BD Write-Off Discussion Thread

[Willowfang]

Yeah, that's a good one.

Eco-Horror - "mother nature" strikes back. Albeit like giant animals from Food of the God, plants or Triffids, or even malicious weather.

[Erebus Dirge]

Also I was thinking how about we write a " Horror-Noir" a horror story of any type written in the "noir" style or setting. It would be cool to write a Sin City-esque dialogue/first person narration of a Vampire as he goes about his nightly life. I.e.- "I bit her neck. Her jugular vein was sweet and stringy like liquorice, her blood hit me hard like best bourbon. "
That kind of thing.

[Willowfang]

Originally Posted by Erebus Dirge

Also I was thinking how about we write a " Horror-Noir" a horror story of any type written in the "noir" style or setting. It would be cool to write a Sin City-esque dialogue/first person narration of a Vampire as he goes about his nightly life. I.e.- "I bit her neck. Her jugular vein was sweet and stringy like liquorice, her blood hit me hard like best bourbon. "
That kind of thing.

Hmm. well, if you could find a good definition to post.

Sounds like you mean the heavy voice over style used in detective movies/shows a lot, like Mike Hammer and B&W movies with Humphrey Bogart.

While certainly a cool style, I do wonder about people having to write in a certain style. That's not the same as choosing a theme or genre for them.

Still, if it's popular enough to get the votes, that can only be a good thing.

[Erebus Dirge]

Originally Posted by Willowfang

Hmm. well, if you could find a good definition to post.

Sounds like you mean the heavy voice over style used in detective movies/shows a lot, like Mike Hammer and B&W movies with Humphrey Bogart.

While certainly a cool style, I do wonder about people having to write in a certain style. That's not the same as choosing a theme or genre for them.

Still, if it's popular enough to get the votes, that can only be a good thing.

A prime example of Horror-Noir is John Constantine Hellblazer ( the comic not the Keanue Reeves movie).

Dexter the tv series and books are another good example of Horror-Noir.

Yeah that's definition of "Noir" Blade Runner was sci-fi noir. It's basically a mood, setting and tone. It's cynical, street wise and bitter sweet at times.

Here's a defination I found. I hope it helps...

1. The Seedy Underworld
Noir Definition Seedy UnderworldThe setting of any great noir piece is the filthy underbelly of the polished public. This place is filthy, grimy, bleak, and often deranged. Expect steaming sewer grates, torrential downpours, second-hand-smoke, and nefarious characters. Crime thrives here, and its perveyors are brutally corrupt and extremely adept. Sadly, these roads are lined with condemned buildings labeled 'hope,' 'faith,' and 'charity.'
2. The Anti-Hero
Noir Definition Anti-HeroThe main character of the noir genre is at best despicable. We are fascinated with his/her moral ambiguity and glaring flaws while hiding our disgust with the same. Dangling from this character's lips is the tell-tale cigarette and the greasy tendril of smoke tickles the street lamp above. Usually this character's life is at stake, and this is almost always due to their own poor choices. We quietly root for him/her and cringe when the baseball bat or crowbar beats their brow bloody.
3. Femme Fatale
Noir Definition Femme FataleA secret ingredient that adds spice and variety to any noir is the femme fatale. She is sultry, sexy, and manipulative. Her power over the main character is unmistakable and she gently leads him along to meet her own ends. Elegance of speech and brutal double crossings as common as lipstick stains on wine glasses and discarded lingerie. She is deadly, untrustworthy, and 9 times out of 10 the villain.
4. Misogyny
Noir Definition MisogynyThroughout the genre of noir, there seems to be a fairly steady stream of misogyny. I'm not suggesting that this "dame-hating" is always aware of itself or that it's a conscious decision by the noir creators, but it rears itself very consistently in each piece. Women are the villains, the burdens, and the childish fools that merely tolerated by the hero. Also the women are always "male-defined." Their behaviors, attitudes, and appearance are constantly pandering to a male audience. I assume that this must be incredibly frustrating for female audiences (it frustrates me and I'm a male). As a result of these male definitions, noir seems to always focus on beautiful women with low sexual standards and no depth of character (other than where it serves plot). Recently I've read that there are some female authors who have reversed the roles in modern noir novels. I hope to read some of them soon so I can report back my findings.
5. Redemption
Another theme that has presented itself in my studies is that of redemption. In noir, the detective always arrives after the tragedy has taken place. He is plunged into a world of chaos, where something whole was just shattered (murder, rape, violence, etc.). His job is completely consumed with trying to redeem the unredeemable. Think Batman. Bruce Wayne is haunted by the murder of his parents. He decides to seek vengeance for the rest of his life by "righting" all the wrongs in Gotham. The only catch is that his task is impossible. He cannot change the fact that his parents are dead, nor can he completely succeed in purifying Gotham. He can' t win. The only measure of success he achieves is through putting as many pieces back together as he can. In this way we (the audience) are lead to believe that something has actually been redeemed. We feel better about the injustice when we know how or why it happened, even though it still occurred. Dean DeFino calls this "illusions of order" and "intellectual control." He says that "the story redeems that sense of order and control by (fictionally) exposing its logic, its cause-and-effect chain, how one thing leads to another."

All if not most of these elements are a good fit for horror cross-splicing. It doesn't need to have the first person narration as described before but it would definately add to it.

[Erebus Dirge]

If you look in my DEMETIONS thread both myself ( Matt Malleus -Exorcise with Extreme Predjuice) and Robch (A Monster in My Room) have both written examples of Horror-Noir, both are very different stories yet both have the hall marks of Noir. My story is a more extreme version while Robch's is more subtle and understated. I have an idea for title of the contest if it goes ahead - Bloody Pulp - Tales of Horror-Noir.

[Willowfang]

Sounds cool.

The only draw back as I said is if it forces a writer to use a specific set of grammar "rules"

I'm not actually opposed to the noir idea, only that it may make things strangely difficult for the writer.

On the other hand, and I do want a lot of input on what other people think, if maybe make this a third choice. While it is indeed a genre, it gives less freedom in writing style, but also more freedom to your concept. Like Space is Space, but Noir could be any where, any time, any bad guy.

[Erebus Dirge]

Originally Posted by Willowfang

Sounds cool.

The only draw back as I said is if it forces a writer to use a specific set of grammar "rules"

I'm not actually opposed to the noir idea, only that it may make things strangely difficult for the writer.

On the other hand, and I do want a lot of input on what other people think, if maybe make this a third choice. While it is indeed a genre, it gives less freedom in writing style, but also more freedom to your concept. Like Space is Space, but Noir could be any where, any time, any bad guy.

Yeah Noir doesn't necessarliy need to have a time or place, such as blade runner is scifi noir. The writer doesn't need to write in first person or a traditionally noir style but must contain at least 3 of the elements of noir in it.
I mean you can have a Noir about the Big Bad Wolf for example and Red Riding Hood being the traditional femme fatale, but it's all set in the fair tale enviroment seen from BBW's point of view of how he had this plan and it's all got screwed up just because of this one broad. You can call it something like " Devil in a Red Hood".

[prettyscary]

Writing according to a genre is more of a challenge to me, but all these sound great!

[Willowfang]

Had another theme idea, not saying it's great or anything, but there have been some great movies using it. Just trying to spark some discussion and ideas.

"Below the Surface": Albeit ground or water. It's easy enough to look around or watch the skies, but how much more hidden and unprepared can we be against what we don't even know is there.

Movies such as Jaws, Tremors, Blood Beach, Them!, The Mole People, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Or even hollow Earth settings. Just what all lurks below?

[Erebus Dirge]

Originally Posted by Willowfang

Had another theme idea, not saying it's great or anything, but there have been some great movies using it. Just trying to spark some discussion and ideas.

"Below the Surface": Albeit ground or water. It's easy enough to look around or watch the skies, but how much more hidden and unprepared can we be against what we don't even know is there.

Movies such as Jaws, Tremors, Blood Beach, Them!, The Mole People, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Or even hollow Earth settings. Just what all lurks below?

Yeah Terra-Terror! That's a good one. It's a primal fear we all have since we all know that one way or another we are going there. Also the dirt hides all kinds of horrors. I just had a brillant idea about a landscape gardener trying to get rid of a horrific pallid Lovecraftian pest/weed that's draining all the life from the earth and plantlife , then it moves up to bigger pray bugs, then moles , the family cat and finally moving it's way up the ladder as it hunger grows.