Response of movies to social change

Bride of Frankenstein

This is the oldest film of these four, and it seems dated and overacted compared to today's standards. At the time, it was said to be one of the "greatest" horror films of all time, but compared to today's films, it seems old-fashioned and not very scary at all. It has the classic elements of a horror film, thought, including a frightening menace that terrorizes people, a sympathetic hero, and terrorized townspeople on a manhunt for the monster. There are the requisite storms, dark nights, and screaming women that are popular in horror films, too. It was interesting to see how the genre has changed over the times. Today, horror films are much bloodier and scarier, which shows how audiences have changed. This was almost humorous at times, which is also common in many horror films, I think they do that to tone down the violence and put the audience at ease, just so they can scare them again later on.

It was interesting to see how the actors approached their roles, and how the sets were developed. The actors seemed to be overacting, like many early Hollywood films, and they took their parts very seriously, even during the humorous moments. I'm a fan of Mel Brooks and his "Young Frankenstein" remake of these films, and so, I was interested to see how much he really used from the original films in his parody. I think that helped make this film more interesting to watch. I'm not sure I would have watched it on my own, it was too campy for my tastes, but I enjoyed comparing it with other films, and with films of today. I think that filmgoers are more sophisticated now, and used to more special effects and other enhancements that add to the horror aspect of the film. This was really not very frightening at all, although I suppose it was at the time. Some of it, such as the scene with the old blind man, just made me laugh, and I didn't appreciate how the introduced the author, Mary Shelley, at the beginning of the film, I thought that was totally unnecessary and contrived.

The Stepford Wives

All of these horror films seem to be quite a bit different from what we think of horror films today. This film wasn't really a "horror" film as such, but it was certainly scary for the characters involved. The acting wasn't as over the top as it was in "The Bride of Frankenstein," but this film, made in 1975, seems a little dated too, and not just because of the costumes and the hairdos. The entire premise of the film, that husbands would replace their wives with robots and robots that only cooked and cleaned, is kind of silly. The idea that all the men of a community would band together and prefer a robot over a real woman with vitality and interests seems pretty outdated and outlandish.

This really didn't seem like a horror film to me. Certainly, the situation for the women was horrific, but it wasn't a traditional horror film. I suppose you could call the men and their plot "horrifying" or "monsters," but it lacks a lot of the traditional horror elements. The townspeople aren't revolting (they've been replaced), and many other elements don't add up. The women are stalked by the men and eventually replaced (even Joanna loses in the end), but it just doesn't seem that horrific. Clearly, the film is satirizing humanity and how husbands and wives view each other, and that is another element of many horror films. While they attempt to be serious and frightening, they often parody or satirize elements of society and humanity, so they attempt to be serious films, too. This film is really looking at relationships between husbands and wives, and while that can be a scary topic (pun intended); it doesn't come across in the film. All it really shows is that these men are so shallow and incomplete that they prefer a robot to a woman like Joanna, who is vital, interesting, and totally alive. If these men really prefer robots, they are shallow, weak, and totally unsympathetic individuals, and that they win out may be the most horrifying part of this film.

The Bad Seed

This film, made in 1956, may be the most disturbing of all the films, because of its content and message. It shows that children, who we expect to be innocent and trusting, can have a very dark side, and that can be horrifying, although I wouldn't really call this a "horror" film, either. I would call this a psychological thriller with a twisted ending. This film doesn't have a lot of the elements of many horror films, although Rhoda could certainly be seen as a monster stalking her prey, anyone who has something she wants. The real focus of the film is her mother, Christine, who can't face what her daughter has done, or do the right thing, such as turning her in to the authorities. Instead, she blames herself, tries to kill her daughter with sleeping pills, and then tries to commit suicide. No wonder the daughter has problems!

Like the other films, this film has a message, too, and it has to do with children and what they're capable of, along with responsibility and legalities in society. The schoolteacher knows something is terribly wrong, but won't come out and say it because of liability, and Christine knows something is wrong, but won't face up to it when she finds out it's true. Her daughter is a monster, and she should have turned her into the authorities, if for nothing else to prevent her from murdering again. She should know that's the right thing to do, even if it is her own daughter. Other than that, this film wasn't that horrifying. Sure, it's horrifying that a little girl could be so hateful and destructive, but I think it's more horrifying that her mother wouldn't turn her in. The situations in the film weren't frightening, and while the premise was dark, it really didn't have a lot in common with most other horror films, even in this assignment. I think the message was more psychological, and while you can certainly have psychological horror stories, this just didn't seem to fit. I thought the film was good, but I just wasn't that frightened, and I would like to be frightened when I view a horror film.

Phycho

This is probably the most famous of all these films, and certainly one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films. This is more of a classic horror film, but it could be called a psychological thriller, too. I think the shower scene is one of the most famous in the world, along with the accompanying music, and Anthony Perkins is a very convincing crazed monster stalking innocent victims. Hitchcock knows how to build the suspense and then surprise everyone with an unexpected ending, which makes this film so memorable.