repulse us. It certainly seems counterintuitive that so many people would voluntarily immerse themselves in almost two hours of fear, disgust and terror. .Why do people pay for this?’ ‘How is this enjoyable?’ Two of the most famous theories regarding this enjoyment are Noel Carroll’s ‘Horror Paradox’ theory and Berys Gaut’s ‘Enjoyment Theory’. Both theories have received critical disagreements on their ideas (mainly from the opposing theorist) with Carroll claiming that “The paradox of horror is this: many people enjoy horror fictions; horror fictions typically raise fear and disgust in their audiences; but fear and disgust are unpleasant. So, does this entail that people enjoy that which is unpleasant? … In addition to fear and disgust, horror fictions also engender fascination and curiosity in audiences. Such fictions do this in virtue of possessing a certain sort of monster, an impossible being that is not only the object of fear and disgust but which, in addition, commands our fascination in virtue of its anomaly.” Gaunt claims that audiences enjoy being scared and purposely seek it out.

For the purpose of this essay I will be mainly referring to aspects of both these theories with main reference to the following films; Saw III [Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman. 2006] and a Japanese film that is still banned in the UK (The BBFC have refused an 18 certificate to the unrated version of the film) called Grotesque [Dir. Koji Shiraishi. 2009]. Both films are ‘splatter’ horror, a sub-genre which deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts, tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the theatricality of its mutilation. However, BBFC director David Cook, claimed Grotesque has been refused a certificate by the board because “Unlike other recent ‘torture’ themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series, Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. In spite of a vestigial attempt to ‘explain’ the killer’s motivations at the very end of the film, the chief pleasure on offer is not related to understanding the motivations of any of the central characters. Rather, the chief pleasure on offer seems to be wallowing in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake”. The Saw franchise, on the other hand, has a continuing story throughout all its films about a man named John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, who is diagnosed with a malignant form of cancer and then goes about teaching people whom he considers to have no morals the ‘value of life’. He does so by drugging them, kidnapping them, and then placing them in sadistic traps and torture devices which they must escape from in a specified amount of time. If they fail to escape, the device kills them.

Where typical horror films deal with fear of the unknown, the supernatural, the dark, and so on, the motion for fear in a splatter film comes from physical destruction of the body. There is also an emphasis on visuals, style and technique, including energetic camerawork. Most horror films have a tendency to re-establish the social and moral order with good triumphing over evil, however, splatter films thrive on a lack of plot and order.  Because of this, Carroll’s Paradox Theory is difficult to apply to this sub-genre of horror. This is mainly due to the fact that Carroll only acknowledges a film as that of the horror genre if it contains supernatural elements, e.g., a monster or alien. He considers films with a human, psychopathic murderer, as “Science Fiction of the mind” and so therefore, refuses to apply his theory to it. “Though Carroll demonstrates considerable skill in defending his solution, it is, I believe, unsatisfactory. His view depends crucially on claims about monsters, defined as beings not believed to exist now according to contemporary science. Yet not all horror fictions involve monsters…Psychopaths are not monsters; they are instances of an all-too-real phenomenon. Carroll’s response to this sort of objection is that some of these psychopaths are presented as having supernatural powers, and so are really monsters” To me, this unwillingness to accept these films as horror is an acknowledgement that his paradox theory does not work to horror as a movement, but in actual fact, only towards a small, select and conventional type of horror films. Splatter films are intended to not only disgust people in their revelling attitude towards violence, blood, guts and gore, but to also fascinate the audience with a kind of morbid curiosity. Viewers experience both negative and positive emotions simultaneously, and may actually enjoy being scared, not just relief when the threat is removed. Horror films are the viewer’s way of experiencing fear in a controlled setting. Such an experience may prove enjoyable, since the fear can be controlled, and is limited to a fictional form of escapism that lasts for a couple of hours. Some see the enjoyment of scary movies as analogous to riding roller coasters. The thrill of the unknown elevates heart rate and boosts adrenaline, and since the “scares” pose no real threat, they can be processed, laughed about and enjoyed.

