Week 01 Lit of Horror, Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Tropes of Horror

• Isolation- separated from the pack, out of range of help from others
• Secret rooms- keeps it separate from the audience, these days it's in space
• Characters making obvious blunders- distances audience from the doomed characters
• Stormy weather- different atmosphere
• Howling in the distance- conflict with nature, civilization vs nature
• Jump Scare- Cheap, but visceral adrenaline rush, involves entire body
• Scenes at night- mysterious, cloaking the unknown
• Dark Lighting- Universal Studio was known for this, moodiness, shadows make a polarizing image, clearly defining what is good/bad or known/unknown
• Monsters are not human- enemies are supernatural force
• Taboos- What are the limits of science, culturally and socially not permitted, excites curiosity
• Follow ancient rules/formula blindly- Do we do what traditions were handed down? Do we take a new path, do we wrestle with fate?
• Impending Monsters- The monsters move slowly, yet the victim can't get away, doom is inevitable