The Voice in Horror (and the horror in Voice)
 

Hi all.

As discussed in the Theory Thread I am starting a thread on the voice in horror films.

I am very interested in hearing of any particular scenes that you recall a voice/breathing/laughter or scream being particularly unsettling/terrifying/horrifying/weird.

I ask because the voice in horror is an area I am currently researching but I don't want any

I am interested in how presence and corporeality/physicality relate to voice in horror films.

So particular tropes such as:

1 - spectral voices, godly ubiquity (acousmatic - see Chion) e.g. Candyman, Wizard of Oz,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOcPVmS2-_4
The Woman In Black (1989)
Candyman (1992)
Testament of Dr Mabuse (1932)

2 - dislocated/relocated voices (possession, ventriloquism) e.g Regan in The Exorcist, Magic, Dead of Night,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suo3m...layer_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imktf...layer_embedded
Exorcist (1973)
Magic (1978)
Dead of Night (1945)
Dead Silence (2007)

3 - Voice vanishings/mutations that signify a change, especially instances that amplify the guttural bodily voice - e.g the dopplegangers in HHoH ep 12 The Two Faces of Evil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdKxy...layer_embedded

4 - Split Subject Voice - voices from the unconscious, schizophrenic voices, split personalities etc etc
Psycho (1960)
Sisters (1973)

My first goal is to build up examples of these, so really I'd just be happy to get a few recommendations of scary voices/uncanny voices in film scenes.

I realise that there is a history of scary screams and laughs that is already well addressed. The Wilhelm scream, and Vincent Prices laugh

Thanks - really looking forward to watching your recommendations!

Films List
 

Session 9 (2001)
Blow Out (1981)
Candyman (1992)
Dead of Night (1945)
Dead Silence (2007)
Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)
Devil Commands, The (1941)
Don't Go In The House (1980)
Exorcist, The (1973)
Fly, The (1958)
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
Invisible Man Returns, The (1940)
Knowing (2009)
Kill Baby Kill!/Operazione Paura (1966)
Magic (1978)
Mas Negro Que La Noche (1975)
My Sweet Killer (1999)
Pillow Of Death (1945)
Psycho (1960)
Puppet Masters, The (1994)
Testament of Dr Mabuse (1932)
The Stone Tape (1972)
The Woman In Black (1989)
Twice-Told Tales (1963)
Sisters (1973)
Uninvited, The (1944)
The Changeling (1980)
Prince of Darkness (1987)

you should check out a book called UNCANNY BODIES by Robert Spadoni - it deals with sound & horror

Impressive list =) I don't have many recommendations to give, but I'd love to read the final product!

cheers, great tip - just had a look through the google book and voice is mentioned quite extensively - many thanks Zero.

always here to help!

(except when I'm not)

You would adore-the original The Woman In Black (1989)

and The Stone Tape (1972)

Also Session 9 (2001)
Don't Go In THe House (1980)

Fearonsarms - cheers, will check those out, thanks.

Oh, meant to post this in the original post - this is my latest musing on laughter in horror. If anyone has further examples for this topic that'd be great.

http://vocalitiesavc.blogspot.co.uk/...-laughter.html

Two interesting random favorites of mine that feature odd, distorted or otherwise frightening voices:

The Changeling (1980)
Prince of Darkness (1987)

excellent recommendation! So good.

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crabapple - looking forward to checking those out too

thanks for all the recommendations.

I've starting thinking about my categories and have split them into 4 groups. If you're interested in examples check the links, it'd be nice to hear any comments you have on these as well as any further recommendations

The Split Subject Voice

Dislocated/Relocated Voices

The Spectral Acousmatic Voice

A-linguistic sounds of corporeal transformation

That video (episode 12/Hammer House of Horror) was outstanding! I was sucked into it like a hair ball into a vacuum.

hahaha, glad you like it!

I've been totally absorbed by The Woman in Black - great great TV Film. I re-watched Psycho last night - woke up and posted this: http://notesfromthevomitorium.blogsp...in-horror.html

It's a bit of analysis of Psycho and also provides some context for my first 3 categories. The forth category is where HHoH ep. 12 belongs and it is by far the scariest category in my opinion! Will have to find more examples of it and post some thoughts on it soon.

Really glad you enjoyed The Woman In Black (1989)-the voices from the past are genuinely terrifying :)

For evil spectral laughter you would really enjoy Kill Baby Kill!/Operazione Paura (1966)

The Stone Tape is amazing, such a great film, side orders of racism and sexism are cringey though!

Will definitely check out Kill Baby Kill soon.

Yeah that sadly is typical of 70s BBC TV thankfully it no longer happens.

Watched Changeling last night - amazing film...

Peter in The Stone Tape is just too funny- dude is like a chimerical sexist mutant of:

1) Clarkson. - E.G. after twisting Janes nipples whilst yelling "porn channel 1! porn channel 2!" he shrewdly covers himself by saying ye olde clarkson get out clause of "only joking"

2) Noel Edmonds. - E.g. Shirts, paunch, stature, hair.

3) Alan Partridge. E.g. When with the lads one must should at all times, talking is for sissies - real men shout.

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They guy is just too funny.

OMG lol! Clarkson is a revolting chauvinist pig. Noel Edmonds is sinister and creepy. Alan Partridge at least is a fictional character though you do wonder how much Steve Coogan is "acting" when he plays the role. A mix of the three is a pretty spot on assessment of Peter in The Stone Tape I love it.