The Saw franchise is one of the most famous horror series in contemporary cinema and is so popular with movie goers that it has received its own Guinness World Record for most successful horror franchise.  The SAW franchise has grossed over $730 million dollars worldwide, and has sold more than 30 million DVDs, beating the previous record holders of Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13^th, and the Halloween franchises. The first Saw film was like nothing audiences had ever seen before, and the plot twist at the end, where a supposed corpse stands and reveals himself to be the true killer, is still one of the most talked about moments in horror films history. After the first films initial success, the Saw franchise has grown and to date has produced seven films. As each new films has been released, it has been criticized against its predecessor as focussing more on the gore aspects of Jigsaw’s traps than the narrative. Saw III is certainly no different to this rule; all in all it features eight deaths including ones by the names of “The Body Chains” which showed a man having to rip chains from his ribs, ankles, arms, shoulders, hands and mouth, “The Angel Harness” which ripped a woman’s ribcage in half, and “The Rack” which involved a man shackled to a metal rack which twisted his arms, legs and eventually his head, until his bones snapped through his skin. All of the death scenes within the film are arranged as a viewer spectacle. The audience are presented with close up shots of the individual aspects of the trap, such as the claws that are hooked into Allison’s ribs or the nails in Timothy’s hands as his arm is slowly twisted beyond its natural contortion. The camera focuses on the particular parts of the trap that we find most disturbing, and yet, we still feel the urge to watch. “Gross out films are looking for a comparably strong response from their audience. A gleeful unhibitedness is certainly the most striking feature of these films…and it also represents their greatest appeal. At their best, these films offer a real sense of exhilaration, not without its disturbing quality, in testing how far they can go, how much they can show without making us turn away, how far they can push the boundaries to provoke a cry of ‘Oh, gross!’ as a sign of approval, an expression of disgust is a pleasurable call out.” The main purpose of the Saw franchise is to provide viewers with an outlet for their morbid curiosity, the films are a chance for the viewer to test themselves, to see how much of the gore and blood they can stomach before they have to look away from the screen or cover their eyes.

Annette Hill conducted a study where she recorded viewer response to violent films. “There a number of reasons why participants chose to see the target films: media hype; peer pressure; advertising; personal preference for specific directors or actors; personal experience: these are all factors which influence participants to watch, or not to watch violent movies.” Hill talks about the act of ‘self-censorship’ by which she means the control that the viewer has over what they see. We can look away from the screen, we can cover our eyes, we can peek through our fingers, or ultimately, we can leave the cinema or turn the television off. She argues that we choose to watch these films as a way of testing our own boundaries; it intrigues us to discover how much is too much. “Boundary testing signifies consumer response to violent movies. There is no one-method of self-censoring representations of violence, and participants utilize a range of methods from not censoring at all, to peeking through fingers, to eschewing specific types of violence all together. Various methods of self-censorship are available because participants have complex and contradictory responses to viewing violence. Various methods of self-censorship are employed because participant’s responses are fluid and dynamic. All methods of self-censorship are collateral with boundary testing, and it is here that participants indicate part of the reason for viewing violent movies is to test reactions to violence. Testing reactions is a way of interpreting response.” One film that puts these boundaries to the test is Grotesque, which is a perfect example of a ‘word of mouth’ film that becomes popular through viewers giving their feedback and responses to it. Although the film was rejected by the BBFC, and therefore banned in the UK, it is still available to watch via the internet or imported DVDs as this is something the BBFC are unable to govern. The film instantly gains notoriety through the ‘banned’ title and intrigues the viewer into watching it in a sense of ‘I wonder what’s so bad about it for it to be banned?’ This is a feeling that was also visible through the participants that took part in Hill’s research; “You hear all these rumours and scandals about these films and you think, what’s all the fuss about? You go and see the films just to find out whether it’s worth all the hype and the bullshit…It is because the target films attract a specific kind of publicity that participants are drawn to view a film in order to test their own response to that of the media.” As a self-confessed gore fan, the idea of watching Grotesque instantly appealed to me, and it was indeed the bad publicity that intrigued me into watching the film. Grotesque certainly pushed my boundaries to the limit and needless to say, I will not be watching it again. Although many people do not understand the appeal of these, torture- based films, the violence can, at least in most cases, be justified by the film’s plot. However, Grotesque does not have a plot. No explanation is given as to why this man has chosen to kidnap two young teenagers and brutally torture and kill them and this is what makes the film all the more disturbing. This is again, another example of why Carroll’s Paradox theory is flawed when applied to the main frame of horror films, and Gaut is among many theorists who have made a point of discussing the flaws in Carroll’s argument “Carroll’s appeal to monsters disguises the simple point that we can be disgusted by and afraid of human beings because they do evil and awful things, and no mention of monsters or of categorical violations is needed to explain our reactions.”

