iBot Poll: What makes a movie scary?

[iBot]

iBot Poll: What makes a movie scary?

 

[NewCreation435]

These days I would say the special effects. They can make things look so real. Though I don't watch scary movies usually. Real life is scary enough

 

[Lamb]

I voted for Music and Suspense. It's mostly suspense for me to make it work but sometimes the music can make or break a scene. When my daughter and I watched The Shining together (the original) she said it was the background music that creeped her out more than anything.

 

[psalms 91]

I think that the music sete the tione

 

[Josiah]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/li...1503/item/halloween-10-scariest-movies-941497

I'd put The Exorcist as the scariest movie of all time..... but I'm not sure I can precisely say what exactly makes it so; lots of things coming together I suppose.

 

[Ruth]

All the above! I don't hardly ever watch them; they scare me too much..

 

[faramir.pete]

What makes a movie scary is our imagination! We invent the ending in our mind and then the fear develops and we are scared. The music and effects are just the tools that are used to develop our own imaginings.


Pete from Peterborough UK

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

I would say the "psychology" of the characters. My favorite scary movie is The Shining. Yeah, Jack Nicholson is freak-y, but the whole movie is that way. All of the characters have their own psychological mindset that comes out in the film. One thing I appreciate about the film is that there was such an antagonistic relationship between Shelly Duvall ("Wendy") and Stanley Kubrick (director/producer) that it added to her performance. She was actually physically sick for much of the filming. And I love how the film was shot - Kubrick was a master of 'perspective'.

I remember going to see a newer 'scary' movie - one of the Insidious movies, I think. It was okay until a girl started levitating in a chair, and the cables lifting the thing in the air were visible. Everyone was freaking out. I thought "really...?" and started laughing.

 

[Stravinsk]

If you are a movie maker/director and you think that "scary" is an ingredient that can be added to a film much like sugar or spice to a recipe to give it a certain taste - let me know so I don't bother with your film.

All of the factors listed can be present and the film can still be not scary at all.

I would mirror ImaginaryDay2's thoughts on the psychology of the characters being a factor - because it's part of what makes them seem like real characters to us, and part of the reason we can empathize with them.

Another important factor is how easily one could not only empathize with the characters, or main character - but the story or the premise it rests on as a whole. If the premise is rejected, or the story not believable for various reasons - then the character and their thoughts and emotions can't be empathized with - and the viewer is more likely to be amused, bored or disdainful rather than anything else.

 

[Lamb]

I just saw this and had to post it here: