Horror Movie Conventions
The horror genre is perhaps one of the most identifiable aspects of the American film industry. So established is the genre that for many watching their first truly scary movie has become a rite of passage into adolescence. Though the horror genre has changed and evolved as have the times, the phenomenon of experiencing that first horror movie, or any good horror, is timeless and ageless. Even the location of this experience has changed but no matter whether a horror movie is experienced at a drive in movie, a movie theater, or at home, most people, old and young, can recall exactly what their first horror was, with whom they watched it, and where they were. What makes a good horror movie varies from person to person: edge-of-the seat suspense,
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blood and guts, surprise endings, silly plots, and great, or not so great special effects. Nonetheless, there is it seems reasonable criteria to evaluate whether a production is a quality or effective horror movie. Any good of effective horror movie should keep the viewer engaged, mainly through suspense. This suspense can be created with effective acting, plot twists, or scary moments. Often times, the special effects like blood, props, and gore are as much of the experience as the plot. What is considered effective special effects and props can range from person to person as many people watch horror films to see bad or comical effects like a string holding a flying bat. Perhaps most importantly, the horror movie must create the illusion of fear or doom. It is essential that the viewer must think they do not want to see what happens but at the same time cannot take their eyes off the screen thus creating the classic experience of watching the horror movie by peering over a blanket or through half shut eyes. This criteria seems like a reasonable standard for any horror movie including the film Cat People made in 1942. Cat People was a film that had a major impact on some horror movies. The director played with shadow play, how Irena was the victim that got taken over, and how she was the monster all along. Through different qualities that Joseph Maddrey discusses they are clear in this film. Val Lewton was the producer and used these different qualities that Joseph Maddrey discusses in the book.
Irena the main female woman keeps telling her husband, Oliver, that something is not right with her. The film goes on to explain and show different phenomenon’s that go on with her. She tells the story of her home village Serbia. King John came to kill the cat people that lived there. Some people got away and ran to the mountains. These people are the ones that supposable turned into the cat people. They had part cat in them from King John. She tells him that she is afraid that she might be one of these cat people. Another episode that she encounters is when Oliver brings home a pet cat for her and its scared of her. The cat would not get out of the box, it kept hissing. Irena goes to the pet store and all the animals go crazy. When she steps out though the animals calm down. Irena is starting to tie things together in her head. At this point the film can be confusing and have you wondering what is really wrong with Irena or if it is all in her head. Here is where it starts to make since that she actually might be a cat person. This movie indicates suspense and like other movies such as The Body Snatchers, how well do people really know their friends and neighbors. Oliver was living with his wife and the whole time did not know she had this other side to her. He tried to do what was best for his wife by taking her to someone that might be able to help, but it did not. He had good intentions of helping Irena, but it was too late to try to fix her. She was already one of the cat people before Oliver had set eyes on his wife. This point in the film can be referred to today’s society. There are murders out in the world, but people do not know who they are until they strike or it’s too late. Like referred to in class on the news people say that the murder was a great guy and paid his rent on time they never thought that he would do something like this. It is the same in the film. They did not expect a sweet charming girl to have this other side to her. That’s what makes this horror film better because the audience did not see this coming. The surprise was making the filmgoers wait to see the ending result of what it really was. It relates to the audience because it has the audience guessing if their friends and family are telling the truth to who they really are. Maybe they think that they have a secret too that they do not care to share with the rest of society. It gets people thinking what could happen in that kind of situation. It scares them too, because of the unknown that they face every day. Another major point of this film is how Irena is the victim. In most movies during this era women were the scared or died. They also in this case, took over her body to be a cat lady. According to Joseph Maddrey, “Filmmakers assumed that audiences would be even more afraid when women were placed in danger. They were thought of as the weaker sex. Then they were identified with the hero that would protect her” (57). This is connected with the movie in a variety of ways. Like most movies the women were in danger and people always assumed they would be the first to go, or would not make it to the end. The director had a different take on this movie in particular. Though Irena is not the victim in particular she does get taken over as one of the cat people. This may have thrown the audience off from what they had expected to happen. Instead of Irena being the cat person, maybe Oliver would have been it. She is not known as the weaker sex in this case. She is stronger, more powerful, and smarter than the other characters. Irena not only attacked Alice, but she attacked the men too. That’s what makes up this horror film. People do not know what to expect next from cat lady. In a society where women were not the dominate sex, they were portrayed as the victims. “As early as the 1930s horror films began featuring women as monsters. That was a change from the usual stereotypical gothic portrayal of women as helpless victims. On the screen was the battle of the sexes it had resulted in compelling arguments and offers significant documents in America’s public debate over the status of the independent women in society” (Maddrey, 57 & 58). Not only was it different for the horror films, but it helped change up the society. Movies that affected more than the film watchers were Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), Weird Woman (1944), and Dracula’s Daughter (1936). They each held a different take to help look at the world around them. It made more than just an impact in a movie theater. It touched the lives of society outside of the theater. Cat People helped start women having independence. The film reached more than the movie watches it started to affect everyone in its path. That’s what makes up this film. Though it does not always have the best graphics or is not very scary it is more than the story. It helped change up society along the way. The last point is the shadow play that makes this film feel like sitting on the edge of the seat.
Throughout this film filmgoers never actually see what is making the sounds or attacking things. One major scene plays with shadow play in the film. Alice is going to take a swim, after she gets dressed she puts on her long robe. She turns off the lights to get ready to go into the swimming pool area. There is a black cat that is down there with her. It starts to hiss at the stairs, but there is nothing on the stairs. The cat gets scared and runs away. Alice takes a look and hears growling and a shadow starts to descend down the stairs. Alice screams and drops her robe. She hops into the deep end of the swimming pool. The growling and the black shadow do not go away though. She sees a figure walking around the outside of the pool, but she cannot be certain of what it actually is. Just a figure of black that makes sounds. Eventually the ladies from upstairs run downstairs and Irena is standing there and turns on the lights. There is no animal to be seen. When Alice goes to put her robe on it’s in shreds. Something had been there, but it is gone now. Another time is when Alice is walking home she keeps thinking something is behind her and there is nothing ever there when she turns around. Again the directors used shadow play to mess with the victims in the film. It also has the audience wondering what is really going on, and if there is a creature or
not. Shadow play, plays tricks on the audiences. According to Jeffrey Maddrey, “The film takes place in shadows, and Irena’s transformation occurs off the screen. Lewton the producer believed that the audiences would be more frightened by the image in their head using their own imagination instead of the Hollywood special effects” (24). This is true people form different images in their head of what the monster might actually be. They may think it is actually scarier than what the Hollywood studios would have made it. Going back at the pool scene people could have imagined the cat really big with sharp teeth. They could have believed Irena looked like the cat. The audiences can dream up things that are sometimes scarier that what someone else could do. At the end when they see what it actually looks like they may be let down. That’s because they may believe it looked scarier. They may thought it was not as scary and were shocked when they saw what it had looked like. Everyone is different and uses their imagination in different ways. Using this form of technique was different to horror films. It was not usually used. One other movie in particular, Jaws, did the same shadow play. They revealed the monster at the end of the movie, but had people holding on to their seats to see what it really looked like. This way of directing draws the audience into the film and has them anticipating what will happen next, like all horror movies should. “Cat People is one of the most traditionally Gothic films to be produced in Hollywood. That’s because it dispenses with the visual motifs and adopts the psychology behind the genre” (Maddrey 24). It gets the audience and their imagination involved with the film and what will happened at the end. Cat People uses different ways of directing and techniques that make this movie stand out. Although the movie is suspenseful and has the audience wanting to see the monster right way, it is not as suspenseful as most movies today. Back in that area, yes the film would be extremely suspenseful and have everyone guessing of what will happen next. That is the way society has changed. The film was a big hit in its day and used great ways to drawl people in. Cat People was a great way for people to see that people are not always who they say they are. Like Irena she got married and lived a normal life. No one expected her to end up the way she did. People relates to this because there is many unknown people in the world and they do not know what will happen next. Irena was the monster here, and they made a big debate in society. They were used to women being the victim, but instead she was the one taken over and caused the havoc. Lastly, shadow play was the major part of the story without it the audience would have seen that Irena was the cat all along and people may have found the rest of the film quite dry and boring. With this the producer was able to draw the audience in and keep them guessing of what the cat looks like and what will happen next. Cat People overall is a film that is suspenseful and has the audience anticipating the next move.
