Monsters in Cinema
Childhood Horrors/ Children as Monsters
Movies that are intended to scare children or use children as the monster in movies have been a mainstay in cinema since the invention of movies. Even though these horror movies are meant for older audiences, we see kids under the age limit watch these movies all the time (I was definitely one of them). These movies make such an impact because these monsters can scar a child so much that they can have a fear that will last with them for the rest of their adolescent lives and well into adulthood. Movies such as Stephen King's It made many children afraid of clowns. Another popular way of turning childhood horror monsters into a movie was taking stories that were told to us, such as Bloody Mary. This story is very popular in America and it has many versions because it's an oral story that has been told many times, and I would guess there are versions like this story in other cultures. These types of movies usually stick with us because of the relationship of being told these oral stories. We somehow have a personal connection with them because we know a friend of a friend of a friend's brother's friend's cousin that this happened to. Although we now know it's not true, but deep down we tend to believe them.
Many of the monsters that are geared towards childhood include toys or fun clowns. These are supposed to make us laugh and feel good. But when brought to the darker side, these toys or clowns are seen as monsters because they take away the innocence of the children.
In Hollywood, "innocence turned evil" is another long running theme in cinema. Nothing is more innocent than a child. They are young, ignorant of the world and look to adults to guide them. We see children as the non-cynical forms of beings. However, children can be seen as monsters; maybe not the scarred up face or supernatural type monster, but monster in the terms of evil. This is terrifying because of their loss of innocence. The absolute absence of any remorse is frightening because there is absolutely no reason for this evil. There was nothing done to this child (in most cases) to make them evil. They were just born this way.
When it comes to monsters, people normally think of the grotesque, the alien, or the supernatural. But humans in a sense are monsters themselves. What stops us from becoming the ferocious animal is our conscience. The majority of us know right from wrong and therefore stop ourselves from becoming the inner monster we all have the potential to become. It's when you have the absence of that conscience is when the innocence of a person, especially children, can easily turn into that monster we all fear.
Ever since Patty McCormack's sickeningly sweet murderess Rhoda Penmark in "The Bad Seed" in the mid-'50s, the horror movie subgenre featuring inherently wicked children has been scaring people, no matter their age.
Wheeler Winston Dixon, a University of Nebraska film professor who's written about evil children in film, says the enduring appeal of demon children in horror films is the fear of the unknown. "Children are seen as `blank slates' to a degree, and also as essentially `unknowable,' because they live in a world very different from the adult world, in which fantasy and reality intermingle," he says. "Parents wonder what their children will become, and while they wish the best for them, they often feel as if they have no control over them. It is this essential lack of knowledge, and the fear that the children have a secret world which adults can't enter, which drives our fear of childhood as a separate domain."
Josh Heuman of Texas A&M University suggests that the movies play "on the dirty little secret that kids aren't sweet and innocent, and the anxiety that it provokes." "They're little monsters, and not necessarily in the affectionate sense," Heuman says. "I'm thinking of my wonderful 2-year-old's outlandish force of will, and then the `It's a Good Life' episode of `The Twilight Zone.' Billy is hyperbole, but not unrealism or irony!"
"Orphan" screenwriter David Leslie Johnson says he loved the evil-child horror subgenre ever since he saw "The Bad Seed" — which did seem like a revelation in the mid-20th century. "If you look at the other movies that were coming out at that time, it's like the movie came from outer space. There was nothing out there like it."
And it was so horrifying, that the filmmakers — forced somewhat by the Hollywood code that crime should never pay — gave it a deus ex machina ending so Rhoda doesn't get away with murder. (In the original book and Broadway play, she does.) To further reassure the audience, they even went so far as to break down the fourth wall with the closing credits with a spanking played for laughs.
Many of the monsters that are geared towards childhood include toys or fun clowns. These are supposed to make us laugh and feel good. But when brought to the darker side, these toys or clowns are seen as monsters because they take away the innocence of the children.