Films such as Grotesque and Saw are primarily designed to appeal to those of us who find the horror genre appealing for the gore factor that it presents. Although Carroll presents a well thought out theory behind why we choose to watch such films, I feel that his thesis is dated, and inappropriate towards many contemporary horror films. I would argue that Guant’s fascination theory is a more reasonable explanation for the appeal of horror films but ultimately the question of why people like horror movies can only be answered individually. Sociologically, it’s an interesting phenomenon. To the moviegoer though, what matters is that the thrills and chills are present in the film.

The subject of Das Unheimlich has frequently been associated with the films of the German Expressionist movement during the Weimar period in Germany. This teaming of the two is largely unavoidable due to Freud’s essay being published in 1919 and Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Dir. Robert Wiene), which is considered the first Expressionist film, being released in 1920 and featuring many of the aspects that Freud discusses in his essay. The impact of Expressionism on the cinema of the Weimar Republic cannot be underestimated. The use of artificial light and shadows, the atmosphere of unease, exaggerated acting styles, themes of psychological expression and a pervading sense of horror and the supernatural can all be traced back to Expressionism in its literary, artistic or theatrical manifestations.

Within the cinema of the Expressionist period, subjects focussing around the topic of the uncanny and Freud’s essay were popular choices within the film’s narratives. These popular themes were ones such as the Doppelganger (or double), a threat to society, usually presented in the form of a stranger who visits the town/city, inanimate objects being mistaken as animate (such as The Hands of Orlac where a pianist is made to think that the hands grafted on to his arms are forcing him to perform actions that his minds hates), animate beings behaving as if inanimate or mechanical (the workers in Metropolis), coincidences, repetitions and de-ja-vu, an all controlling evil genius and confusions between reality and imagination. These themes can be credited to peoples need to be safely frightened as well as that of Das Unheimlich. A film audience will happily sit in a darkened movie theatre, safe in the knowledge that if the images on the screen become too frightening or disturbing they can get up and leave at any point. The point at which these thrills get out of hand can differ from person to person, culture to culture or from period to period.

