James Coleman
Research Summary
Horror movies, something seems so unrealistic to some, yet so intriguing and fascinating to others with their horrors and jumpscares. Unlike conventional horror movies, however, Hereditary is a very successful horror movie without the suspense and jumpscares factors of those famous series like The Conjuring or Insidious. Hereditary digs deeper into the cult and the horrifying things that one can do to benefit themselves. The cult members are willing to kill the family members with the craziest ways that no one in the audience expected, from decapitating the sister by hitting the telephone pole, burning the father to death, and sawing the mother’s own head off. Yet all those terrifying things are all for the sake and the benefits of those cold-blooded murders, of the cult members. From those concepts, my research is going to focus on the movie Hereditary itself and the horrifying actions of the cult in the movie. I’m also going to look deeper into how a human, or a character, can have two different sides, a good side vs a bad side, especially for the antagonist of the movie that killed a whole family mercilessly. Those research are going to help with my adaptation, which is going to be about a family also getting torn apart one by one. Unlike Hereditary, however, it is going to have the antagonist as a cult leader who is dying and needs a host to stay alive. From this adaptation, I want to show how one can have a drastically different personality, to the extent of murdering a whole family, even children, for their cult and their own sake.
Annotated Bibliography
“Hereditary and Sharp Objects”*
This article focuses on the story of Hereditary and how it relates to another horror tv series of the same name “Sharp Objects”. In examining the two works and their similarity, the author also digs into the cult, the deep dark world that lives right under the Grahams’ house without anyone knowing. Taking a closer look at the movie Hereditary, the author shows us the religious belief in Hereditary and what it can do to many people.
Ellen Taper Leigh may be dead, but she was (consciously at least), unbeknownst to Annie, a Satanic-cult leader who, many years before, set in motion sinister plans now coming to fruition. It’s a development hastened by the fact that, when Annie (in what would, in a very different type of film, be a positive development) decides to attend a bereavement support group, she ends up falling under the influence of yet another manipulative mother figure, Joan (Ann Dowd), later revealed to be one of Ellen’s most trusted acolytes. Even as she attempts to escape Ellen’s emotional (and occult) legacy, therefore, Annie becomes more and more entangled in her web – and increasingly aggressive towards her own son Peter, whose already profound emotional distress is greatly exacerbated by her dangerously erratic behaviour (Murphy 184).
Murphy depicted the cult in the story pretty well, of how the characters would do anything to get the benefits for them, or in this case to get Peter to become a host for their religious belief, king Paimon. It also shows how one person can have a whole different side, maybe an evil one, that not many people might know about. Even Annie did not know about her own mother’s true belief until it was too late, or Joan, who seemed to be a good person, also turned out to be part of the cult as well.
This article focuses on the story of Hereditary and how it relates to another horror tv series of the same name “Sharp Objects”. In examining the two works and their similarity, the author also digs into the cult, the deep dark world that lives right under the Grahams’ house without anyone knowing. Taking a closer look at the movie Hereditary, the author shows us the religious belief in Hereditary and what it can do to many people.
Ellen Taper Leigh may be dead, but she was (consciously at least), unbeknownst to Annie, a Satanic-cult leader who, many years before, set in motion sinister plans now coming to fruition. It’s a development hastened by the fact that, when Annie (in what would, in a very different type of film, be a positive development) decides to attend a bereavement support group, she ends up falling under the influence of yet another manipulative mother figure, Joan (Ann Dowd), later revealed to be one of Ellen’s most trusted acolytes. Even as she attempts to escape Ellen’s emotional (and occult) legacy, therefore, Annie becomes more and more entangled in her web – and increasingly aggressive towards her own son Peter, whose already profound emotional distress is greatly exacerbated by her dangerously erratic behaviour (Murphy 184).
Murphy depicted the cult in the story pretty well, of how the characters would do anything to get the benefits for them, or in this case to get Peter to become a host for their religious belief, king Paimon. It also shows how one person can have a whole different side, maybe an evil one, that not many people might know about. Even Annie did not know about her own mother’s true belief until it was too late, or Joan, who seemed to be a good person, also turned out to be part of the cult as well.
