Finishing my binge of 'Devil in Ohio,' on Netflix and it's making me think about horror.
The horror I personally like has a consistent tone, which is why it's successful. It has a permanent undercurrent of malevolence. I'm thinking about The Exorcist, The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, The Shining, Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and Hereditary. I'm probably missing some, but you get the picture. The trouble I'm having with 'Devil in Ohio,' is the tone is so inconsistent. It feels like I'm seeing a story, I'm just not feeling a story. I notice this in so many T.V shows. It's a shame. I think they have a way of filming these things that's generic, boring and static; like painting by numbers. It takes away the mood for me.
Sound and music play a huge part too in how well I get into a mindset as well. If you're, rhetorically speaking, trying to set a dark malevolent tone, keep the sound and music consistent. Again, in this program the music sounds fine one moment then too upbeat the next. They, like most horror films and T.V shows, seem to want to tell us how to feel without earning it. for example, this person is bad, here's some bad person music whenever they're in a scene. I want to work it out for myself by what they say and do; that's good writing in my opinion. They also warn us about upcoming jump scares which drive me crazy when the startle sound comes before the action. use the sound right or don't have any at all, I'm watching a horror, I want to be scared. That's what I've signed up for 😂
The jump scares in this program just didn't work for me. Either do it properly, or not at all. I personally find jump scares way more effective with a delay, when I have no idea they're coming to the point I relax. 'The Exorcist 3,' is the best example of a jump scare scene that is just so chilling, and adds immensely to the darkening mood of the whole film. Here's the clip, let me know what you think in the comments
I try to think about all these things when I'm writing. I try to maintain a tone and stay away from the clichés. I'm no expert by a long shot, but I like to explore horror and think about what scares me, not other people. That way I can imagine the fear and terror properly and articulate it to the reader. It's much better than me than telling them what they expect to here without me feeling the genuine emotion myself.
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