blood and guts, surprise endings, silly plots, and great, or not so great special effects. Nonetheless, there is it seems reasonable criteria to evaluate whether a production is a quality or effective horror movie. Any good of effective horror movie should keep the viewer engaged, mainly through suspense. This suspense can be created with effective acting, plot twists, or scary moments. Often times, the special effects like blood, props, and gore are as much of the experience as the plot. What is considered effective special effects and props can range from person to person as many people watch horror films to see bad or comical effects like a string holding a flying bat. Perhaps most importantly, the horror movie must create the illusion of fear or doom. It is essential that the viewer must think they do not want to see what happens but at the same time cannot take their eyes off the screen thus creating the classic experience of watching the horror movie by peering over a blanket or through half shut eyes. This criteria seems like a reasonable standard for any horror movie including the film Cat People made in 1942. Cat People was a film that had a major impact on some horror movies. The director played with shadow play, how Irena was the victim that got taken over, and how she was the monster all along. Through different qualities that Joseph Maddrey discusses they are clear in this film. Val Lewton was the producer and used these different qualities that Joseph Maddrey discusses in the book.
Irena the main female woman keeps telling her husband, Oliver, that something is not right with her. The film goes on to explain and show different phenomenon’s that go on with her. She tells the story of her home village Serbia. King John came to kill the cat people that lived there. Some people got away and ran to the mountains. These people are the ones that supposable turned into the cat people. They had part cat in them from King John. She tells him that she is afraid that she might be one of these cat people. Another episode that she encounters is when Oliver brings home a pet cat for her and its scared of her. The cat would not get out of the box, it kept hissing. Irena goes to the pet store and all the animals go crazy. When she steps out though the animals calm down. Irena is starting to tie things together in her head. At this point the film can be confusing and have you wondering what is really wrong with Irena or if it is all in her head. Here is where it starts to make since that she actually might be a cat person. This movie indicates suspense and like other movies such as The Body Snatchers, how well do people really know their friends and neighbors. Oliver was living with his wife and the whole time did not know she had this other side to her. He tried to do what was best for his wife by taking her to someone that might be able to help, but it did not. He had good intentions of helping Irena, but it was too late to try to fix her. She was already one of the cat people before Oliver had set eyes on his wife. This point in the film can be referred to today’s society. There are murders out in the world, but people do not know who they are until they strike or it’s too late. Like referred to in class on the news people say that the murder was a great guy and paid his rent on time they never thought that he would do something like this. It is the same in the film. They did not expect a sweet charming girl to have this other side to her. That’s what makes this horror film better because the audience did not see this coming. The surprise was making the filmgoers wait to see the ending result of what it really was. It relates to the audience because it has the audience guessing if their friends and family are telling the truth to who they really are. Maybe they think that they have a secret too that they do not care to share with the rest of society. It gets people thinking what could happen in that kind of situation. It scares them too, because of the unknown that they face every day. Another major point of this film is how Irena is the victim. In most movies during this era women were the scared or died. They also in this case, took over her body to be a cat lady. According to Joseph Maddrey, “Filmmakers assumed that audiences would be even more afraid when women were placed in danger. They were thought of as the weaker sex. Then they were identified with the hero that would protect her” (57). This is connected with the movie in a variety of ways. Like most movies the women were in danger and people always assumed they would be the first to go, or would not make it to the end. The director had a different take on this movie in particular. Though Irena is not the victim in particular she does get taken over as one of the cat people. This may have thrown the audience off from what they had expected to happen. Instead of Irena being the cat person, maybe Oliver would have been it. She is not known as the weaker sex in this case. She is stronger, more powerful, and smarter than the other characters. Irena not only attacked Alice, but she attacked the men too. That’s what makes up this horror film. People do not know what to expect next from cat lady. In a society where women were not the dominate sex, they were portrayed as the victims. “As early as the 1930s horror films began featuring women as monsters. That was a change from the usual stereotypical gothic portrayal of women as helpless victims. On the screen was the battle of the sexes it had resulted in compelling arguments and offers significant documents in America’s public debate over the status of the independent women in society” (Maddrey, 57 & 58). Not only was it different for the horror films, but it helped change up the society. Movies that affected more than the film watchers were Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), Weird Woman (1944), and Dracula’s Daughter (1936). They each held a different take to help look at the world around them. It made more than just an impact in a movie theater. It touched the lives of society outside of the theater. Cat People helped start women having independence. The film reached more than the movie watches it started to affect everyone in its path. That’s what makes up this film. Though it does not always have the best graphics or is not very scary it is more than the story. It helped change up society along the way. The last point is the shadow play that makes this film feel like sitting on the edge of the seat.
