Preliminary Task

ER; Textual Analysis of The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense (1999)



Genre
The Sixth Sense belongs in the supernatural and psychological sub-genres of horror. The audience's generic expectations of the text are definitely most likely to be fulfilled as it contains all the conventional aspects of a horror movie like a build up of tension and a scary climax.

Form and Style
The opening is very conventional, set in an ordinary middle class house, a very easy to relate to location. A sense of foreboding is introduced by sound and the sight of a shadow. Two characters are introduced immediately, a man and a woman, most likely a couple. This extends the feeling of reality and normality. The title of the film connotes that the film will involve very psychological and supernatural story lines. It's about a boy who can see and talk to the dead so naturally it is likely to be a very dark film.

Film Language
The mise-en-scene is very naturalistic and almost homely, from the costumes to the set, to lure the audience into a false sense of security. Interesting camera shots like a handy cam and panning are used to give different perspectives to the scene. The sound fits in with the images well, building up as the tension builds up. Diegetic sound is used to portray reality, like the gun shots and the woman's scream. We learn that the man and woman are most likely to be a couple by the way his body language is very protective over her and her reaction to when he is shot.

Narrative
The narrative suggests that the couple are very middle class by the way they dress and behave. We assume the man with the gun is not in a sane mind because of his lack of clothing and his hysterical mood. The opening scene does not give much more away than this, making it very unpredictable. Alienation is represented straight away by the half naked man with the gun, as there is no clear relation with him and any of the other characters.


Representation and Ideology
We are introduced to a middle class couple who are immediately in a state of crisis. We can assume what class they're from because of the way they dress and act. Gender has a residual ideology as the woman cowers in the corner while the man bravely goes to investigate what has caused the mess, reinforcing a patriarchal ideology.

Media Audiences
The target audience is that of any typical horror film- male aged 14-29.

Institutional Context
This film was produced by Spyglass Entertainment making it an industrial film rather than an independent one. It's starring Bruce Willis which is important because he is such a well-known actor, attracting audiences that may not go to see it otherwise.

Concept Development

• As ways of building tension we can use body language and dialogue based around the character's emotions, fears and instabilities.
• Our strengths in filming are pre-filmic effects and innovative camera angles.
• We are interested in psychological, supernatural and teen horror.

Psychological

• "Adult fears",  that attack the audiences psychological security and safety e.g. kidnapping and human invasion.
• Monsters take the form of humans.
• Donnie Darko.
• Sixth Sense.
• The Hitcher.

Supernatural

• Mainly focused on ghosts, people who are possessed.
• Paranormal Activity.
• The Exorcist.
• The Poltergeist.
• People watch supernatural horror for the need for excitement, the desire to feel intense emotions and distractions from every day concerns.
• Provides visceral pleasure.

Teen

• Final Destination.
• Lost Boys.
• It appeals to teenagers, which is the niche audience for horror.

Psychological horror

Psychological Horror

• Sub-genre of horror fiction
• Relies on characters fears and emotional instability to build tension
• Focus is the characters mind
• The audience is positioned with the unstable character, even if they are the villain we are forced to relate with them.
• Other horror genres focus on fantastical situations such as attacks by stylized monsters, psychological horror generally involves situations based on artistic realism. 
• Characters face 'adult fears' which attack the audiences psychological safety and security. For example kidnapping, home invasion and sexual assault. 
• Creates overwhelming discomfort by exposing  emotional vulnerabilities and fears like  the repressed parts of the human psyche, such as the capabilities of human kind (everyone has the ability to kill).
• Plot twists are a device that is often used, they often include internal battles. "Subconscious desires such as romantic lust and the desire for petty revenge".
• It is a  genre that is easier for an audience to relate with than genres such as splatter fiction or torture porn, which focus on bizarre and distasteful themes. 