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr, Hyde: A filmography”*
This article focuses on the novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr, Hyde and many different film adaptations, which explores the famous Jekyll and Hyde effect. One of the main themes of the Jekyll and Hyde is explained pretty well by Charles King: ”One theme that is found in many of the films, and which derives from Stevenson's story, is the fear of the "beast within," the idea that a segment of the personality that is evil or devoted to amoral self-gratification could be segregated or selectively unleashed”(1). The Jekyll and Hyde effect, showing a character might have a good side and a bad side, one might be shown in the morning while the bad side appears at night. That idea would work really well with my adaptation since it would explain more about the character and their behaviors as they live a two sided life.
This article focuses on the novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr, Hyde and many different film adaptations, which explores the famous Jekyll and Hyde effect. One of the main themes of the Jekyll and Hyde is explained pretty well by Charles King: ”One theme that is found in many of the films, and which derives from Stevenson's story, is the fear of the "beast within," the idea that a segment of the personality that is evil or devoted to amoral self-gratification could be segregated or selectively unleashed”(1). The Jekyll and Hyde effect, showing a character might have a good side and a bad side, one might be shown in the morning while the bad side appears at night. That idea would work really well with my adaptation since it would explain more about the character and their behaviors as they live a two sided life.
“The traumatic family horror of 'Hereditary' scarred me for life”
This article from an online magazine gave a pretty in-depth review of Hereditary, which examines a lot of the horror factors and gives a pretty good explanation of the plot: “Hereditary follows as the death ripples through each member of the house with consequences both small and catastrophic. It's entrenched in domestic horror, so anyone who's ever experienced familial grief or strained relationships will be able to identify with the stench of decay at its rotting core ”(Joho 1). It also went through a lot of great details about the movie which was done really well to give the movie even a better and scarier feeling, such as the really well-done cinematography of filming the house just like the dollhouse, or the sound effects that make even the most innocent sound like “klukk” sounds scary. The details and effects will inform me of many helpful details to give my adaptation some more horror effects.
This article from an online magazine gave a pretty in-depth review of Hereditary, which examines a lot of the horror factors and gives a pretty good explanation of the plot: “Hereditary follows as the death ripples through each member of the house with consequences both small and catastrophic. It's entrenched in domestic horror, so anyone who's ever experienced familial grief or strained relationships will be able to identify with the stench of decay at its rotting core ”(Joho 1). It also went through a lot of great details about the movie which was done really well to give the movie even a better and scarier feeling, such as the really well-done cinematography of filming the house just like the dollhouse, or the sound effects that make even the most innocent sound like “klukk” sounds scary. The details and effects will inform me of many helpful details to give my adaptation some more horror effects.
“Tate Murders”
This article explores a real life event of a brutal murder to the actress Sharon Tate and four other people. It explained the way cult members, following their leader, could do anything wrongfully for their “beliefs”, even if it’s killing someone mercilessly. While the author examines the actions of cult members and leaders, she found that:” Manson (the cult leader) ordered his follower Charles “Tex” Watson to go to 10050 Cielo Drive with several other cult members and kill everyone there ‘as gruesome[ly] as you can’”(Bauer). Looking at real life events, the author depicts very well what a cult and its followers are willing to do, even to the point of killing hundreds of people, even family and children, which was shown a lot in Hereditary. Despite being against the norm, things like killing children or simply murdering everyone is uncomfortable to many, it is an important factor contributing to Hereditary’s success. From those events, it would help me to have a better look into the cult and their mind to develop a more realistic adaptation.
This article explores a real life event of a brutal murder to the actress Sharon Tate and four other people. It explained the way cult members, following their leader, could do anything wrongfully for their “beliefs”, even if it’s killing someone mercilessly. While the author examines the actions of cult members and leaders, she found that:” Manson (the cult leader) ordered his follower Charles “Tex” Watson to go to 10050 Cielo Drive with several other cult members and kill everyone there ‘as gruesome[ly] as you can’”(Bauer). Looking at real life events, the author depicts very well what a cult and its followers are willing to do, even to the point of killing hundreds of people, even family and children, which was shown a lot in Hereditary. Despite being against the norm, things like killing children or simply murdering everyone is uncomfortable to many, it is an important factor contributing to Hereditary’s success. From those events, it would help me to have a better look into the cult and their mind to develop a more realistic adaptation.
“Hereditary is the scariest movie you’ll see this summer — maybe ever.”
This article covers pretty well the description of the characters in the movie Hereditary. The author takes a deeper look into individual characters and connect their actions throughout the movie to the plot. In one of the protagonists examined by Hornaday, she noted: “Charlie, who is given to making disturbing sculptures and odd clucking noises with her tongue, seems to have withdrawn into her own world”. We can see weird and horrifying actions and small details shown throughout the movie that might not be noticed by everyone in the audience, especially in the Grahams’ house and their family members. This article is going to inform my research about the roles in Hereditary and a good description of each to support their development in the adaptation.
