Horror Film Magazine analysis

Horror Magazine Analysis

This is Empire magazine, a horror movie magazine. On this issue it is exclusive to the movie and character “Hell-boy”. The magazine title, is a bold red with fire on each letter giving the visual effect that its burning. This in my eyes seems to be a reference to hell, with the red colour theme and the fire. Also with the exclusive on the character Hell-boy it’s obvious that there is an obvious link.

The front cover image of H

ell-boy fits well, the character looks like a typical villain for a horror, with the menacing face and inhuman like armor and red skin. It’s a fearful look as it is not normal like a murderer in a mask.

The use of text around the main image is vague but encouraging. Like “First Look” and “Sneak Peek” always encourages readers to at least pick up the magazines and take a look. Especially for many horror film lovers would be intrigued for a film sneak peek or spoiler for a new film which hasn’t even been released.

Some of the side titles and texts are in bold but also can draw reading in, such as one saying “There will be blood”. People who love gore will be immediately drawn in, however horror isn’t like any other genre and can be bitter to some reader’s taste which sometimes makes it hard to sell. I believe magazine like this need to be careful when it comes to encouraging people, because in some cases it might put off some.

The background behind it all is black helping the contrast of the red to stand out better and make it more visible. Red is your most typical colour to use for a horror as it links to blood and gore. Which is the basis of most horror films. Black also fits well with the horror film too, having any other colour might not give the same horror like effect like black does.

This is a horror film magazine for the film insidious. The dark image with little lighting to show any real facial features towards this monstrous villain. The small candle light gives some assistance for readers but it still adds mystery to who the antagonist is for the new film Insidious. The masthead is bold and stands out against the dark background and no colour clashes or is unable to be visible. The font us unique and different but is still readable. The font helps to shape the front cover and it fits in well with the main image.

Right at the bottom of the front cover there is a selection of different images which show other horror films also, but its format is in a film style which is a great effect to add for the horror film magazine. One of the films featured are Scream which is listed in the sub-text, showing the masked kill with blood splatter all over his mask. The other photos share similar traits showing pictures of freeze shots of either a victim covered in blood or villains covered in blood. There is a set theme of displaying more blood and gore, so I get the feeling that this magazine is more aimed for Slasher horror.

 The colour of the font is manly red and white whereas the one previously was just red. I like how the colour red has been broken up and mixed with white lettering however I believe it draws away from the scary effect that a horror film magazine should have. However, the white on black and red on black go well and everything is visible. Red and white have a real contrast between them, red symbolising blood and white symbolises purity and innocence. This contrast confuses me as it is represented both good and evil yet this is only meant to really be symbolic of evil and all tings negative as it is a horror film magazine.

I have noticed the amount of slightly different fonts used for this particular magazine cover, and in my opinion it makes the magazine less professional as it just looks very random and rushed. Nothing has the same consistency.

The picture is very centered and surrounded has seamlessly blended into darkness which give it a smooth transition. There have been added effects to give the illusion of blood splatter on one of the sub texts to the side of the page. It has been smartly placed as it is one of the main sub texts which people will look at first as it offers “Giant fold out Posters inside” which will encourage people to buy it.

This is another horror film magazine “Gorezone”. On the front cover there is a main image of a young woman with blood splattered clothes and face. The lighting has been shifted a little with added yellow tones to give the look that she is rather gaunt. Her eyes are darker and her skin has no real colour to it. She isn’t smiling either and she has a very blank and unreadable facial expression. It fit well with the magazine and it takes up a large area on the cover.

There is a variety of colour on the cover, red, blue, white and black.  The variety of colour is large bur because of the main image taking up a large amount of space on the cover some of the colour may not have shown up as well as others would. For example, black wouldn’t be as noticeable over the image as she is wearing a black shirt and dark coloured jacket which would be a clashing contrast between two colours. The blue fits in quite well with the theme also, because red is an obvious connotation of blood, gore and even dead whereas, blue has the connotations of cold and death also. With someone dying they often feel colder as death draws near.

The text size is consistent with bold sub texts and smaller descriptions underneath each one. The biggest size text is the masthead, which is big, bold and easy to read. It is the colour red which has the connotation of blood and gore which goes very well with the magazine theme.

When looking at this cover It looks to me as if there is a theme of this issue is to do with zombies and gore, with the blood splatters around her face especially her mouth it could indicate towards that area of horror genre. I can also tell by how gaunt the front image is, the girl looks ill almost half dead, her hair isn’t perfect and her eyes are very dark and tired.