In Hollywood, "innocence turned evil" is another long running theme in cinema. Nothing is more innocent than a child. They are young, ignorant of the world and look to adults to guide them. We see children as the non-cynical forms of beings. However, children can be seen as monsters; maybe not the scarred up face or supernatural type monster, but monster in the terms of evil. This is terrifying because of their loss of innocence. The absolute absence of any remorse is frightening because there is absolutely no reason for this evil. There was nothing done to this child (in most cases) to make them evil. They were just born this way.
When it comes to monsters, people normally think of the grotesque, the alien, or the supernatural. But humans in a sense are monsters themselves. What stops us from becoming the ferocious animal is our conscience. The majority of us know right from wrong and therefore stop ourselves from becoming the inner monster we all have the potential to become. It's when you have the absence of that conscience is when the innocence of a person, especially children, can easily turn into that monster we all fear.
Ever since Patty McCormack's sickeningly sweet murderess Rhoda Penmark in "The Bad Seed" in the mid-'50s, the horror movie subgenre featuring inherently wicked children has been scaring people, no matter their age.
Wheeler Winston Dixon, a University of Nebraska film professor who's written about evil children in film, says the enduring appeal of demon children in horror films is the fear of the unknown. "Children are seen as `blank slates' to a degree, and also as essentially `unknowable,' because they live in a world very different from the adult world, in which fantasy and reality intermingle," he says. "Parents wonder what their children will become, and while they wish the best for them, they often feel as if they have no control over them. It is this essential lack of knowledge, and the fear that the children have a secret world which adults can't enter, which drives our fear of childhood as a separate domain."
Josh Heuman of Texas A&M University suggests that the movies play "on the dirty little secret that kids aren't sweet and innocent, and the anxiety that it provokes." "They're little monsters, and not necessarily in the affectionate sense," Heuman says. "I'm thinking of my wonderful 2-year-old's outlandish force of will, and then the `It's a Good Life' episode of `The Twilight Zone.' Billy is hyperbole, but not unrealism or irony!"
"Orphan" screenwriter David Leslie Johnson says he loved the evil-child horror subgenre ever since he saw "The Bad Seed" — which did seem like a revelation in the mid-20th century. "If you look at the other movies that were coming out at that time, it's like the movie came from outer space. There was nothing out there like it."
And it was so horrifying, that the filmmakers — forced somewhat by the Hollywood code that crime should never pay — gave it a deus ex machina ending so Rhoda doesn't get away with murder. (In the original book and Broadway play, she does.) To further reassure the audience, they even went so far as to break down the fourth wall with the closing credits with a spanking played for laughs.
Stephen's King's IT
Derry, Maine is a quiet town, terrorized every 30 years by a horror known only as "It". THe only victims of "It" are children. Through the form of a clown, named Pennywise, "It" wakes up every 30 years and feeds. The adults of Derry act like "It" doesn't happen. Ironically, they know about "It", but the events are too horrible to talk about. Seven outcasts, known as the Lucky Seven or the Losers Club, (Ben, Bill, Beverly, Eddie, Richie, Mike, and Stan) are able to defeat "It" as children and make a pact to return and do battle again should the terror return. Now, 30 years later, Mike Hanlon who stayed behind, is puzzled by a bizarre occurence of child murders. When he discovers "It" has come back, he reunites what's left of the Lucky Seven/Losers Club, now in their middle ages to do battle once again and "It" is ready. - imdb.com
This movie took something that alot of children usually find harmless. The writer, Stephen King, took a symbol of innocence and laughter and twisted it to become a symbol of fear. The clown, who wears this painted mask, is so evil it feeds off the children. This mask clown hides the true monster that stalks the children of Derry. Now, even if you think this is a just an example of Coulrophobia (fear of clowns) syndrome, and you happen to not fear clowns, you'll probably find this movie scary anyway. The Clown is a symbol of happiness and joy, and even if the mask is a painted sad face, it's still just a clown, not some evil, supernatural monster. But when we learn that this painted mask is just a mask and the clown is actually evil, we begin to wonder if all clowns are this dark, unseen force.
