True Stories

After researching into psychological horror conventions, my group and I decided we may want to consider basing our film idea and trailer on a true story as a lot of successful films are based on these such as The Exorcist and The Shining. Also, this is a key convention of a psychological horror. Therefore, I decided to research stories which have appeared in the news/ history that we could base our film idea around to make our film trailer realistic:

• The Sun Family Murder- A family were reported missing and were found dead in their home later on

• Stewart and Cyril Marcus, a real-life pair of twin gynecologists doctors who killed themselves in 1975

• Richard Moore- a priest who was charged with negligent homicide in the death of Emily Rose. Emily Rose supposedly died as a result of a failed exorcism

• Joe Ball- a bootlegger and alleged serial killer, who owned the Sociable Inn in Elmendorf, Texas, in the early 1900's

• Gertrude Baniszewski- Her and her children tortured and murdered 16-year-old Sylvia Marie Likens in 1965

• The case of an anonymous boy- in 1949, a mentally disabled teenage boy told an American news company about his obsession of a 12-year-old girl- he then kidnapped and tortured her

What have I learnt and how will I use this research?

I have learnt that there are many true stories we could consider twisting and basing our psychological horror plot and trailer around. My group and I will consider taking inspiration from the story about the anonymous boy as psychological horrors can sometimes contain mentally disabled characters therefore we would be meeting the conventions of a horror and also our brief thoughts as our plot ideas considered mental institutions and characters so this story would fit well if we decide to expand on that idea. Also, when I did my audience research, some of my audience said they associate mentally disabled characters with this genre so therefore to meet our audiences expectations and conventions, we will need to consider basing our horror around this story. However, as psychological horrors can be based around religion and sometimes people going missing, the story about The Sun Family Murder and also the story about the priest who was charged with negligent homicide is another true story my group and I could consider as this will meet the conventions of a psychological horror.