To a modern day audience the uncanny elements of films such as Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari are likely to seem quite tame and low key but one needs to consider them within the time frame that the films were produced during. During the beginning of the period, Germany was recovering from WWI and the damages forced upon the country by the victorious allies at Versailles in June 1919 extended the misery. Hyper inflation and mass unemployment followed. It is therefore, little wonder that foreboding narratives struck a chord with such a population. Many of the narrative themes that I have already mentioned are featured within Caligari, the most notable of which being the presence of the doppelganger and the all controlling evil genius. Within Caligari is appears that Cesare the somnambulist can be lying peacefully in his coffin-like box whilst at the same time, committing murders and kidnapping. As in many doppelganger films which play on similar apprehensions, a natural explanation is in the end supplied but not before the spectator has empathically shared the hero’s consternation, disorientation and apprehension.  Within Expressionist films the placement of the doppelganger is used to create uncertainty within the audience about the characters/doubles initial intentions or actions. The idea provokes fear within the viewer at the thought that someone could be in two places at once, or even, in some cases, leading a double life. In Caligari the audience are left wondering if it is indeed Cesare that has been committing the murders within the town, however, when we then see him walking through the streets and eventually entering Jane’s bedroom and kidnapping her, the audience experience a feeling of unease regarding the idea of the same person seemingly inhabiting two bodies. When it is revealed that the somnambulist who was seen sleeping in a coffin was actually a life-like dummy, a sense of relief is felt at the realisation that the two were not the same person. One could also argue the doppelganger in relation to the character of Caligari himself, in the sense that he appears to have a split personality. He is both the fairground peddler and a distinguished doctor. In the ambiguous world of the German cinema people are unsure of their identity and can easily lose it…the same morbid taste for split personality is also found in Fritz Lang’s two Mabuse films and M.

As I have already mentioned, Caligari also plays on the uncanny notion of the stranger and the suggestion that a stranger could penetrate and disrupt our secure lives in the same way that Caligari and the somnambulist enter the town under the disguise of fairground showmen, but with the intention of committing murder. This way of suggesting the menace that lies hidden in the familiar and the ease with which something that seems comfortable and safe can suddenly become threatening and dangerous is a key narrative point within Expressionist and uncanny films. The Uncanny also draws inspiration from the world of the supernatural. Within Expressionist cinema, this is most apparent within both Nosferatu and Caligari as both films feature characters that could be considered as being from a ‘supernatural’ world. Nosferatu the Vampire, who is a character based entirely in fiction and fairy tales, and Cesare, the somnambulist, a sleepwalker who is being controlled and forced to murder by the evil Caligari. Although Caligari creates its uncanny atmosphere mainly through the use of its Expressionist sets, lighting and shadows, Murnau uses other cinematic techniques to try and encourage an Unheimlich atmosphere throughout his film. One of the remarkable things about Nosferatu is the apparent naturalness of its stylization. Whereas Caligari’s Expressionism and Unheimlich atmosphere was mainly created through graphic and visual means, Nosferatu’s is almost purely cinematic, relying upon camera angles and editing rather than production design.

Throughout the film the specialist use of images enhance the sense of Unheimlich and growing tension as the film continues. One of the film’s most famous shots, known for its innovate use within the film as well as its overall Unheimlich atmosphere, is the negative sped up image of the horse drawn coach leaving Hutter alone outside the count’s castle. In order to achieve this shot Murnau had the carriage painted white, so that when filmed in negative it would still appear black in colour. This scene is a signifier that Hutter is moving from the ‘real’ world into the ‘supernatural’ world where creatures such as vampires exist. Hutter’s naivety adds to the films overall Unheimlich tone as, by the time Hutter is willing to accept the existence of the Vampire, and the threat he poses to the town and his family, he is too late to save his wife and she has sacrificed her own life in order to save the town from the plague that Orlok has brought with him.

Another strong Unheimlich theme is that of the blurring between the real world and the imagination. This is particularly apparent in Caligari where the film begins with Francis telling of a past event within his life, we are then told the story of Caligari and Cesare through what the audience presume to be a flashback. However, the final scenes of the film throws everything else under suspicion as we then see that Francis is in fact in a mental institute which Caligari is the director of, the rest of the characters such as Jane and Cesare can also be seen to be patients within the hospital. The surprise at the end of the film is our discovery that the tale we assumed to be one of horror and of superhuman powers is really the product of the imagination of a subhuman brain, a paranoid’s fantasy, a mad man’s hatred of his doctor. The world of the film is the product of Francis’s subjective vision. The audience are then left doubting if the entire story was indeed a fabricated product of Francis’ imagination or if Caligari is indeed so evil and controlling that he has somehow been able to convince everyone that Francis is mad, whilst he himself leads a double life of fairground busker and medical director.

