It's spooky season, and I'm excited to dig into YouTube to find some stuff I had never seen before. While I was searching for videos related to some research I'm working on, I stumbled upon this awesome deconstruction of horror tropes featuring Jordan Peele and Conan O'Brien. It's a lovely conversation about great horror movies and ideas, and I wanted to share it with you right now. Let's dive in. Horror Tropes with Jordan Peele and Conan O'Brien What I love about Conan's podcast is that it's pretty funny, but he really gets into the craft with artists in ways that are both disarming and accessible for people watching. In this one, Pelle started out talking horror villains and then the conversation ranged all over. The Power of the Minimalist VillainPeele jumps right in by espousing the genius of John Carpenter's Halloween and its villain, Michael Myers. Peele labels him a "minimalist villain," which is a fun thing to unpack. There is not a lot to Myers. It's just like a Shatner mask, slow movements, and a machete. What makes him scary is the way he's shot. Often from below or far away, always coming forward, with nothing stopping him. The monster is simple, and so is the camera, but it pays off in scares. The big lesson for your own films, consider how you can use minimalism to create a truly terrifying antagonist. Sometimes, less is more.Atmosphere is EverythingConan brings up a fantastic point about the importance of atmosphere, citing...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday