Example Of Essay On Responding To Reading

The critique Isabel Christina Pinedo makes an effective comparison between the classical and the modern approach of making horror films and highlights a few differences between the two. In this regard, Pinedo highlights that both of these approaches show the starting of the film in a similar fashion. In both the classical as well as the modern approaches, the story begins with the violent disruption that is caused by a monster which can be seen as supernatural or alien. The plot matures around the monster’s destruction and the people’s response to the same. The movie sees climax with the application of violence or knowledge to end the monster. One of the differences between the two approaches, however, is that in transitioning from the classical to the Postmodern approach, the boundary between good and evil and human and inhuman has become blurred, one which was clearly defined in the older horror films. In both the classical as well as the postmodern approaches to horror films, the plot forces the viewer to confront the irrational. While in the classical approach, force or science is used to restore order, the postmodern approach fails to restore that order to the society. Pinedo highlights yet another difference where the classical horror tale provides closure by ending the villainous monster; the postmodern horror film shows an open end where the evil never dies.
In this particular piece of writing, the writer in a very effective manner explains the transition of the horror film to masterpieces like Dracula and Frankenstein to films like the Texan chainsaw massacre and Invasion of the body snatchers. Through these differences, Pinedo draws very clear ideas as to how the horror film experience has transitioned and what a viewer may feel when experiencing the horror and suspense that surrounds the plot of the film.
Tania Modleski another author makes observations on similar matters and highlights a few points of her own. This piece of writing, however, focuses on the past and the modern day differences in cultures. Modleski describes how in the name of modernism, the present day individual is getting increased leisure time only at the expense of loss of spirituality. Many people are finding pleasure, but they are yet to become aware of the fact that they are desperately empty at heart. Not very different is the example of the modern day horror film. These films are assaulting all the values and morals that the culture at every step promotes. As in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the film shows people living off other people, which also include family. So in the modern day horror film, the family which the culture stands to promotes is represented as the monster that needs to be destroyed. Modelski also highlights that in these films, the villains, and the heroes are equally shady and undeveloped characters that it becomes increasingly difficult for the audience to identify the two.
This piece of writing is in criticism of the modern horror story that is meant to create fear and is a step ahead of the prior piece which compared the historical and the modern day horror film. It highlights all that is wrong with the horror film of today and supports all of the claims with the help of very visual examples especially for the people who have actually had the pleasure of watching the ‘Texas chainsaw Massacre.' The piece also convinces us that the concepts that these horror films stand for are wrong. The effort can be seen when Modelski highlights that family is seen is an important part of the culture and not a threat like these horror films show. It also highlights how our concepts regarding good and evil and justice and injustice are being clouded by the blurred lines where the audience finds it difficult to set these two concepts apart.
The horror film of today is as different from the classical horror tale like chalk and cheese. Those were times when right and wrong meant something and when there were no disputes regarding the nobility of a hero. These pieces of literature are opinions from two different authors that when it comes to horror storytelling, we are going backward rather than making progress.