The films of the German Expressionist movement where riddled with examples of references to the uncanny, many of which still promote feelings of unease even in today’s contemporary audiences. The reasons behind Germany’s obsession with the Unheimlich certainly need to be looked at alongside the time period in which the films were released as many of the uncanny themes entwined throughout these films are relevant to the social and political status of Germany at that time. Ultimately, in Expressionist films, these worlds of light and shadow, of fantasy and reality, show us a place where dreams and truth converge in some of the most abiding images produced in the history of film to date…as previously lost films are rediscovered and incomplete films are restored, our fascination with the images of Germany’s expressionist cinema can only grow more intense in the years to come. The Expressionist cinema of Germany is once again, an example of The Uncanny legacy living on through the continued popularity of these films.

Hey guys,

don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about this blog, it’s just that with it being Christmas I’m working like 60 hour weeks and don’t have a spare 5 minutes to myself at the moment.

When everything calms back down in the New Year I’ll get started on writing some new stuff :)

Thanks for following!

Vincent Price

(May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) 

For me, Vincent Price is one of, if not the, greatest Horror actor of a generation. Along with similar greats such as Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi, this man helped to change the face of horror films. Vincent Price holds particular ground with myself simply through the fact that he starred in many, many portrayals of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories and poems. Poe is my favourite author and to watch his tales be brought to life by Price’s fantastic seriocomic attitude and distinctive voice only made me appreciate them even more.

Vincent Price has become a cultural icon, not only within the horror market but also within several other aspects that many may not necessarily be aware of. Outside of his acting career he is probably most well known for the ‘rap’ in Michael Jackson’s song Thriller. 

You may also recognize him as the character Vincent Van Ghoul from the cartoon series The 13 ghosts of Scooby Doo;

He was also an avid chef and wrote several cookbooks (I have been trying for several years to get my hands on copies of these but to no avail so if anyone happens to know where I can get some from please let me know!)

Between the years of 1935-1993 Vincent Price appeared in over 100 films. By today’s film standards you could say that they’re “so bad they’re good” but I find that the unintentional comedy and dubbed screams are what make these films so brilliant.

Here are my top 10 Vincent Price Fims: (Click the film titles to view a clip)

  10. Theatre of Blood (1973)
Edward Kendall Sheridan Lionheart (Vincent Price), had thought he was the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day. Abetted by his daughter Edwina (Diana Rigg), Lionheart sets about murdering, one by one, a group of critics who had both ridiculed his acting throughout his career and declined to award him their “Critic’s Circle Award for Best Actor”, which Lionheart felt was merited by his final season of performances in various Shakespearean plays; humiliated in the aftermath of the awards ceremony, he attempts suicide and is presumed dead. Unbeknownst to the critics, and the police, Lionheart survives the suicide attempt and is adopted into a community of meths-drinking vagrants who do his bidding.

  9. The Fly (1958)
Scientist Andre Delambre becomes obsessed with his latest creation, a matter transporter. He has varying degrees of success with it. He eventually decides to use a human subject, himself, with tragic consequences. During the transference, his atoms become merged with a fly, which was accidentally let into the machine. He winds up with the fly’s head and one of it’s arms and the fly winds up with Andre’s head and arm. Eventually, Andre’s wife, Helene discovers his secret and must make a decision whether to let him continue to live like that or to do the unthinkable and euthanize him to end his suffering.

  8. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Satan-worshiper Prince Prospero invites several dozen of the local nobility to his castle for protection against an oncoming plague, the Red Death. Prospero orders his guests to attend a masked ball and, amidst a general atmosphere of debauchery and depravity, notices the entry of a mysterious hooded stranger dressed all in red. Believing the figure to be his master, Satan, Prospero is horrified at the revelation of his true identity.

