Thriller films

I am doing the exact same thing I did for the research into horror films and their directors for the thriller genre as I want my final piece to be a horror/thriller so I need to have an equal level of research on both areas. I once again separated the 'classics' from the 'moderns' and tried to find a trend of common thriller directors; surprisingly enough I found it easier to find a trend with thrillers than with horrors as I find nowadays a lot of independent horror films with lesser-known directors are becoming more and more successful. I have decided to do my research on the following directors: Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan and David Fincher. 

George A. Romero

I returned to the classics for my final director: George A. Romero. Often referred to as the grandad of zombie movies, Romero is a director, producer, screenwriter and editor who is best known for his series of gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. His 'Dead series' began with 'Night of the Living Dead' which became a cult classic and a defining moment for modern horror cinema. Romero's depiction of 'zombies' are often believed to be the 'original' zombies or the 'classics' - some even go so far to say that they are the only true type of zombie and the more modern running depictions don't have the same effect as Romero's slow-moving originals. Romero also directed 'The Crazies' (one of my favourite films ever!) which was about a bio spill that induces an epidemic of homicidal madness. Romero returned to the zombie genre in 'Dawn of the Dead' which was shot with a budget of just £500,000 yet grossed over £55 million worldwide and was named one of the top cult films by Entertainment Weekly in 2003.

Pinterest: http://uk.pinterest.com/09f8qurh/romero/ 

Eli Roth

The penultimate director I decided to research was Eli Roth who is also a well-known actor (he often features or has little cameos in the films he directs or produces). He is known for directing 'Cabin Fever', 'Hostel' and its sequel 'Hostel: Pt II"; he also acted in Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglorious Bastards' and won awards for the role. Roth's familiarity with both being in front of and behind the camera makes him very creative and versatile. He also co-wrote the script for 'Cabin Fever' with his college roommate at the time, Randy Pearlstein. 

When Roth started directing Hostel, he reportedly turned down studio directing jobs to do so - showing he's extremely dedicated to the films he's making and is also largely independent in his choices he makes about films he wants to direct - and also only took in a salary of $10,000 to keep the budget as low as possible. 

Pinterest: http://uk.pinterest.com/09f8qurh/roth/ 

James Wan

The next director I went on to research was James Wan, a more modern director  so I could compare him to some of the more classic directors.

Wan is widely known for directing the horror film 'Saw' and producing the entire franchise, as well as actually creating Billy the Puppet (the puppet that Jigsaw is seen using in the film). He has also directed 'Dead Silence', 'Insidious', 'Insidious: Chapter 2' and 'The Conjuring' (and is set to direct the upcoming sequel!). Before his success in mainstream, Wan worked on smaller films such as 'Stygian' before hitting the big time with 'Saw'. His venture into gore shot him to directorial superstardom and 'Saw' was a global success; Wan produced all of the following 'Saw' sequels which were all successful too. 

In 2007, he directed 'Dead Silence' which he described as an "old school" horror that was "in the spirit of old Twilight Zone episodes". Wan directed this film to try and distance himself from the gore he'd become synonymous with due to the success of 'Saw'. 

Then in 2010, he directed 'Insidious', a very psychological paranormal horror; Wan also had complete creative control over Insidious.

Pinterest: http://uk.pinterest.com/09f8qurh/wan/ 

Wes Craven

The second director I decided to research was a personal favourite, Wes Craven. He has written and directed some of my all-time favourite films and created some of the most brilliant and infamous horror antagonists in the history of the genre: Ghostface (Scream), Freddy Kreuger etc.

Craven is largely known for his work in the horror genre, particularly in slasher films where he made himself known.

His directorial debut was with 'The Last House on the Left' before going on to direct 'Nightmare on Elm Street'. 

Craven's works often focus on the idea and nature of reality; the premise of 'Nightmare' dealt with the consequences of dreams in real life and in 'New Nightmare', he brushed against the fourth wall by having actress Heather Langenkemp play herself as she is haunted by the villain of the film she once starred. These clever and new ideas are what shot Craven to prominence.  

Pinterest board: http://uk.pinterest.com/09f8qurh/craven/

Alfred Hitchcock: 'The Master of Suspense'

I decided to start my research with Alfred Hitchcock, one of the world's most respected film directors and somebody whose contributions to horror are remembered vividly today. Hitchcock is somebody that many have idolised over the years and for a good reason too. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller/horror genres and also revolutionised the use of a camera to move in a way that mimics and person's gaze. He used this to manipulate his viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism; he also used many techniques to maximise suspense and anxiety, which is why some of his films are included in some of the scariest ever made. We all know 'Psycho' and it's infamous shower murder scene and the fact that that one scene has become a icon in horror (and still is 55 years later) is just one example of Hitchcock's ability as a director. I would argue that scene is one of the most memorable in history. 

I actually didn't realise how many films Hitchcock had actually done - I could only include a few on my little filmography list - and this is another reason why he's such an icon amongst directors. I should hope to mimic or use some of the techniques, especially his camera techniques, in my own final piece. 

I also created a pinterest board and collected a bunch of photos and posters of the films he has worked on: http://uk.pinterest.com/09f8qurh/hitchcock/ 

Research: One

To start my research into horror films, I listed a bunch - both 'classic' and 'modern' - alongside their directors so I could possibly find a trend in directors or in similarities between titles. The reason I did this is so I could possibly use some techniques from the films I wrote down in my own piece (e.g. 2007's Paranormal Activity revolutionised the use of 'found footage' style filming and I have considered using this in my own project). I also wanted to find a trend of directors so I could choose some to study; I decided eventually after following the trend that I would study Alfred Hitchcock, Wes Craven, Eli Roth, James Wan and George A. Romero. All of these are renowned horror directors that have made their individual mark on the horror genre, whether it is due to revolutionising certain camera techniques like Hitchcock or being credited for creating a sub-genre within horror like Roth.