Hitchcock movies....?

Question

compare and contrast hitchock movie psycho with a recent horror film in the 90's.Identify some of the element that hitchcock uses to manipulate the audience, to scare, shock or horrify them. in what way are theses techniques present in moderen day horror films? how do hitchcock's techiniques "stack up" to the films 90's audiences are accustomed to viewing?
10 point for best answer thanx

Answer 1

The thing to remember about Hitchcock's Psycho is that you really can't compare it with anything in the 90s--or any other time, for that matter. It's not really a horror movie per se but, of course, it contains elements of "horror" that place it in that genre, i.e., isolation, mood lighting, claustrophobic camera angles, tight editing, close ups, etc. That Hitchcock chose to tell the story in black and white makes it that much more suspenseful, and in some ways scarier; compare it to Gus Van Zant's literal frame-for-frame remake in '98, which is in color. Although eerie, we get the feeling we've seen this before.

And, of course, who could foreget that house? It has to be haunted by the something, even if that something exists only in Norman Bates' head.

Surprisingly, after the stolen money and death of Marion Crane, we really see that that was just a set up for Norman's psychosis. Much of the killing and suspense takes place during the day, and so there's nowhere for your eyes to go, so you're forced to see everything.

Hitchcock doesn't really show you much in terms of actual brutality--i.e., the murders--and I think this is where Psycho is incredibly powerful and terrifying: for the most part, he leaves it up to your imagination.

I guess the closest you can come in terms of a film stylist who borrows freely from Hitchcock would be Brian De Palma, as in Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Body Double, Raising Cain, etc.

Outwardly, people compare M. Night Shyamalan to Hitchcock, and for good reason. His film Signs was about as "Hictchcockian" as a film gets.

I would argue that contemporary audiences would be kind of bored by the slow pace of the movie. The set up--indeed the whole film--requires that pay close attention, and there is little in the way of gratuitous violence, car crashes, blood-filled stabbings, etc., as in some of those current horror movies coming out of Asia (The Grudge, The Audition), and the Scream series.

At some point, it's got to be said that all directors borrow from Hitchcock, because he was a master storyteller. Psycho is certainly not his best film; Rear Window and Vertigo would be my picks. But it's a classic nevertheless.

Answer 2

Hitchcock was a genius...developing many camera techniques such as moving the camera backwards while zooming in at the same time. Great effect in Vertigo. Today's so called scary movies are rarely that. Hitchcock set the scene before telling a story. Most horror movies today are just focusing on the gore and not telling anything about the characters or the madman causing these situations to occur. By directing and producing this way, Hitchcock didn't need to rely on graphic scenes of violence to get the audience to be afraid- be very afraid.
Have a great day!!!!

Answer 3

Hitchcock was an auteur and the master of suspense. The way Hitchcock would build up a scare, has been done in every movie that attempts to frighten the audience, since.

One method is where the audience knows of the threat, while the characters are unaware and go on their mundane tasks.
Another is the juxtaposition of something innocent with something evil.
Another would be 'the twist' where a character turns out to be different from the viewers expectations.

Answer 4

If your doing a paper look up Ed Gein. He was Hitchcock's inspiration for the movie Psycho, as well as the inspiration for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Deranged, Three on a Meathook, Wild Bill from Silence of the Lambs, among MANY other films.

Answer 5

Oh come on, I'm not falling for that. Write your own paper, or article, or whatever it is that you're doing.

And for the record, Psycho is really more of a psychological thriller than a horror movie. There is a difference.

Answer 6

this is the problem with our young people today...no origianl research....DO YOU OWN HOMEWORK

Answer 7

still trying to get us to do your research?