This article covers pretty well the description of the characters in the movie Hereditary. The author takes a deeper look into individual characters and connect their actions throughout the movie to the plot. In one of the protagonists examined by Hornaday, she noted: “Charlie, who is given to making disturbing sculptures and odd clucking noises with her tongue, seems to have withdrawn into her own world”. We can see weird and horrifying actions and small details shown throughout the movie that might not be noticed by everyone in the audience, especially in the Grahams’ house and their family members. This article is going to inform my research about the roles in Hereditary and a good description of each to support their development in the adaptation.
“From Rosemary’s Baby to Hereditary: why the creepy cult in horror refuses to die”
This article looks into how the theme of cult has been appearing among horror movies for a really long time. The author noted that: “This cult has engineered some of the greatest atrocities in horror history. Hereditary knows its heritage”(Rose). This article has shown the cult among famous horror movies like Hereditary and Rosemary’s Baby, even in Get Out and many others. The deeper and more detailed look into the cult will help the adaptation with a better perspective of the cult and how it can affect horror stories. It would also support the cult, which is one of the biggest factors of Hereditary to deliver a scary and horror sensation to the audience.
This article looks into how the theme of cult has been appearing among horror movies for a really long time. The author noted that: “This cult has engineered some of the greatest atrocities in horror history. Hereditary knows its heritage”(Rose). This article has shown the cult among famous horror movies like Hereditary and Rosemary’s Baby, even in Get Out and many others. The deeper and more detailed look into the cult will help the adaptation with a better perspective of the cult and how it can affect horror stories. It would also support the cult, which is one of the biggest factors of Hereditary to deliver a scary and horror sensation to the audience.
Works Cited |
|
Bauer, Patricia. “Tate Murders.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Tate-murders.
Hornaday, Ann. “'Hereditary' Is the Scariest Movie You'll See This Summer - Maybe Ever.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 June 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/toni-collette-is-masterful-as-a-mother-terrorized-by-secrets-in-the-super-creepy-hereditary/2018/06/06/15e422c6-6690-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?utm_term=.2b91b8b162c4.
Joho, Jess. “The Traumatic Family Horror of 'Hereditary' Scarred Me for Life.” Mashable, Mashable, 7 June 2018, mashable.com/2018/06/07/hereditary-review-a24/#dgwG0aNrgOq4.
King, Charles. “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A Filmography. (Cover Story).” Journal of Popular Film & Television, vol. 25, no. 1, Spring 1997, p. 9. EBSCOhost, libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=9708045114&site=eds-live.
Murphy, Bernice M. “Hereditary/Sharp Objects.” Irish Journal of Gothic & Horror Studies, no. 17, Sept. 2018, p. 179. EBSCOhost, libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=133417370&site=eds-live.
Rose, Steve. “From Rosemarys Baby to Hereditary: Why the Creepy Cult in Horror Refuses to Die.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 25 June 2018, www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jun/25/hereditary-horror-film-history-cult-rosemarys-baby.
Hornaday, Ann. “'Hereditary' Is the Scariest Movie You'll See This Summer - Maybe Ever.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 June 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/toni-collette-is-masterful-as-a-mother-terrorized-by-secrets-in-the-super-creepy-hereditary/2018/06/06/15e422c6-6690-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html?utm_term=.2b91b8b162c4.
Joho, Jess. “The Traumatic Family Horror of 'Hereditary' Scarred Me for Life.” Mashable, Mashable, 7 June 2018, mashable.com/2018/06/07/hereditary-review-a24/#dgwG0aNrgOq4.
King, Charles. “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A Filmography. (Cover Story).” Journal of Popular Film & Television, vol. 25, no. 1, Spring 1997, p. 9. EBSCOhost, libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=9708045114&site=eds-live.
Murphy, Bernice M. “Hereditary/Sharp Objects.” Irish Journal of Gothic & Horror Studies, no. 17, Sept. 2018, p. 179. EBSCOhost, libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/authmaine.asp?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,uid&db=edb&AN=133417370&site=eds-live.
Rose, Steve. “From Rosemarys Baby to Hereditary: Why the Creepy Cult in Horror Refuses to Die.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 25 June 2018, www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jun/25/hereditary-horror-film-history-cult-rosemarys-baby.