Annotated bibliography

Mckenzie Marshall

Colleen Halverson

English 102

4/02/13

Thesis: Why children in horror movies seem to scare us as a culture so much.

Lennard, Dominic W. “All Fun And Games..: Children’s Culture In The Horror Film,

 From Deep Red (1975) To Child’s Play (1988).”Continuum: Journal Of Media

 and Cultural studies 26.1 (2012): 133-142. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 March 2013.

In Lennard’s article “All Fun And Games..: Children’s Culture In The Horror Film, From Deep Red (1975) To Child’s Play (1988),” Lennard analyzes the movies From Deep Red and To Child’s plays. He talks about the different symbolizations in these scary movies he says that by far children toys, especially dolls are the most frightening. He explains that children want their dolls to come to life but adults are very much opposite, the thought of dolls coming to life is very frightening to them. He also talks about how a childhood melody playing before murders is a scare to many. Lennard says that children’s play is much messier and unorganized than what is idealized by adults and the movies present child’s play as something terrible and unsafe.

            Lennard tells many of the factors in scary movies about children that frighten us and explains why these objects tend to scare us so much. This article helps to support my thesis by telling why some childhood objects seem to frighten our culture so much, which will help me in explaining why children in scary movies seem to frighten us more than anything else in horror films.

Calhoun, John. “Childhood’s End: Let the Right One In And Other Deaths Of

Innocence.” Cineaste: American’s Leading Magazine On The Art And Politics

Of The Cinema 35.1 (2009): 27-31. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 1 April 2013.

In the article by John Calhoun, “Childhood’s End: Let the Right One In And

Other Deaths Of Innocence,” he talk about how children or in his words, “little monsters” inspire terror among grown-up’s. He examines many different horror movies and what makes them so frightening. John talks about the contrasts between the child’s evil behavior and the normal assumption of childhood innocence. Calhoun also explains that parents and adults are supposed to protect children and when they cannot do so this creates horror for both children and adults.

            This article tells about different horror movies and centers on the horror of children becoming possessed and adults not being able to help. This article will help to support my thesis because it analyzes different movies and talks about adults being frightened because the child cannot be help, which will help me in explaining why children in horror films scare us.

Renner, Karen J. “Evil Children In Film And Literature, Part II: Notes Toward A

            Taxonomy [Special Issue]. “ Lit:Literature Interpretation Theory 22.3

            (2011):177-196. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 31. March. 2013.

            In Renner’s article “Evil Children in Film and Literature II; Notes Toward a Taxonomy,” Renner talks about the ideological involvement of two types of evil children, the possessed child and the feral child and why they frighten us. She also explains that in horror movies the possessed child does not start out possessed instead the movie spends time developing characters that will be victims and their families. She also tells that young girls are often the victims of being possessed in horror films. Also she expresses that parents are more to blame for a child becoming possessed than the child itself.

            This article describes how the child in the horror film scares us and what the reasons are for the child’s possessions. This article will help support my thesis by telling  different reasons why the possessed child scares us and why the child becomes possessed. This will help me to explain why children in horror films scare us.

Schlobin, Roger C. “Children Of A Darker God: A Taxonomy Of Deep Horror Fiction

And Film In Their Mass Popularity.” Journal Of The Fantastic In The Arts 1.1

(1988(: 25-50. MLA International Bibliography. We. 31 Mar. 2013.

            In Schlobin’s article “Children Of A Darker God: A Taxonomy Of Deep Horror Fiction And Film In Their Mass Population,” Schlobin explains that the word “horror” has become an overused word that people use carelessly.  He then explains what deep horror is, a “participatory experience, one that deeply involves personal responses.” Schlobin also gives many different characteristics that many horror films have and explains why these characteristics entice us as an audience. He also explains that deep horror is filled with promises that turn to lies, freedom that turns to bondage, and opportunity that turns to despair.

            Schlobin explains the real meaning of horror and what a horror films characteristics are. This article will help to support my thesis because it explains the feelings that a horror film brings out in people, which will help me to generate a better understanding of why children in scary movies scare our culture so much.

Wandless, William. “Spoil The Child: Unsettling Ethics And The Representation Of

            Evil.” Lit:Literature Interpretation Theory 22.2 (2011):134-154. MLA

            International Bibliography Web. 1. April 2013.

In the article “Spoil the Child, Unsettling Ethics and the Representation of Evil,” by William Wandless, he analyzes different movies that center around a possessed child. He analyzes the movies Halloween, Joshua, Home Movie, and Orphan. He explains that we find children “much to be nurtured, much to be feared.” Wandless also talks about how horror movies “raise disquieting questions about the world in which we live.”

            Wandless explains that children are something we love and also fear. He also talks about horror movies make us question the way we live. His article will help support my thesis because it explains why we love children and fear them. I may also choose to watch and analyze one of these movies further for my research paper. This article will help me to learn how to analyze the movies I will watch and to better understand how we can value children so much but be so afraid of them at the same time.