  7. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Set in 16th century Spain, the story is about a young Englishman who visits a forbidding castle to investigate his sister’s mysterious death. After a series of horrific revelations, apparently ghostly appearances and violent deaths, the young man becomes strapped to the titular torture device by his lunatic brother-in-law during the film’s climactic sequence.

  6. The Raven (1963)
The sorcerer Dr. Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) has been mourning the death of his wife Lenore (Hazel Court) for over two years, much to the chagrin of his daughter Estelle (Olive Sturgess). One night he is visited by a raven, who happens to be a transformed wizard, Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre). Together they brew a potion that restores Bedlo to his old self. Bedlo explains he had been transformed by the evil Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff) in an unfair duel, and both decide to see Scarabus, Bedlo to exact revenge and Craven to look for his wife’s ghost, which Bedlo reportedly saw at Scarabus’ castle. After fighting off the attack of Craven’s coachman, who apparently acted under the influence of Scarabus, they set out to the castle, joined by Craven’s daughter Estelle and Bedlo’s son Rexford (Jack Nicholson).

 5. The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)
After a long journey, Philip arrives at the Usher mansion seeking his loved one, Madeline. Upon arriving, however, he discovers that Madeline and her brother Roderick Usher have been afflicted with a mysterious malady: Roderick’s senses have become painfully acute, while Madeline has become catatonic. That evening, Roderick tells his guest of an old Usher family curse: any time there has been more than one Usher child, all of the siblings have gone insane and died horrible deaths. As the days wear on, the effects of the curse reach their terrifying climax.

  4. House of Wax (1953)
A sculptor of wax figures for a museum is horrified when his partner proposes setting fire to the unpopular museum in order to collect the insurance money. As the wax figures melt amid the blaze, the two men have a fight. The sculptor is knocked out in the scuffle and left to “perish” among the flames. He resurfaces many years later for the launch of his own wax museum. The opening coincides with the sudden disappearance of some dead bodies from the city morgue. His assistant begins to suspect his boss of foul play, especially after the deranged wizard of wax begins eyeing his assistant’s lovely girlfriend’s friend as a model for a waxed figure of Marie Antoinette.

  3. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Doctors are being murdered in a bizarre manner: bats, bees, killer frog masks, etc., which represent the nine Biblical plagues. The crimes are orchestrated by a demented organ player with the help of his mute assistant. The detective is stumped until he finds that all of the doctors being killed assisted a Dr. Vesalius on an unsuccessful operation involving the wife of Dr. Phibes, but he couldn’t be the culprit, could he? He was killed in a car crash upon learning of his wife’s death… 

2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
(I know Vincent only plays a small role in this film but it still makes my top 10, mainly because of the poignant fact of it being Vincent’s last film appearance before his death)

In a castle high on top of a hill lives an inventor’s greatest creation - Edward, a near-complete person. The creator died before he could finish Edward’s hands; instead, Edward is left with metal scissors for hands. Since then, Edward has lived alone, until a kind lady called Peg discovers Edward and welcomes him into her home. At first, everyone welcomes Edward into the community, but soon things begin to take a change for the worse. 

  1. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
 I URGE you to watch this film. This is, quite simply, Vincent Price at his best.

Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren and his 4th wife, Annabelle, have invited 5 people to the house on Haunted Hill for a “haunted House” party. Whoever will stay in the house for one night will earn ten thousand dollars each. As the night progresses, all the guests are trapped inside the house with ghosts, murderers, and other terrors.

 So there you have it, my quick guide to the Prince of Horror, Vincent Price! 

I can only presume that you have reached this blog because you hold some kind of interest in films.

Well good, because so do I.

I have spent the last 6 years of my life studying film, simply because it is the one thing in life I am passionate about. Obviously the main purpose of working my ass off to get a degree was to get an amazing job. Unfortunately, things aren’t always that simple.

So, on that basis I have decided to set up this blog as an outlet for my film related ramblings. I will discuss favourite films, actors and directors as well as review any films that come my way.

However, I feel I should warn you of one thing…

I adore horror films.