Even Sixth sense. You have ghosts from the distant past in the old school house, and you have a Gothic feel to settings such as the church, the house with the turret. You also have the war between scientific, rational thought and the supernatural.

That's right Sandra, I had horseys and a carriage last time! Those buggers ate the whole production budget. And the old guy drank all the whiskey.

Quoted from Dreamscale I agree with you, Brett, but "contemporary"?  I'm on a heinous dial up internet connection, so I can't check very easily, but isn't that movie like 40 years old or so?

The film came out in 1968.
Comparatively speaking to the origin of gothic horror in the 18th century.
Yes, I do believe Rosemary's Baby is a contemporary of that period.
Right down to the wind blowing through most of the trailer.

Are there more recent examples of incarnations of gothic horror? Sure.
And I invite folks to share them on the thread, if we feel it has merit to the OWC.
Polanski's film is my personal favorite example of the era.

Cut me some slack, I be an old fart

Regards,
E.D.

You can shoe horn Gothic Horror into many movies that are, at core, simply horror films.  Even Friday the 13th has elements of gothic horror... Do they out weigh the horror?  No... But the elements are there.  

Woman + dominate, oppressive  horror = gothic horror.

Or

An empty room + light on = gothic horror.

Those are how general the genre can be.   I think, and the movie sucks, "the devil's advocate" is a good representation of modern/contemporary gothic horror.

Anyways, we all have different takes on what makes us get to the stage of openly saying, yea this is gothic horror and this is not.  By most calculations "gothica" is gothic horror by name alone...  

Quoted from Baltis. You can shoe horn Gothic Horror into many movies that are, at core, simply horror films.  Even Friday the 13th has elements of gothic horror... Do they out weigh the horror?  No... But the elements are there.

Gothic horror doesn't rely on violence like slasher films do.  Being chased by a maniac with a knife is not quite the same as saying a rocking chair rocking by itself or candles blowing out by themselves.  While slasher films may incorporate some aspects of gothic horror, their primary scare tactics is physical violence and a painful death.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe Gothic horror doesn't rely on violence like slasher films do.  Being chased by a maniac with a knife is not quite the same as saying a rocking chair rocking by itself or candles blowing out by themselves.  While slasher films may incorporate some aspects of gothic horror, their primary scare tactics is physical violence and a painful death. Phil

Oh absolutely, not in the overall sense.  But there are elements in Friday the 13th, and almost all horror movies, that fall back on the Gothic horror genre.  I think Gothic horror is the biggest part of standard horror in terms of the elements used to comprise them.

Wind
Fog
Stormy night
Old house
Old Mansion
Gargoyle statues
Ghost
Fear of the unknown

Those are just some of the staples of the genre ... And while using, as you said, brutal kills and deaths to move the picture along isn't Gothic horror, the elements driving the films often times are.

Quoted from Baltis. Oh absolutely, not in the overall sense.  But there are elements in Friday the 13th, and almost all horror movies, that fall back on the Gothic horror genre.  I think Gothic horror is the biggest part of standard horror in terms of the elements used to comprise them. Wind Fog Stormy night Old house Old Mansion Gargoyle statues Ghost Fear of the unknown Those are just some of the staples of the genre ... And while using, as you said, brutal kills and deaths to move the picture along isn't Gothic horror the elements driving the films often times are.

Check, check, check, check, check... shucks! I knew I forgot something! The gargoyles! How could I have forgot the gargoyles?!  

Quoted from sandra I was joking with Kevin because he had a four hour carriage in Dark Escort.

Actually, I was kind of half-hoping that Kevin would re-submit 'Dark Escort' for this challenge, just for fun, as I think it could pretty much match the criteria for this one, too.  It had a gothic feel, and the escort was a ghost, so...  :-)

No misunderstood ghost in Dark. Plus, that one I wrote in less than a day. I thought I might do better if I actually tried. Trying is overrated, I guess. Didn't do any better. I worked more on this than any other short I've written. I'm going back to cranking it out in a day next time!

Sandra,

Surely your missing the most important element... The over grown weeds. Seems many scripts have relied on these little fellas to set the scene.

Mind you I have also spotted a few leaf devils, strangely locked doors and non behaving mirrors.

Fun aside, I have enjoyed this OWC and I feel there has been some decent discussion on what makes this genre distinct.

Thanks to everyone. All the best.

Quoted from dogglebe I would say that The Excorcist is a good example of contemporary gothic horror.  Blair Witch Project might also be considered contemporary gothic horror.  Both movies play with your fears and insecurities without resorting to violence. Phil

I considered "The Skeleton Key" and "The Orphanage" to be recent examples...although I think we may be getting one early next year with "Woman In Black"

Quoted from Baltis. Oh absolutely, not in the overall sense.  But there are elements in Friday the 13th, and almost all horror movies, that fall back on the Gothic horror genre.  I think Gothic horror is the biggest part of standard horror in terms of the elements used to comprise them. Wind Fog Stormy night Old house Old Mansion Gargoyle statues Ghost Fear of the unknown Those are just some of the staples of the genre ... And while using, as you said, brutal kills and deaths to move the picture along isn't Gothic horror, the elements driving the films often times are.

Soap operas can be considered gothic horror by your definition.  I think that, to be gothic horror, you need more than just using gothic elements.  They should dominate the story.  Michael Myers chasing you through an old house is still a slasher flick.  True gothic horror doesn't rely on violence.


Phil

Thought Shutter Island was a kinda Gothic....

I agree on Shutter Island. Thought it was a very good film, as well.

I think my short 'It Gazes Back' that Michael produced as part of last year's The Dark OWC was pretty quasi-gothic-ish-esque in tone. That's what I was going, for anyway, that sort of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, recounted supernatural story feel.

Phil, Dark Shadows...  Pretty Gothic Horror.  I see your point, and am not arguing the fact.  I'm saying the genre has been hijacked; not unlike the tea party.  

Herpes Cain would say "apples and oranges, yo... Apples and oranges."