I also love The Changeling great atmospheric horror :)

Argento's Suspiria has the whole bag sewn up.

How on earth did I forget that!!!Brilliant and amazing film :)

See this is exactly why I posted the thread! I must've seen this film maybe three times now and it never occurred to me! THANK YOU The_Knife!

Glad you love the film :) Anyone who hasn't seen Suspiria needs to at least once although it gets even better with more viewings. I hope I get to see it at a cinema someday with the enhanced sound and visuals they have :)

Yeah, seeing it screened would be amazing. In the meantime it is out on blue-ray :-)

"The Shining" is going on the list!

I say movies like Insidious really used the whole errie quietness with the freaky voices and sounds really well. like the part with the baby monitor was great how the build up was perfect.

Movies like White Noise and The Others did a pretty good job with just allowing the voices creep you out.

Cheers Ice Pik - how could I forget White Noise?!?!?! I just read a whole book about electronic voice phenomena!!! - On that tio I ought to revisit The Ring films - I can't remember if there are any voices in that - I have a feeling there may be as it's such a psychological horror film.

I can't remember The Others but will revisit it. I've never seen Insidious.

Others was the one with I think Nicole Kidman where her kids are allergic to the sunlight and there's weird noised and footsteps throughout the house.

Insidious is also a great horror film that really brought the suspense and on the edge of your chair back to the genre. They really are quite good with the suspenseful noises and having the perfect timing for the scare to be intense.

Insidious looks great - totally going to get the blue-ray. Cheers IP.

Insidious is brill so I'll second that rec :)

Watched Insidious last night. Good film. Interesting in that voice tends to be the consistent affect across two dimensions (whereas appearance is not). The first introduction to another world is via a voice emanating from the baby monitor, and later the only connection left to the 'real' world is the voices - the voice of the wife reaching, echoing into the further.

I must admit, I felt the depiction of the spirits went too far at times. The fight scene in the first seance and the bed scramble with the fire faced man later on were needless. The less a film depicts the object of fear the better imo - which is why films like Exorcist and The Shining work so well - there is a manifestation but no depiction of the actual threat....

The Blair Witch Project's most terrifying scenes involved voices. For instance, children laughing in the woods or the constant screams in the house. These are why I consider this film to be the scariest of all time. Probably under the second category that you mentioned.

I would've thought that laughter or screams in the woods or in the house would be the third category - spectral acousmatic voice - the presence of a voice with no perceivable source - an unknown source.

This is pretty much the most common horror trope for me tbh, and ubiquitous in shooter/horror/suspense games such as resident evil, silent hill and doom. The acousmatic grunting, snorting or shrieking haunts the gamer - raising the tension - due to a present presence of unknown location and unknown proximity. There - but where?

Suspiria Blue Ray arrived today so will probably be posting about that too soon. Also Dead Silence by James Wan looks interesting - seems to fall squarely into the second category (relocated voices) - expect it pivots around the power of ventriloquisitic horror in the same vain as Magic, Dead of Night etc....

I realized I said it in the wrong category after I posted the comment. It wold probably go into the third category.

I think it is really interesting when a formulation of voice shifts from one category to the other - and opens up a horror or a realisation..... I'd say The Wizard in Wizard of Oz shifts from acousmatic (category 3) to relocated - from nowhere to a body (category 2).

Can't really think of many more..

Yeah the second part of of insidious was kinda cheesy.

Another movie maybe would be Hellraiser. The voice and noises the cenobites make to me really speak pure evil.
quotes -"No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering."

Lead Cenobite: The box... you opened it, we came.
Kirsty Cotton: It's just a puzzle box!
Lead Cenobite: Oh no, it is a means to summon us.
Kirsty Cotton: Who are you?
Lead Cenobite: Explorers... in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.
Kirsty Cotton: It was a mistake! I didn't... I didn't mean to open it! It was a mistake! You can... GO TO HELL!
Female Cenobite: We can't. Not alone.
Lead Cenobite: You solved the box, we came. Now you must come with us, taste our pleasures.
Lead Cenobite: Please! Go away and leave me alone!
Lead Cenobite: Oh, no tears please. It's a waste of good suffering!
Kirsty Cotton: Wait! Wait! Please, please wait!
Lead Cenobite: No time for argument.
Kirsty Cotton: You've done this before, right?
Lead Cenobite: Many, many times.
Kirsty Cotton: To... to a man called Frank Cotton?
Female Cenobite: Oh, yes.
Kirsty Cotton: He escaped you!
Lead Cenobite: Nobody escapes us!
Kirsty Cotton: He did! I've seen him, I've seen him! He's alive!
Lead Cenobite: Supposing he had escaped us, what has that to do with you?
Kirsty Cotton: I... I can... I can lead you to him and you... you can take him back instead of me!
Female Cenobite: Perhaps we prefer YOU!
Lead Cenobite: I want to hear him confess, himself. Then maybe... maybe...
Female Cenobite: But if you cheat us...
Lead Cenobite: We'll tear your soul apart!

not really sure if that will help

I like the laughter Steve Geoffrey does in Fright Night (1985)

thanks - I'll have to check out Hellraiser and Fright Night. I watched the others today - an exemplary scene is the one where the childs voice remains the constant as the body shifts from child to old woman and back again - great scene.

Guys, I've seen loads of great horror films recently. Mama, The Posessed, The Unborn - all really good.

I also finished typing up my blogs of the tropes

you can find the last one here:
http://notesfromthevomitorium.blogsp...sounds-of.html

Still need to check out Hellraiser....