How Merian C. Cooper's Movie King Kong Uses Special Effects

Special Effects in Horror Cinema

Many horror films take part in the use of special effects to create horror. To create horror, the amount of special effects is dependent upon the plot’s concentration on the monster itself or the effects the monster creates. Therefore, more special effects are required if the movie deals with the actual creature, whereas fewer special effects are needed when the movie focuses on the ramifications of its presence.

When a movie’s plot is centered on the monster’s visible presence, special effects are necessary to create horror. In 1933 movie King Kong, by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, King Kong is a monstrous creature that is created using stop-motion animation. King Kong is physically displayed on the screen through the use of special effects. The special effects before the introduction of Kong, such as the boat on the water, do not create horror. Horror is created through special effects when King Kong appears because Kong is a scary and frightening creature. The film would have no horror without the physical presence of King Kong. Once King Kong is captured he is taken to New York to be showcased. Before the opening debut, Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) is simply talking to John Driscoll (Bruce Cabot) about her concerns with seeing the monster again. During this scene, there is no use of special effects, and in addition, no feeling of impending horror or imminent danger. King Kong is not present in the scene; therefore no special effects are being used. When King Kong has his debut and appears on the stage, the audience feels a sense of danger and horror, which is derived from the presence of the monster. Although the special effects used in this film are primitive, they are nonetheless still effective in creating horror when Kong is present. Since the monster is created solely by special effects, it is the special effects that cause King Kong to be such a horrifying figure.

Advanced special effects are important to creating horror when the movie’s plot is centered on the monster itself and its destruction. James Cameron’s film Aliens(1986) uses model special effects to create the aliens. In the beginning of the film when Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is rescued, there are no frightening or horror inducing scenes. At this moment in the film, no intensive special effects are being employed since the alien creatures are not yet introduced, thus there is no feeling of horror being created. Once Ripley and some military members go to the colony to investigate the cause of loss of communication, special effects are used to depict a destroyed colony, alien eggs, and the aliens themselves. It is when these special effects are used that horror is created. Without the use of special effects, there would be no depiction of alien eggs, or the aliens, and thus no creation of horror. The aliens are the source of horror, and when the creations of the aliens are removed, there is an absence of horror. Although Aliens employs intricate special effects throughout the majority of the film, a film does not need to use special effects at the same level of intricacy if the monster is not constantly shown.

Elaborate special effects are not needed to induce horror in a film if the monster in the film is not fully displayed. Steven Spielberg’s film, Jaws (1975) uses special effects to create the over-sized, gigantic shark, that is the monster. For the majority of the film, the shark attacks do not fully display the shark. The only thing displayed is the victim and the ocean turning red from the victim’s blood. Seeing the victim being sunk into the depths of the water and the color of the ocean turning red generates horror. Horror is still being created without the use of much special effect (aside from the victim’s blood). This is because the actual monster is not being displayed. If the monster is not being displayed, large amounts of special effects are not necessary to create horror, since it is still horrifying when the victims are attacked and killed by the shark. The lack of elaborate special effects before the monster (shark) is revealed is effective since seeing the helplessness of the victims and the blood in the water creates more trepidation and horror surrounding the monster. Not seeing the monster for the majority of the movie allows for the audience to feel anxious about its size and monstrous appearance, thus creating horror.

Having a movie that does not display a monster can still be effective in creating horror without the use of special effects. The Blair Witch Project (1999), by Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick employs no special effects, but is still effective in creating a horrifying film. There are scenes in the film when the monster leaves traces of itself and makes sounds to disrupt Heather (Heather Donahue), Josh (Joshua Leonard), and Mike (Michael C. Williams), young adults making a documentary. Seeing Heather, Josh and Mike running from the monster and feeling scared about the arrangement of rocks it left outside their tents results in a creation of fear and horror in the audience. The Blair Witch Project has an extremely organic and realistic feel since no special effects are used, causing the audience to easily imagine themselves in a similar situation. Being able to imagine yourself in a situation as frightening as the one in The Blair Witch Project is enough to create horror, without the use of special effects. The monster is never shown in the film. The only thing shown is Heather, Josh and Mike fleeing from the monster. Not unveiling the monster throughout the entire film allows so much to be left to the imagination of how the monster actually looks like. Imagining the monster is frightening and creates horror, since the film has already demonstrated that the monster is capable of horrific things. The absence of special effects in The Blair Witch Project is what makes the film effective in creating horror. This is because more is left to the imagination of the audience as to what the monster can look like. The camera work and lack of special effects in The Blair Witch Project creates a realistic setting, unlike those of most movies with special effects, allowing the audience to easily see themselves in a similar situation, thus creating feelings of fear and terror.

When a film is completely centered on the figure of the creature, special effects are crucial in making the monster appear horrifying. However, if a film is not centered on the physical embodiment of the monster, special effects are not necessary to create horror. Dealing with the ramifications of the monster, but not the physical monster itself without the use of special effects can be just as effective in creating horror as a film that does employ special effects.