Yuku free message boards
Username or E-mail:
Password:
Forgot
Password?
Sign Up
Grab the Yuku app
Search:
Classic Horror Film Board
>
General Horror and Sci-Fi
>
BLACK & WHITE OR COLOR / ANY PREFERENCE?
0 Points
Search this Topic:
Remove this ad
Add Reply
Forum Jump
Welcome to the CHFB
Forum Guidelines
CHFB TURNS 20!
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
Universal Horrors
The Universal Monsters Blu-Ray Collection
Golden Age Horror
Kong - 8th Wonder of the World
Silent Horror
Poverty Row
The World of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mystery
Thrills and Chills
'50s Horror and Sci-Fi
'60s Horror and Sci-Fi
'70s Horror and Sci-Fi
Hammer Horror
The Psycho Ward
Foreign Horror
Japanese Giants
Horror and Sci-Fi of Recent Decades
Current Films
Second Takes on Films of the 2000s
Independent Films and Documentaries
Coming Soon
TV Terrors
Classic Horror on DVD, Blu-Ray and Streaming
Stream and Stream Again
Horror Film Books and Magazines
Horror by Candlelight
Horror Comics and Fantasy Art
Monster Toys and Collectibles
Classic Horror Movie Memorabilia
Horror Music
Old Time Radio and Audio Horror
Classic Horror Online
CHFB Member Reviews
Our Favorite Horror Hosts
Classic Disney Scares
Horror Film Stars
Men Behind the Monsters
Monster Kid Memories
General Horror and Sci-Fi
Horror Tech
Movie of the Day
Off Topic Discussions
Classic Horror News and Events
Birthdays and Holidays
DVR / TiVo Alert
Final Farewells
Classic Horror Polls
Classic Horror Classifieds
Monster Kids Helping Monster Kids
<< Previous Topic
Next Topic >>
Re: BLACK & WHITE OR COLOR / ANY PREFERENCE?
Author
Comment
Vlad the Inhaler
Re: BLACK & WHITE OR COLOR / ANY PREFERENCE?
#1
[-]
Sep 25 06 12:51 PM
Reply
Quote
More
My Recent Posts
I think it depends on the film in question -- its genre, its subject matter, its tone. The benefits of black-and-white and/or color photography work for some things better than others.
These examples are based on my own personal taste and humble opinion; I'm certainly not trying to lay down any laws...
To start with the reason we're all here, horror films, especially the traditional gothic sort that deal with the supernatural, seem for me to be better in black-and-white. The shadows, the fogs and mists, the interior architecture of the castles, towers, mills, etc. of seem to take on a tactile silkiness that I find aesthetically pleasing. Likewise the costumes and makeup; given extra depth by the infinite shades of gray.
The same could be said for mystery/detective films; whether classical or
film noir
. Sherlock Holmes and Philip Marlowe seem naturally more at home in a shadowy black-and-white universe.
Westerns, on the other hand, greatly benefit from either palette. When showcasing the grandeur of the American West, either an Ansel Adams-style black-and-white or a glorious three-strip Technicolor can create sublime beauty. See John Ford's
My Darling Clementine
and
The Searchers
for perfect examples of the former and the latter.
Adventure films, for me at least, work better in color; especially Technicolor. It's hard to imagine a black-and-white James Bond film, or
North by Northwest
, or
Jaws
, or
The Adventures of Robin Hood
, or
The Hunt for Red October
. Color just seems to amplify the bigger-than-life aspects of these stories.
Comedies, romances, musicals, and straight drama can go either way. At this point in the history of cinema, when color is almost 100% standard, to do these types of films in black-and-white is something of a fashion statement on the part of the filmmaker. The technique calls attention to itself; in McLuhanesque terms, it becomes part of the film's message.
Probably an unnecessarily complicated answer to a simple question. :-)
Vlad
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.
-- H. P. Lovecraft
<< Previous Topic
Next Topic >>
Add Reply
Forum Jump
Welcome to the CHFB
Forum Guidelines
CHFB TURNS 20!
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
Universal Horrors
The Universal Monsters Blu-Ray Collection
Golden Age Horror
Kong - 8th Wonder of the World
Silent Horror
Poverty Row
The World of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mystery
Thrills and Chills
'50s Horror and Sci-Fi
'60s Horror and Sci-Fi
'70s Horror and Sci-Fi
Hammer Horror
The Psycho Ward
Foreign Horror
Japanese Giants
Horror and Sci-Fi of Recent Decades
Current Films
Second Takes on Films of the 2000s
Independent Films and Documentaries
Coming Soon
TV Terrors
Classic Horror on DVD, Blu-Ray and Streaming
Stream and Stream Again
Horror Film Books and Magazines
Horror by Candlelight
Horror Comics and Fantasy Art
Monster Toys and Collectibles
Classic Horror Movie Memorabilia
Horror Music
Old Time Radio and Audio Horror
Classic Horror Online
CHFB Member Reviews
Our Favorite Horror Hosts
Classic Disney Scares
Horror Film Stars
Men Behind the Monsters
Monster Kid Memories
General Horror and Sci-Fi
Horror Tech
Movie of the Day
Off Topic Discussions
Classic Horror News and Events
Birthdays and Holidays
DVR / TiVo Alert
Final Farewells
Classic Horror Polls
Classic Horror Classifieds
Monster Kids Helping Monster Kids
Share This
Email to Friend
del.icio.us
Digg it
Facebook
Blogger
Yahoo MyWeb
Classic Horror Film Board
>
General Horror and Sci-Fi
>
BLACK & WHITE OR COLOR / ANY PREFERENCE?
Click to subscribe by RSS
Click to receive E-mail notifications of replies