Throughout this film filmgoers never actually see what is making the sounds or attacking things. One major scene plays with shadow play in the film. Alice is going to take a swim, after she gets dressed she puts on her long robe. She turns off the lights to get ready to go into the swimming pool area. There is a black cat that is down there with her. It starts to hiss at the stairs, but there is nothing on the stairs. The cat gets scared and runs away. Alice takes a look and hears growling and a shadow starts to descend down the stairs. Alice screams and drops her robe. She hops into the deep end of the swimming pool. The growling and the black shadow do not go away though. She sees a figure walking around the outside of the pool, but she cannot be certain of what it actually is. Just a figure of black that makes sounds. Eventually the ladies from upstairs run downstairs and Irena is standing there and turns on the lights. There is no animal to be seen. When Alice goes to put her robe on it’s in shreds. Something had been there, but it is gone now. Another time is when Alice is walking home she keeps thinking something is behind her and there is nothing ever there when she turns around. Again the directors used shadow play to mess with the victims in the film. It also has the audience wondering what is really going on, and if there is a creature or
not. Shadow play, plays tricks on the audiences. According to Jeffrey Maddrey, “The film takes place in shadows, and Irena’s transformation occurs off the screen. Lewton the producer believed that the audiences would be more frightened by the image in their head using their own imagination instead of the Hollywood special effects” (24). This is true people form different images in their head of what the monster might actually be. They may think it is actually scarier than what the Hollywood studios would have made it. Going back at the pool scene people could have imagined the cat really big with sharp teeth. They could have believed Irena looked like the cat. The audiences can dream up things that are sometimes scarier that what someone else could do. At the end when they see what it actually looks like they may be let down. That’s because they may believe it looked scarier. They may thought it was not as scary and were shocked when they saw what it had looked like. Everyone is different and uses their imagination in different ways. Using this form of technique was different to horror films. It was not usually used. One other movie in particular, Jaws, did the same shadow play. They revealed the monster at the end of the movie, but had people holding on to their seats to see what it really looked like. This way of directing draws the audience into the film and has them anticipating what will happen next, like all horror movies should. “Cat People is one of the most traditionally Gothic films to be produced in Hollywood. That’s because it dispenses with the visual motifs and adopts the psychology behind the genre” (Maddrey 24). It gets the audience and their imagination involved with the film and what will happened at the end. Cat People uses different ways of directing and techniques that make this movie stand out. Although the movie is suspenseful and has the audience wanting to see the monster right way, it is not as suspenseful as most movies today. Back in that area, yes the film would be extremely suspenseful and have everyone guessing of what will happen next. That is the way society has changed. The film was a big hit in its day and used great ways to drawl people in. Cat People was a great way for people to see that people are not always who they say they are. Like Irena she got married and lived a normal life. No one expected her to end up the way she did. People relates to this because there is many unknown people in the world and they do not know what will happen next. Irena was the monster here, and they made a big debate in society. They were used to women being the victim, but instead she was the one taken over and caused the havoc. Lastly, shadow play was the major part of the story without it the audience would have seen that Irena was the cat all along and people may have found the rest of the film quite dry and boring. With this the producer was able to draw the audience in and keep them guessing of what the cat looks like and what will happen next. Cat People overall is a film that is suspenseful and has the audience anticipating the next move.