There are a couple theories about why clowns are scary or unsettling to people/children. One theory is that children are overwhelmed when they see the clowns perform their routines because everything the clown has is surreal. The clown's emotions and features are magnified to an outrageous proportion (feet, nose, makeup). Another theory is that, for older people, clowns are portrayed by the media as being unstable. So when movies are made with clowns that are evil or a front for something more devious, these theories may be the reason why.
There is also a common thread when it comes to childhood horror movies - when children confront their monsters, just like the boogeyman, is that their fears are now destroyed and they can move on to what can be left to a "normal" life.
There are a couple theories about why clowns are scary or unsettling to people/children. One theory is that children are overwhelmed when they see the clowns perform their routines because everything the clown has is surreal. The clown's emotions and features are magnified to an outrageous proportion (feet, nose, makeup). Another theory is that, for older people, clowns are portrayed by the media as being unstable. So when movies are made with clowns that are evil or a front for something more devious, these theories may be the reason why.
There is also a common thread when it comes to childhood horror movies - when children confront their monsters, just like the boogeyman, is that their fears are now destroyed and they can move on to what can be left to a "normal" life.
Candyman
Helen Lyle is a student who decides to write a thesis about local legends and myths. She visits a part of the town, where she learns about the legend of the Candyman, a one-armed man who appears when you say his name five times, in front of a mirror. Of course, Helen doesn't believe all this stuff, but the people of the area are really afraid. When she ignores their warnings and begins her investigation in the places that he is rumored to appear, a series of horrible murders begins. Could the legend be true? - imdb.com
Candyman. Oh this movie was a scare for me when I was younger. This movie uses the "Bloody Mary" urban legend very well and places it in an urban setting. If you haven't heard the it, as far as I remember it, the legend of Bloody Mary goes something like this:a woman named Mary had a baby. She loved her baby so much and would do anything for her baby. One day she was driving in her car and got into a horrible accident. She survived but her baby didn't. She was so distraught that she killed herself and this action created a curse. If anyone says her name 10 times in front of a mirror at midnight with just a single candle lighting the room, she will appear. When she appears, she will either scratch your face which meant she will strike you dead within 7 days or if she smiles at you, you will have a life full of happiness.
So, for those that have seen the movie Candyman you can see how this movie borrowed from the legend. This monster, instead of being real in the suburban world, was moved into the inner city, the ghetto. This is the urban twist and shows that everyone is effected from this story, not just those tween girls that have sleepovers, but even those gangbangers from the inner city. The other factor that makes this movie so chilling and frightening is the time when it happens. This movie is based in modern day America and happens to an intelligent woman who is researching the urban legend. She wasn't a young girl playing a game, and she was warned not to test the legend, but she was curious and tested it anyway.
So, for those that have seen the movie Candyman you can see how this movie borrowed from the legend. This monster, instead of being real in the suburban world, was moved into the inner city, the ghetto. This is the urban twist and shows that everyone is effected from this story, not just those tween girls that have sleepovers, but even those gangbangers from the inner city. The other factor that makes this movie so chilling and frightening is the time when it happens. This movie is based in modern day America and happens to an intelligent woman who is researching the urban legend. She wasn't a young girl playing a game, and she was warned not to test the legend, but she was curious and tested it anyway.
Child's Play
When serial killer Charles Lee Ray is mortally wounded in a police shoot-out, he uses a voodoo spell to transfer his soul into Chuck, a "Good Guys" doll. Andy, a little boy, recieves the doll as a birthday gift, and Chuck soon resumes his killing spree. However, Charles doesn't want to be trapped in the body of a doll forever. His only escape would be to transfer into the first human he reveled his true identity to...which means Andy is in mortal danger. - imdb
What is scarier than having a child's doll come alive and harm you? Not a lot, although some adults find this movie ridiculous. What makes this terrifying to others is that this monster uses something that symbolizes childhood. In this story this make believe doll, Good Guy doll, is the new "it" doll. The doll that EVERY child wants and the parent will do ANYTHING to get one. When this serial killer uses magic to transfer his soul into the doll, the innocent children's toy become something darker and more terrifying.
