2. ROT FACE A Short Horror Filmby “Monster” Mark Kosobucki Local Erie Filmmaker and FX Artist http://www.monstermarkweb.com
3. Noticings It’s very dark and hard to see in parts. The colors are very surreal. The music is only in certain scenes and is rather strange. When there’s no music, the silence is eerie with clatters and footsteps. The crooks seem “slimy”. The girl should be more frightened than she is.
4. Questions that Arise How long did it take to make the film? Were the actors seasoned or new to filmmaking? Who did the special FX? Were the odd colored lights intentional? Why was there a monster in the house?
5. Social, Cultural and Historical Context Social: The idea of fear, both of being robbed and of having our expectations distorted is a universal one. No matter our social status, horror (like comedy and music) is a language that nearly everyone can understand. Cultural: The “slasher” movie is a type of movie begun in the United States in the mid to late ’70s wherein the main characters are killed off one by one. This film, while containing a monster, is still very much a slasher film. Historical: The colors used are reminiscent of Italian director Dario Argento. The FX are simple but effective and in the same vein of zombie film master George A. Romero. Horror movies have a long history dating back to Thomas Edison’s Frankenstein as the first movie tale ever filmed.
6. More Contextual Information Writer/director Mark Kosobucki has been making films since 2006. He graduated with a degree in Film and Video Production from Edinboro University in 2007. He received a degree in Special FX from Tom Savini’s FX School in Monessen, PA in 2009. Thus far, all of his films have been horror films with comedy and sci-fi movie elements.
7. Personal Connections I am a fan of horror films and have been since I was in my early teens when I first saw Night of the Living Dead re-run on late night cable. Also, I was one of the actors in the film. I’ve been friends with the director for over half a decade. This is the first of his films in which I have ever been in front of the camera.
8. Curricular Connections We discussed in class that art is made in dialog. I saw this first hand during the creation of this film. I helped Mark with tips on the original script and, while filming, Mark was open to ideas and suggestions from his actors and crew while keeping true to the vision that he was creating.
10. Activities Write your own “scary” story. Create and put on your own “penny dreadful” theater. Come to a “monster” tea party as your favorite terrifying character.
11. Lines of Inquiry Aesthetic How does the artist create the story and characters for a film? What elements does the filmmaker use to draw the viewer into the world of the film? How is the film edited after the video footage is taken? Pedagogical How can we look at the genre of horror (in film and literature) in a historical context? What does what we are afraid of say about our culture and our society? How do horror and folk tales from around the world differ? How are they the same?
12. Key Ideas Creating art from elements that you have readily available. Creating a story with a group. Writing a script or play in collaboration with other writers.
14. References Mark Kosobucki’s Official Site:http://www.monstermarkweb.com/ IMDB:http://www.imdb.com/ The Eerie Horror Film Festival Site:http://www.eeriehorrorfest.com/
