Terror Tonight Listener's Guide
Terror Tonight Listener's Guide Section One: Markers
Markers serve to identify particular and potentially triggering subject matter in horror movies reviewed by Terror Tonight. Markers can be found on the movies reviewed page adjacent the Terror Tonight Markers section of any selected movie. Below is a key guide to the markers used, along with a brief description of each marker.
MARKER KEY GUIDE:
Nudity= N Sex= S Sexual Violence= SV
Violence= V Gore= G Torture= T
Profanity= P Drug Use= D Alcohol Use= A
Descriptions:
Alcohol Use: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Alcohol use and consumption.
Drug Use: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Drug use and consumption.
Gore: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Gore (A.K.A Blood & Guts).
Nudity: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Nudity (Including Doll Nudity.... Looking at you Seed of Chucky).
Profanity: Use of strong language ( Cursing, Swearing, & Other types of Sailor's Mouth)
Sex: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Sexual activity.
Sexual Violence: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Sexual Violence. This term is used to cover a wide array of sex crimes, such as sexual assault, sexual abuse, and rape. Please note that any movie listed with an SV notification on the Terror Tonight website has a scene or scenes that contain such crimes and events. As the topics of Sexual Violence are extremely sensitive and can be very triggering for some viewers, we here at Terror Tonight have decided to add this marker to try and help prevent any discomfort or pain one may encounter from such depictions. It is the responsibility of the individual viewer to use their own discretion and judgment when deciding to watch Horror titles with this marking.
Torture: Depiction(s) of varying levels of physical and psychological Torture.
Violence: Depiction(s) of varying levels of Violence. ( You know what it is people the stabby stab, the slashy slash, the rock'em sock'em)
Terror Tonight Listener's Guide Section Two:
Sub Genres & The Wheel Of Terror
THE THIRTEEN HORROR SUB-GENRES OF TERROR TONIGHT:
1. Apocalyptic:
Apocalyptic Horror is a sub-genre that embodies foreboding imminent disaster and the end of civilization as we know it. Films such as 28 Days Later (2002) and John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness (1987) are two examples of this sub-genre.
2. Black Comedy:
Black Comedy Horror is a sub-genre that addresses the tragic and taboo nature of horror films with humor and comical self-awareness. Films such as Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010) and Scary Movie (2000) are two shining examples of this sub-genre.
3. Folktale:
Folktale Horror is a sub-genre that pulls from cultural or societal folklore, fairy tales, superstitions, and various belief systems in its journey to scare its audience. Films such as Krampus (2015), La Llorona (2019), and Candyman (1992) are all examples of this horror sub-genre.
4. Found Footage:
Found Footage Horror is a unique sub-genre and cinematic technique that presents all, or the majority of all, the film's events through the lens of discovered footage. Films such as Grave Encounters (2011) and The Blair Witch Project (1999) are two examples of this horror sub-genre.
5. Giant Monsters:
Giant Monster Horror is a self-explanatory sub-genre that features monsters of colossal sizes. Films such as Tremors (1990) and Godzilla (2014) are two examples of this monstrous horror sub-genre.
6. Gorefest:
Gorefest Horror is a sub-genre that features, or rather boasts, an immense amount of body horror and gore in an attempt to shock and scare its audience. Films such as Hostle (2005), Saw (2004), and Terrifier (2016) are all bloody good examples of this messy sub-genre.
7. Natural:
Natural Horror is a sub-genre that features animals, plants, or other natural forces in order to thrill and scare its audience. Films such as Anaconda (1997) and The Ruins (2008) are two notable examples of this sub-genre.
8. Old School:
Old School Horror is a sub-genre encompassing all horror movies prior to the groundbreaking horror films of 1968. Films such as Häxan (1922), The Wolfman (1941), and Psycho (1960) are all excellent examples of this sub-genre.
9. Paranormal:
Paranormal Horror is a sub-genre that has established itself by terrifying its audience by means of ghosts, poltergeists, demons, & other spectral apparitions. Films such as The Exorcist (1973), The Conjuring (2017), and Insidious (2010) are all examples of this sub-genre.
10. Psychological:
Psychological Horror is a sub-genre that focuses on the characters' mental, emotional, and psychological state in order to scare and connect with the audience on a deeper level. Films such as The Babadook (2014) and The Descent (2005) are examples of this sub-genre.
11. Sci-Fi:
Sci-Fi Horror is a sub-genre that is most commonly associated with otherwordly horror and, or futuristic settings, technological advances, and other similar scientific concepts. Films such as The Thing (1982) , Alien (1979), A Quiet Place(2018) , and The Invisible Man (2020) are examples of this sub-genre.
12. Slasher:
Slasher Horror is arguably the most well-known Horror sub-genre as it deploys a simple formula of a killer(s) stalking a group of people (most likely teens) and then killing them off one by one, most commonly with a sharp stabby object. Films such as Halloween (1978), Scream (1996), and Friday the 13th (1980) are examples of this sub-genre.
13. Supernatural:
Supernatural Horror is arguably the most debated Horror sub-genre amongst the Horror community. Here at Terror Tonight, we define Supernatural Horror as a horror film containing elements, phenomena, or entities that break the known laws of nature (Ghosts, Demons, and other spectors excluded as they fall into the Paranormal subgenre). Films such as The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) , Dracula (1931), and The Witch (2015) are examples of this sub-genre.
THE WHEEL OF TERROR:
The Wheel of Terror is the tool of choice for selecting the category of each week's movie here at Terror Tonight. The Wheel consists of the thirteen categories above and will be spun at the end of each week's episode to determine the category of horror that will be reviewed the next week.
