How does Van Helsing conform to our expectations of the horror film genre

Van Helsing has many genres, Action / Adventure / Horror / Fantasy / Thriller. Horror is included but it isn’t necessary the main genre. The first big main horror film company was Hammer house of horror that first made such classics as Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Mummy. Hammer house of horror was a U. K film production best recognised for a serious of gothic films produced in the late 1950’s untill the 1970’s. Hammer film production did not only do horror films but also made sicence fistion, thrillers and comedy film, and in later years made A telivision production.

In November 1934, William Hinds, a comedian and businessman registered his own film company – Hammer Productions Ltd. – based in a three-room office suite at Imperial House, Regent Street, London. The company name was taken from Hinds’ stage name, Will Hammer. Universal studios was another early horror film company, that was founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle. A suitable rival for hammer house. The audience profile for Van Helsing I would say was aimed at people for 13 and over, as it has very adult themes in it.

But I think the films for more adults than children because there are some adult humor in it, and the children maybe wouldn’t be able to understand sone of the sutldy of the film . The film does confirm to our expectation of a horror film in the way that, there are some generally frightening characters in it. For example Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster , who we find out is actually not a bad creation but the theory of him frightens people and so on. In our minds we here Count Dracular and we automaticly think vampires, blood and biting necks.

So from just hereing that thers vampires in van helsing we asume that its going to be a gorey horror film. The first scene in the film looks quite fast and is set in black and white in the fashion of a 1950’s hammer house film. Another typical horrar scene is at the very beging on the film where a flash of light(the light from lightning) we see that as draculars face is lit up, just for that brief moment, we see what dracuar looks like as the undead. as shown here. This is one of the first times that we begin to realise in the film that this count Dracula was one of the bad guys so to say.

Another horror point to the film is when we first see doctor Frankenstein’s castle when he has just completed Frankenstein’s monster and all the local residents are going to raid the castle. This camera angle is trying to show us that this castle is bad. Haunted maybe, just generally, dark and bad. Weather it’s the dark clouds. The lightning hitting it. Or that there’s only one window light on and that’s in the top most tower. With a range of all those points we’re beginning to realise that something’s going on that isn’t quite right.

Those last two points were taken from the first five minutes of the film where it tries and succeeds to show us that this is going to be a real horror film. But this next one is taken far later in the film, which shows us that even though its not a traditional horror film, part of the film are still generally quite fighting. In this next photo its showing that Anna Valerious is at Dracula’s masquerade ball, where Dracular is planning to make her another one of his brides. As she looks around her she can see all these people and so can the viewer. Obviously she asumes there alie.

Naturelly you would. But then and there dancing around Anna looks into the large mirror and we the viewer look with her, and that when anna relises that she is the only alive person in the room. This clip is horrifying, as we weren’t expecting this to happen. And a shock is always quite scary. Another horror like point is when Anna and Van Helsing find Dracula’s dead children. Because there are hundred’s possible thousands of them, and the possibilities that could happen if they came to life, this is trying to awaken the viewers fear of the unknown or what could happen.

Also when Dracula’s children come to life for a brief moment, because that fear of the unknown has just become known. On the other hand Van Helsing doesn’t confirm to our expectation of a typical horror film because there’s the factor of humour in the film, mainly with the friar, Carl. In a horror film its not aprechiated, yes a bit of dark humour here and there mostly with the bad guys, but a little inacent nieve humour, isnt ment to be in a horror film. A further point to show that Van Helsing isnt a tradional horrar film is that theres the aspect of love in the film.

Van Helsing and Anna Valerious start to fall in love almost the moment they set eyes on eeach other, but there was that tired story line of them hating each other first. But its obvious to the watcher that there starting to fall in love. Yes it adds a bit of bulk to the plot of the film, but in my opinoin its not really nessery. Also a final point is that Frankenstein’s monster who from past experiences from him we asume to think hes this horrable zombie like creation, but he turnes out to be not evil. And ends up helping Van helsing carl and anna distroy Dracular.

Were we think he should be helping Dracular. But in a way these two extra genras (Romance and humour) may of just been added to try and make Van Helsing a family film that the whole family may well enjoy. With a bit of everything for somebody. In conclusion Van Helsing dousn’t conferm to my expectations of the horrar film genra because when I think horror I think, frighting, suspence, surprises, gore, and dark terifing monsters. Which in van helsing there is a little bit off, but not enough to be a ‘real’ horror film.

A horrar film that dose work, when it really should’nt is stephans Kings novel ‘IT’ The film is about a clown who is only real to the people who believe in him. This film works because its taking many peoples fear( the fear of clowns) and emphasings it to the extreme. This film shouldn’t work on so many levels but it douse because in real life clown are real and people are actuley frightened of them. Weather as Vampires arnt real and I think as much as we might be frightened by them, we all know there not real.

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