Re: Hardest part of a horror
Well, I'd say that Jigsaw's puzzles and the moral connundrum's they create are the star.
But let me ask you this:
What's Jigsaw's backstory? Does it matter? Would the movies be significantly different if he got his twisted morality because he was abused as a kid?
Let's look at some other examples:
Halloween: Michael is just evil. No origin for his evil is explained in the first film.
Jaws: The shark just shows up and starts eating people.
Alien: The Alien just shows up and starts eating people.
Rosemary's Baby: No indication of why these people became satanic cultists. They just are.
Silence of the Lambs: No reason why Lecter became the way he is.
Then you've got a lot of films where some carrot is offered:
Scream: Sidney's dad had an affair with the killer's mom.
Saw: Jigsaw was changed by surviving cancer/has a brain tumor.
Friday the 13th: Mrs. Voorhees son drowned, wants revenge
F13, sequels: Jason wants revenge on the campers
Here's the thing with all of this:
Most people who have their parents' marriage break up from an affair don't go on to become killers. Most people who have brain tumors don't become sadistic moralizing killers. Most people who's son dies don't run out seeking murderous vengance on a bunch of kids who's only crime is being in the same place. Most sons who die stay dead.
In other words, as far as backstory, all these things are is a little hook to hang you hat on ... but in reality they're tremendously unimportant. I'll bet if you spend and hour you can come up with 20 other motivations for any of those characters which don't change the main action of the film at all; the only part of the script they change is the part when the villain explains why he's a villain (which doesn't even exist in some of these films).
When you write:
I wonder if you can come up with a specific example of when the killer's BACKSTORY is what makes everyone excited coming out of the theater. I'm all for clever twists, I'm all for interesting villains, but an interesting backstory is not what makes a villain interesting.
I loved the way "Dark Knight" dealt with this - not a horror film, but nonetheless: The Joker tells the story of how he became who he is three or four different times ... and each time is different! IT doesn't matter - he's just doing it because it's fun.
Originally posted by christopher jon
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But let me ask you this:
What's Jigsaw's backstory? Does it matter? Would the movies be significantly different if he got his twisted morality because he was abused as a kid?
Let's look at some other examples:
Halloween: Michael is just evil. No origin for his evil is explained in the first film.
Jaws: The shark just shows up and starts eating people.
Alien: The Alien just shows up and starts eating people.
Rosemary's Baby: No indication of why these people became satanic cultists. They just are.
Silence of the Lambs: No reason why Lecter became the way he is.
Then you've got a lot of films where some carrot is offered:
Scream: Sidney's dad had an affair with the killer's mom.
Saw: Jigsaw was changed by surviving cancer/has a brain tumor.
Friday the 13th: Mrs. Voorhees son drowned, wants revenge
F13, sequels: Jason wants revenge on the campers
Here's the thing with all of this:
Most people who have their parents' marriage break up from an affair don't go on to become killers. Most people who have brain tumors don't become sadistic moralizing killers. Most people who's son dies don't run out seeking murderous vengance on a bunch of kids who's only crime is being in the same place. Most sons who die stay dead.
In other words, as far as backstory, all these things are is a little hook to hang you hat on ... but in reality they're tremendously unimportant. I'll bet if you spend and hour you can come up with 20 other motivations for any of those characters which don't change the main action of the film at all; the only part of the script they change is the part when the villain explains why he's a villain (which doesn't even exist in some of these films).
When you write:
A great backstory or clever twist for your villain will make the horror fanboys giddy with excitement.
I loved the way "Dark Knight" dealt with this - not a horror film, but nonetheless: The Joker tells the story of how he became who he is three or four different times ... and each time is different! IT doesn't matter - he's just doing it because it's fun.
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