Titles
- Natasha
Paranormal Activity
Syllables: 4, 4
Definition:
Paranormal - 'denoting events or phenomena such as telekinesis or clairvoyance that are beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding' {4]
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Grave Encounters
Syllables: 1, 3
Definition:
Grave - 'giving cause for alarm; serious/used as an allusive term for death/a hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or corpse, typically marked by a stone or mound' [5]
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The Purge
Syllables: 1, 1
Definition:
Purge - 'to rid (someone) of an unwanted feeling, memory, or condition/physically remove (something) completely/an abrupt or violent removal of a group of people.' [6]
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The Omen
Syllables: 1, 2
Definition:
Omen - 'an event regarded as a portent of good or evil/prophetic significance.' [7]
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The Exorcist
Syllables: 1, 3
Definition:
Exorcise - 'to seek to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration or religious or solemn ceremonies/to free (a person, place, etc.) of evil spirits or malignant influences.' [8]
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Syllables: 1, 2, 1, 1, 3
Definition:
Massacre - 'an indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of many people/deliberately and brutally kill (many people).' [9]
Backstory:
'Despite being heavily touted as "inspired by a true story," both Tobe Hooper's original 1974 film and the 2003 Marcus Nispel remake are only lightly based on the real-life murderer Ed Gein, who is suspected to have taken several victims between 1954 and 1957. Perhaps the most recognizable similarity is the film's house, whose gruesome content was similar to that found in Ed Gein's home in 1957.' [10]
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The Conjuring
Syllables: 1, 3
Definition:
Conjure - 'cause (a spirit or ghost) to appear by means of a magic ritual.' [11]
Backstory:
'The Warrens' 10,000-plus career cases include the alleged haunting depicted in The Conjuring. In 1971, Roger and Carolyn Perron moved into a colonial farmhouse in Harrisville, R.I., with their five daughters, and quickly began experiencing what they described as both haunting and spiritual possessions. They invited the Warrens to the farmhouse to investigate. Over the nine years they lived in the house, the Perrons described spirits, both harmless and angry, that "stunk of rotting flesh" and routinely arrived at 5:15 a.m. to levitate their beds.' [12]
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Insidious
Syllables: 4
Definition:
Insidious - 'proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects.​' [13]
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The Amityville Horror
Syllables: 1, 4, 2
Definition:
Horror - 'an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.' [14]
Backstory:
'On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. shot and killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house situated in a suburban neighborhood in Amityville, on the south shore of Long Island,New York. He was convicted of second-degree murder in November 1975.
In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz and their three children moved into the house. After 28 days, the Lutzes left the house, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there.' [15]
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Text From Audio
Overall the title of the movies shown above show clear correlation to the horror genre, with the definition of the words used either presenting a theme of fear or the supernatural.
I have found that the longer titles tend to be representative of a certain event, with the plot of the film often being based on real events, an example of this is in 'The Amityville Horror' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.
The relation to a character or act in the title, such as 'The Exorcist' and 'The Purge', often include the word "the" in order to present a sturdier and nicer sounding title, with clear relation to the contents of the movie.
Adjectives are presented to be used singularly, such as the movie 'Insidious'. This is in order to sum up the film with the descriptor, relating to a horror themed experience.
In titles where monosyllabic words are not used, such as 'Paranormal Activity', the title usually combines two words, one in relation to the genre and one as a representative of the movie's plot. The use of this format also provides a memorable and conclusive title for the films. Another example of this is in 'Grave Encounters', despite the use of one single syllable in the first word the word "grave" relates to horror, and the word encounters relates to the actions of encountering something which is what happens in the film.
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