Continuity in Horror Films

c - 13

So I was watching From Dusk 'Till Dawn last night, a bloody excellent film might I add and I noticed something when they were killing the vampires.

Instead of stabbing the vampires through the heart with stakes, it was mostly through the stomach (some were hearts fair enough), which for some reason I can't quite put my finger on mildly annoyed/amused me for some reason.

Anyone think of any more examples of this for me to look out for ? I'm not specifically talking about film "goofs" here more so parts where you watch and are thinking "What, you cant kill a damn zombie by shooting it in the stomach !"

Hmm, maybe continuity wasn't the right word to use here but I couldnt think of anything more appropriate ...

r3nu4l

Are you sure they weren't driving the stakes into the solar plexus, up through the diaphragm and into the heart? It's an easier way to kill someone than stabbing through their ribcage as bone gets in the way

Also, if you use a serrated edge on a knife (or a stake) and twist the knife/stake around before pulling it out again you do more damage, if you've missed the heart...

Maybe not so valid with vampires but it works well on people.

c - 13

100% certain that it was right through the centre of the stomach in a lot of scenes.

I'm having problems finding images here and i'm posting from my work computer so I dont have the film to make screen captures. I might try get some later.

spooky donkey

I remember an in buffy the vamp slayer the TV show they started stabing the Vanps any where and they would turn to dust. I remember on where the willow vamp got stabed in the lower back and that was enough to do here in .

Also in The recent irish horror Shrooms its raining one secene the next its not, then that could just be ireland.

If you look at any movie in www.imdb.com you will find it lists the movies continuity goofs and you will find that just about every movie has them.

niallon

I can;t remember exactly but didn't Harvey Keitel bless the stakes in Dusk Till Dawn? I think that's the angle they were going with, didn't matter where they stabbed them so long as it was blessed. Could be wrong though...

It's a good observation about the continuity though, and I think it's most askew with vampires in particular. Look at the hammer Dracula films, they got sick of the stake and so suddenly running water can kill a vampire, then garlic is thrown into the equation and then at the lowest point, he gets electrocuted!!

Also look at the zombie films for the other side of the coin, the head shot kill always remains, no exceptions!

c - 13

niallon wrote: »

I can;t remember exactly but didn't Harvey Keitel bless the stakes in Dusk Till Dawn? I think that's the angle they were going with, didn't matter where they stabbed them so long as it was blessed. Could be wrong though...

Hmm, you may be correct there actually. I thought only blessed the water. Although even in the first fight

after Quentin Tarintino's char was killed

they were using table legs, pool cues etc, none of which would have been blessed.

niallon wrote: »

It's a good observation about the continuity though, and I think it's most askew with vampires in particular. Look at the hammer Dracula films, they got sick of the stake and so suddenly running water can kill a vampire, then garlic is thrown into the equation and then at the lowest point, he gets electrocuted!!

Also look at the zombie films for the other side of the coin, the head shot kill always remains, no exceptions!

Thats exactly what I'm on about there, in other films beheading the vampires also works.

Also with regards sunlight, in some films a tiny amount of sunlight can kill them, but in others they can last in the sun of a while (Near Dark, Dusk Till Dawn).

Werewolf films are also notorious for changing the rules required to kill them.

niallon

c - 13 wrote: »

Also with regards sunlight, in some films a tiny amount of sunlight can kill them, but in others they can last in the sun of a while (Near Dark, Dusk Till Dawn).

Yup, always thought Frost wearing sunscreen in Blade was well too much of a stretch, though admittedly cool!