Films and Feelings

The late 19 th and early 20 th century brought about a newfound interest in human nature within the field of psychology. Of particular note from this era was the development of Sigmund Freud's theory about the human subconscious. This surge in interest in human nature overlapped with another leap forward for mankind, this one of the technological sort, that of moving pictures, and it wasn’t long until the two converged. Film theorists have long typed the medium as a sort of glimpse into the human subconscious, displaying human desires and fears through code in a form that almost resembles a dream. In December 1941, Universal released one of the most striking blendings of psychology and film: part boogeyman bedtime story, part Shakespearean tragedy, Universal Studios introduced “The Wolf Man.”      In this film, Lawrence “Larry” Talbot returns to the house of his father, Sir John Talbot, for the first time in years. He quickly becomes smitten with local antique shop owner, Gwen Co

Netflix's new film, Rebecca , follows a young woman withering beneath the shadow of her new husband's first wife. In the spirit of life imitating art, this film competes with the memory of not only the acclaimed 1938 novel written by Daphne de Maurier, upon which this movie is based, but an also illustrious film adaptation in 1940 directed by Alfred Hitchcock, a film adaptation that took the 1941 Oscar for best picture. The comparison on its own threatens to drown this new adaptation, but it need not. Whether viewers are returning to the world of Mrs. de Winter once more or setting foot in de Maurier's vivid landscape for the first time, the halls of Manderley are as vibrant as ever in this new adaptation. It may surprise uninitiated viewers to learn that "Rebecca" is not the name of our protagonist. In fact, "Rebecca" is never seen within the film. But that does not stop her from impeding on the life of our leading lady. Despite a thrilling romance with

I once counted myself among the crowd who categorically dismissed scary movies simply because I didn't see myself as person who liked scary movies. They were uncomfortable, they were vile, and they were dumb.  Today I'm a little more open to the horror genre in large part because I've learned that not all scary movies are so aggressively morbid. I owe much of this transition to the research I've put in to horror films of classical Hollywood.  Until about the 1960's the Hays code placed heavy lines on what kind of content could be featured in films. Many filmmakers felt restricted by these limitations, but this limitation did force filmmakers to find ways to scare audiences without using gore or violence, two things that usually frighten viewers away from the genre. As a result, many films we would classify under the "horror" genre from pre-1965 are really good testing grounds for viewers curious about the genre.  If you're certain Nightmare on Elm Stre