If someone would kindly explain to me, what exactly a 'gothic'is? Such as a gothic screenplay, or a gothic film? It would be very appreciated.

Does it have anything to do with those people in black?

Goth·ic  

adj
1.  architecture of medieval architectural style: belonging to a style of architecture used in Western Europe from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and characterized by pointed arches, flying buttresses, and high curved ceilings  

2.  arts of medieval artistic style: belonging to a style of music, painting, or sculpture practiced in parts of Europe from the 12th to the 15th centuries  

3.  history of Middle Ages: relating to the Middle Ages  

4.  or Goth·ic or goth·ic literature of eerie fiction style: belonging to a genre of fiction characterized by gloom and darkness, often with a grotesque or supernatural plot unfolding in an eerie or lonely location such as a ruined castle  

5.  peoples of the Goths: relating to or typical of the Goths, or their language or culture  


n
LANGUAGE extinct language of ancient Goths: an extinct language formerly spoken by the ancient Goths in parts of Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea.
It is one of the East Germanic group of the Germanic branch of Indo-European.

-Goth·i·cal·ly, adv
-Goth·ic·ness, n


* Note from Breanne - Number 4 is, of course, the one meant when a gothic story is written but all the different definitions derived from the people known as Goths:


Goth  

(plural Goths)
n
member of ancient Germanic people: a member of an ancient Germanic people who settled south of the Baltic and from the 3rd to the 5th centuries founded kingdoms in many parts of the Roman Empire  

[Old English gotan “Goths.” From late Latin Gothi , of prehistoric Germanic origin.]

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Quoted Text a style of writing popular in the late 18th century which produced stories set in lonely frightening places: Gothic novels | Gothic horror films, with ruined castles, haunted graveyards, and eerie noises.

The genre of Gothic horror film has existed almost as long as the cinema itself, and it has always fascinated people. As the definition above suggests, the word can be loosely used to define any horror story with suitable settings, but such themes as disturbing dreams, desperate, undying love and melancholic romanticisation of death are also usually important in Gothic cinema.

Thank-you very much.

Quoted from Old Time Wesley The genre of Gothic horror film has existed almost as long as the cinema itself, and it has always fascinated people. As the definition above suggests, the word can be loosely used to define any horror story with suitable settings, but such themes as disturbing dreams, desperate, undying love and melancholic romanticisation of death are also usually important in Gothic cinema.

the Gothic realm has actually been around hundreds of years before Mexico was name Mexico. Back around the beginning of theatrical plays (noting from when theatre was started to present day).

Basically, something that could exist in Transylvania.  If you know d&d and Ravenloft - that's Gothic.

Anyone have some good film examples of this genre? I'm pondering them as we speak and will modify accordingly when I come up with something...

Try movies as "The Haunting" (1963 version) or "The Innocents".

Michel

I consider “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” to fit into this genre. It’s certainly supernatural. Some of the story takes place in London but some takes place at Dracula’s eerie isolated castle in Transylvania. It’s the only vampire story I really much care for. I like the tragic element of it. It’s really a tragedy as much as horror. But I consider it gothic, especially since so many gothic stories have lifted little bits from it.

I know it’s usually considered a monster movie but I can see it as gothic.