How To Write A Horror Movie

by Neal Bell

How to Write a Horror Movie is a close look at an always-popular (but often disrespected) genre. It focuses on the screenplay and acts as a guide to bringing scary ideas to cinematic life using examples from great (and some not-so-great) horror movies.Author Neal Bell examines how the basic tools of the scriptwriter’s trade - including structure, dialogue, humor, mood, characters, and pace – can work together to embody personal fears that will resonate strongly on screen. Screenplay examples include classic works such as 1943’s I Walked With A Zombie and recent terrifying films that have given the genre renewed attention like writer/director Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed and financially successful Get Out. Since fear is universal, the book considers films from around the world including the ‘found-footage’ [REC] from Spain (2007), the Swedish vampire movie, Let The Right One In (2008) and the Persian-language film Under The Shadow (2016).

The book provides insights into the economics of horror-movie making, and the possible future of this versatile genre. It is the ideal text for screenwriting students exploring genre and horror, and aspiring scriptwriters who have an interest in horror screenplays.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Horror

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2020

About the author

Neal Bell is an American playwright and screenwriter. Bell has written such plays as the thriller Two Small Bodies, as well as co-writing the screenplay for the Two Small Bodies film adaptation.

Bell has written other plays such as On the Bum, Somewhere in the Pacific, Monster, Operation Midnight Climax, Therese Raquin and Spatter Pattern (Or, How I Got Away With It).

Reviews

[Jan Jindřich Karásek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Objektivně tak 3 a půl, protože ty eseje (tu pojmenované jako kapitoly, ale minimálně polovinu knihy formálně tvoří spíš samostatné eseje na konkrétní oblasti žánru a otázky s nimi spojené) nejsou dostatečně osobní - ale zároveň ani akademicky odborné. Kniha se nemůže rozhodnout, jestli chce být vážnou analýzou řady tématicky svázaných hororů (vybraných subjektivně, dle preferencí autora, nikoli dle kánonu, což mně vlastně nevadí), nebo návodnou učebnicí, jak horor psát - z trochu zavádějícího názvu, který má spíš nalákat imho. Ale je to zase hodně, hodně čtivé se spoustou zajímavých informací a k současnému výzkumu se mi to hodilo jako máloco, takže subjektivně zaokrouhluju hore. Zároveň škoda, že to tu má sedm hodnocení. Wtf? Určitě by si to zasloužilo větší čtenářskou pozornost. Zájemců o žánr imho není málo a podobných titulů není tolik. ))

[Donnie Cianciotto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, don't I feel silly getting a book with a title like this and thinking it would actually be helpful in teaching how to write a horror movie. It does not do that. It's more like a horror movie enthusiast wrote a series of essays on horror movies and aspects of them that he liked and that's about it. If you want any kind of practical application of how to put your story onto paper in a screenplay format, this is not for you. It's just a very basic "and then Stephen King did this" kind of book and a more appropriate title would have been "How Neal Bell Feels About A Bunch of Movies." Two stars instead of one because it's mildly informative if you're interested in the history of horror movies, but again - no practical usage.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read for horror fans! This book was captivating and thoughtful in the analysis of the individual movies which make up this often misunderstood genre. Great examples, quotes from directors, etc. and super fun to read about my favorite movies in an academic sense. Loved it!!!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful!