Use of Cults and Symbols in Horror

• Many supernatural horrors use cults or other sinister groups of people to scare the audience into thinking the film is more realistic. A cult is a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or as imposing excessive control over members. The use of cults in particular is scary to the audience because they are usually associated with sinister motives, e.g. Satan worshipers.  As in lots of horror films a main theme is religion, cults fit in very easily with the film.  An example of a cult is the paranormal activity 4, there is a group of women who could be described as a cult of witches.  This cult is portrayed as very sinister as they are only shown at night and all have very blank, expressionless faces.  This could be a sign of brainwash or possession, two common associations with cults.  They are also all moving on mass and have matching necklaces to show they are all one group and are very close knit.

An example of a use of symbols would be in the film Signs.  This is a horror which incorporates the use of aliens.  They use the tradition crop circles as the sign that the aliens are on earth.  When crop circles are mentioned, most people would automatically think of aliens are inexplicable happenings so the film producers already have the audience wondering if aliens do really exist.

A main use of symbols within horror films is for satanic or demonic reasons.  These symbols are usually drawn on a wall or door, probably in blood, or etched into a person's body.  They are used to present are meaning to events that have gone on or give some sort of an insight into a character or their past.  For example in Sinister, the demon leaves the same symbol where ever it goes, usually after it has just killed people.  So when you see the symbol, the audience know to expect the worst as they associate it with the demon. 

 When symbols are etched or tattooed onto people's skin, it usually gives a hint as too what sort of character the are or if they have had a past troubled by cults or demons.  An example of this is in The Devil Inside where the mother has an upside down cross etched into the inner lip.  This is a sign of the anti-Christ and so is ominous to the audience about the character.

I wanted to make a response to my research to get some more practical experience.  So I researched various demonic symbolism and decided to use the symbol for anarchy because it is a bit different to the commonly used religious symbols.  I felt that when symbols are etched into the skin it is much more effective than when they are just drawn on a wall, so I tried to recreate a simpler version of cut special effects.  I do not own a full, professional special effects kit so I used materials that were available to me; eyeliner, eye shadow, glue and food colouring.   

• The first step was using a pink eyeliner.  I used this to create a base shape and to make the skin look red and irritated.

• The next step was using black eye shadow to create a dark, more intense line.  It also make the skin look bruised.
•  I then used a mixture of PVA glue and red food colouring to create a raised effect of blood and broken skin.  

 I then added more light tones of black eye shadow to create more bruising.  This makes the symbol look more realistic.

I then added some black eye liner to the edges to create an almost burnt look as though the symbol had been branded onto the skin.