Title Choices and Connotations
SINISTER - 2012
Sinister has very negative connotations and this makes it an ideal title for a horror film. When we looked at words with a similar meaning to "sinister" we found the following words:
These words are all very pessimistic, as is "sinister." THE LAST EXORCISM - 2010 The definition of exorcism is "the expulsion or attempted expulsion of a supposed evil spirit from a person or place." Exorcisms have connotations of religion and more specifically spirits that are to do with the devil and thus evil. This makes The Last Exorcism an effective title for a horror film, as the idea of the devil and evil spirits is something many people would find terrifying. Exorcisms are specifically associated with the unknown, and it is common human nature to be scared of things that can't be seen or have no explanation. Also the used of the word last makes it sound like it is the last chance to do something about this spirit. THE WOMAN IN BLACK - 2012 The word black has connotations of darkness which is a common feature that many people think of when horror is mentioned. Black also links in with death, as it is the colour usually worn when grieving or when attending a funeral. It may be assumed from the title, that "The Woman" has experienced the death of a family member, causing the audience to wonder what happened. You may also assume that the women is blinded by her loss as when you are in darkness you can not see. Finally saying that she is "THE Woman in Black" suggests that she is the only one in her exact position, suggesting something isn't quite right with her. INSIDIOUS - 2010 When looking up "Insidious" in a thesaurus, we found that the following words have a similar meaning.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - 2012 The word "nightmare" has connotations of something being the worst case scenario or an awful dream. When looked up in a thesaurus, the following words came up:
|