Every generation has a toy that is the "it" thing to have. This movie was made in the 80's when America had the huge Cabbage Patch doll craze. Many parents did everything they could to obtain at least one doll for their child for Christmas. This movie made fun of this type of obsession we as a society have to keep up with the "Joneses" or to be better than them by having something that is seen a prize. One would think that the doll was a rare Picasso painting.
Other than the Cabbage Patch doll craze, there was another doll that was geared towards boys called "My Buddy". This is another similarity between movie and real world. So the idea that a doll can come alive and kill frightened a lot of people and boys of that young age demographic because they had a doll that resembled the "Good Guy Doll". Just take a look at the dolls. The Good Guy Doll is on the left (movie doll) and the My Buddy doll is on the right. How eerily scary would that be for a child and cause them to have a fear of doll?
Every generation has a toy that is the "it" thing to have. This movie was made in the 80's when America had the huge Cabbage Patch doll craze. Many parents did everything they could to obtain at least one doll for their child for Christmas. This movie made fun of this type of obsession we as a society have to keep up with the "Joneses" or to be better than them by having something that is seen a prize. One would think that the doll was a rare Picasso painting.
Other than the Cabbage Patch doll craze, there was another doll that was geared towards boys called "My Buddy". This is another similarity between movie and real world. So the idea that a doll can come alive and kill frightened a lot of people and boys of that young age demographic because they had a doll that resembled the "Good Guy Doll". Just take a look at the dolls. The Good Guy Doll is on the left (movie doll) and the My Buddy doll is on the right. How eerily scary would that be for a child and cause them to have a fear of doll?
Bad Seed
Christine Penmark seems to have it all: a lovely home, a loving husband and the most "perfect" daughter in the world. But since childhood, Christine has suffered from the most terrible recurring nightmare. And her "perfect" daughter's accomplishments include lying, theft and possibly much, much worse. Only Christine knows the truth about her daughter and only Christine's father knows the truth about her nightmare. Written by AL Beneteau
As we look at The Bad Seed we see that this is a view from how a child can be a monster. Unlike the previous films where the movies are made to scare a younger demographic, this film and the other films below are aimed at an older demographic, mainly the 18 to 36 age range. These movies leave an impression on this group because they deal with the child and if the child isn't the innocent, pure, un-jaded angel we think they are, then what are they?
The Bad Seed presents to the audience a child whom gets along with other adults and is loved by them, but deep down she is a master manipulator and sociopath. The only person that really knows or fears this little girl is her mother. She doesn't want to accept that her daughter can do the most heinous act, murder.
What makes this little innocent girl such a monster is that she knows how to play adults. She knows how to manipulate them into believing everything she says, but if they don't she has no problem killing them. She doesn't get along with children her age, but can make adults love her. She has a anti-social problem where she "doesn't" want to relate to other kids. When she kills, she actually gets enjoyment out of it and sees nothing is wrong or evil about it. The people that she "killed" wronged her, so she is just setting it right, or giving it her own brand of justice. The ultimate question for this movie is, "Can a child be born evil? Can they be born without that thing that tells them "this is wrong"?" This is the question that Rhoda's mother struggled with.
The Bad Seed presents to the audience a child whom gets along with other adults and is loved by them, but deep down she is a master manipulator and sociopath. The only person that really knows or fears this little girl is her mother. She doesn't want to accept that her daughter can do the most heinous act, murder.
What makes this little innocent girl such a monster is that she knows how to play adults. She knows how to manipulate them into believing everything she says, but if they don't she has no problem killing them. She doesn't get along with children her age, but can make adults love her. She has a anti-social problem where she "doesn't" want to relate to other kids. When she kills, she actually gets enjoyment out of it and sees nothing is wrong or evil about it. The people that she "killed" wronged her, so she is just setting it right, or giving it her own brand of justice. The ultimate question for this movie is, "Can a child be born evil? Can they be born without that thing that tells them "this is wrong"?" This is the question that Rhoda's mother struggled with.
The Omen
Robert and Katherine Thorn seem to have it all. He is the US Ambassador to Italy and they want for nothing in their lives, except one thing: they do not have children. When Katharine has a stillborn child, Robert is approached by a priest at the hospital who suggest that he take a healthy newborn whose mother has just died in childbirth. Without telling his wife he agrees to to so but after relocating to London, strange events - and the ominous warnings of a priest - lead him to believe that the child he took from that Italian hospital is evil incarnate. Written by garykmcd
The Omen continues with children as monsters. But unlike the Bad Seed and the question of whether or not children be born evil, this movie actually answers the question. That answer is a resounding YES. However, this child was born not with just a bad seed, but the ultimate bad seed...The Devil.
In the 70's, religion was big both in the movies and in culture. The US was involved in a unpopular war, people were protesting and when people needed an answer they turned to religion. If the mainstream religions didn't answer their questions or help them, they turned to cults like The People's Temple.
So what does Hollywood do? Of course make a horror movie about it. This movie scared a lot of people because this type of horror brings together 2 topics which are considered sacred to a person: 1. Religion 2. Children. This movie mixed both.
We have several factors why this is such a successful monster movie.
In the 70's, religion was big both in the movies and in culture. The US was involved in a unpopular war, people were protesting and when people needed an answer they turned to religion. If the mainstream religions didn't answer their questions or help them, they turned to cults like The People's Temple.
So what does Hollywood do? Of course make a horror movie about it. This movie scared a lot of people because this type of horror brings together 2 topics which are considered sacred to a person: 1. Religion 2. Children. This movie mixed both.
We have several factors why this is such a successful monster movie.
- You have a man of the cloth approach a grieving father with a hopeful "solution". There is a trust that usually comes with this. A man of God is honest and always looks to help without expecting anything for him in return. But when this priest is obviously not the type of priest we think he is, it makes us wonder who we can trust.
- This child knows what he is. He knows what he is meant to do. He knows that in order to "rule" the world he must be one of the players and work his way to the top where everyone will be his subject. (We follow his growth in the other 2 Omen films).
- This evil doesn't do it's work right away; he takes his time and the secret society of the cult that follows him will do everything in their power to help him achieve that goal. This makes you wonder if there some inside type of cult that pre-selects certain people to run certain things in society and in the government.
- The fear that the ultimate evil can be born into something that is perceived so innocent.
The Exorcist
Something beyond evil is happening in a little girl's room. Regan has brutally changed both in the way she looks and the way she acts, with violent outbursts on everyone who comes in contact with her. Her worried mother gets in contact with a priest who comes to the conclusion that Regan is possessed. The top priest who can deal with an exorcism, Father Merrin, is called in to help save Regan from the demon inside her. - imdb.com
The Exorcist, to me, is the ultimate monster movie. It is the ultimate horror movie. This movie is similar to The Omen in respects to an outside force inhabiting a child, but unlike the Omen where Damien was born as the spawn of Satan, Regan was invaded by the Devil a being whom claimed to be the Devil. The movie again was made during the 70's with all the turmoil going on and this type of subject was a very controversial topic.
Not only is the movie horrifying because the monster shows how vulnerable we humans are, but they take possession of the most vulnerable, a child. This unseen monster didn't want anything except to take Regan's soul and life then move on to the next victim.This force turned her into a vessel that spewed the most awful words at anyone that tried to help or physically hurt anyone that tried to save her from this force.
Another thing that made this movie monster so terrifying is that this is based on a true story. So this real life experience adds to the fear because it is something that many people believe can happen. Again, there are other films which use children as monsters, but this is the ultimate child monster, because it uses the supernatural as the enemy that takes advantage of a good child and turns her into this living evil demon.
Not only is the movie horrifying because the monster shows how vulnerable we humans are, but they take possession of the most vulnerable, a child. This unseen monster didn't want anything except to take Regan's soul and life then move on to the next victim.This force turned her into a vessel that spewed the most awful words at anyone that tried to help or physically hurt anyone that tried to save her from this force.
Another thing that made this movie monster so terrifying is that this is based on a true story. So this real life experience adds to the fear because it is something that many people believe can happen. Again, there are other films which use children as monsters, but this is the ultimate child monster, because it uses the supernatural as the enemy that takes advantage of a good child and turns her into this living evil demon.