Year Of Production: 2012
Director: Scott W. McKinlay
Genre/Genres: Horror/Comedy
Brief Plot Outline:
A loner moves to L.A. with no job, as a general 'out of options' outsider. He looks to buy a car after being recently employed by a car washing company to make travel easier and to impress his new crush. He contacts and owner of a van being advertised, who's owner enjoys going around killing people for fun. He then finds himself in a race to save his own, as well as his new girlfriend's life.
Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?
1) Creep Van in his house - parallel music combined with low-key lighting created a successful sinister feeling, working very well together.
2) The young victim being cut in-half by Creep Van's window. The body horror used here is very effective in giving a sudden scare, and quickly getting across the narrative of the film, about the pointless killings by this van on random people.
How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of film making? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?
-It's helped me by demonstrating what & when to use certain aspects to suit the genre (music and acting especially)
-Body horror - throughout each killing scene - blood splatter and use of effects (fake bodies) plus add some sound effects for an added scare tactic.
-Creepy locations - the woodlands at the start present a perfect location to set the mood of a horror trailer/film immediately
-Use of parallel music in killing scenes help connote suspense
-Kuleshov effects - scenes between the kills and the main character shows they will be linked in some way, helping create a storyline.
-Psycho killer - male hero - female victim (blonde-haired girl in the van) all feature on the genre checklist. They all fit the stereotype, particularly the female victim, as she has blonder hair, teasing looks and a body that's too unnaturally in-shape.
-Unhappy ending - main character ends up unfairly going to jail after the death of his girlfriend and the antagonist, showing almost a circle of life as he's ended up back as a loner and outsider.
-Sex & taboo - in the main characters house, his housemate and his girlfriend are having sex in the living room, as well as the sexualised blonde woman who is killed in the van, as her 'assets' are presented clear to the camera, which ultimately become targeted as the seat-belt squeezes her to the chair.
Which aspects of the film would you like to include in your own trailer? Why?
-Build of suspense formed by parallel music and slow montage - this works effectively to get you to grip the edge of your seat in suspense.
-Use of creepy locations helps build atmosphere e.g. a long deserted highway.
Which aspects of the film would you like to avoid in your own trailer? Why?
-Comedy side of the film - some contrapuntal music can be too comical, as well as some costumes are designed to look far too silly, detracting from the 'horror' feeling the film should have. This can also make the film seem very cheap.
-A boring narrative - without a decent narrative for the audience to follow, the film fails to be remembered.
-Bad acting and overly stereotypical characters.
What was the best aspect/more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?
-Suspense in the kill of the motorcyclist, getting you to wait for the kill helping build tension.
-Collision cutting - go from more relaxed - to a sudden kill, making you jump, building the 'scare' factor about the film.
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