Crime and Horror Jasmine Fagg

Crime and Horror Crime and horror films are to completely

different film genres but they share some similarities in the way they are made and their conventions.

They each have their own conventions but they also share lots of them. Films that contain a mixture of crime and horror films are called hybrids. Hybrids incorporate the conventions of lots of different genres an this makes them more appealing to different people.

CrimeCrime films usually focus on some sort of

hero (usually a member of the police force) and the pursuit of a criminal. A plot that is typical of a crime film is for an unsolved crime or problem to become resolved by the hero at the end of the film.

This genre tends to be fast paced with an air of mystery, this mystery can come from the plot or from the characters themselves.

Horror Horror films usually centre on the dark side of life, the

supernatural, strange and alarming events. The victim can either be someone who has done wrong in their lives or some unsuspecting innocent person. There is usually some sort of evil person or super natural force that wreaks havouk throughout the film and is put to a stop at the end of the film. The typical ending to a horror film is for the evil character to be defeated but to leave the audience with a fear that it could return.

Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to surface hidden worst fears.

Crime conventions Both Horror conventions

• Mystery • Crime• Police• Gangs

• Problems that need solving• Twist

• Hero is detective• Ending sees crime

solved• Weapons• Adrenalin• Court

• Love story• Lonely hero

character• Guns

• Fast paced• Traps

• Criminal

•Weak female character•Secrets

•Kidnapping•Rapid editing •Murder •Tension •Victims

•Point of view shots•Close up of facial

expressions

•Strange or isolated location

• Weapons • Masks

• Scary music• Screaming

• Trying to escape • Paranormal

• Panic• Hiding • Running• Darkness • Abandoned

locations• Expressive and

unnatural camerawork

• Handheld shots• Creepy children

• Blood

Stills LA confidential

Sleepy hollow

I have taken stills from a crime and a horror film to illustrate the similarities in their making. In the crime film LA confidential the director has used a lot of close ups to show the emotions of his characters. The same has been dome by Tim Burton in his film sleepy hollow. Close up shots allow the audience to see the emotions of the characters on screen and they help to set the mood for the audience.

These stills also illustrate some of the differences between horror and crime. The film sleepy hollow is filmed in a chiaroscuro effect to give the shot a supernatural creepy effect where as the crime film is filmed in normal light to put the audience at ease. The colour is very drained in the sleepy hollow stills as it gives an creepy supernatural effect but in la confidential the director uses colour as it is the norm for a crime film.