AR; Inspiration

The Hitcher (1986)

I found the 'full movie' of The Hitcher which is one of my favourite horror films. I would advice you watch it (the beginning) as I really think we can take a lot from it. It has a very small cast and the introduction (first 10 minutes) covers quite a lot of scary content and quickly introduces a good narrative. Its sub-genre is 'road horror' but I think it is quite psychological as the villain is an obvious psychopath and through the film it shows a lot of character development. It manages to scare an audience without any graphic violence and gore or any monsters.

Warm Bodies (2013)

This has a really different opening, it is a black comedy but is an interesting direction that we could take for out Horror opening.

CB; Textual Analysis 1 of The Skeleton Key (Softly, 2005)

Analysis of The Skeleton Key
Opening Sequence

 



Genre
The film belongs to the horror genre, being a subgenre of supernatural horror with its ghostly story background. To a great extent, the audiences generic expectations of a horror are fulfilled with the montage editing of voodoo ritual symbols and traditions in which are shown in the opening sequence. To add to the thrilling effect of a horror film, the images have been saturated in order to give a grey effect and making them look old and spooky. 

Form and Style of Opening
This style of opening is a typical montage in which provides the audience with a series of images that are portrayed throughout the film and give the audience their first insight into what the film could possibly be about. A sense of foreshadowing events are introduced within the opening as three key characters are identified, a young woman, an elderly woman and what appears to be a man with some sort of illness. We see the young woman throw the elderly woman over the edge of the upstairs railings and immediately get the impression that she is the protagonist and the elderly woman is the antagonist, instantly giving the young woman credit. This is further highlighted within character exposition, as a mid shot of the young woman holding a knife in fear is shown to communicate how she is using the weapon as a method of self defence. We also receive the feeling that the young woman is attempting to protect herself from evil as she stands in the centre of a pentagram with candles plotted all around, reinforcing that this was a religious belief thought to prevent evil from harming individuals. Evil is additionally connoted within the opening sequence, as an image of a black cat is included within the montage of images with an aim to emphasise the suspicion of black cats and in relation to witches.The title is integrated into the footage right at the very beginning of the opening, first zooming out gradually from a close up on the screen into the centre to ensure that the audience can read the title, before zooming in slightly to make the title more bold and having a lasting effect on the audience before the film begins. The title of the film connotes to be about a key in which is very old and hasn't been used for a long time as the word 'skeleton' conveys. The use of its name also suggests that whatever it opens will contain nothing but evil and something of a demonic influence.

 

Film Language - Telling the Story
Mise-en-scene helps to illustrate meaning within the sequence as it implies that the elderly woman is very respectful of her appearance as she is seen wearing a neck length frock. Also, the young woman appears to be wearing a black top within the first few images shown of her, implying evil with black also being associated with death, further foreshadowing up and coming events within the film. The camera angle within the opening sequence often places the characters to the left of the screen, giving the impression that they are looking at something in the other corner of the room in which the audience cannot see. This creates a sense of suspension and so motivates audiences to continue watching the rest of the film. The sound in which is played throughout the opening challenges audiences generic expectations,  as it doesn't anchor the typical sounds of creaking doors and mysterious footsteps in which create tension on audiences and are usually very effective. The ideas I could take from this opening sequence to include within my preliminary task are:

• Montage editing
• Low key lighting
• Close ups
• Long shots
• Mid shots
• Camera angles

Narrative
The narrative is organised by a selection of images in which reveals aspects about the story. For example, the introduction of a pentagram immediately highlights religious allusions and cultural beliefs that this symbol will protect and work against evil. Another example is the photo of the black couple at the very end of the sequence in which looks fairly old, therefore the audience can gather the idea that this could be incorporated within the narrative some how, although are unsure as little information has been provided. The audience are positioned in relation to the narrative as we are provided with the title of 'The Skeleton Key' in which we can then make our own predictions on what the narrative is supposedly about. We are mainly positioned with the younger woman within the opening sequence as she is given the most prevalence, with 14 of the shots including her in them. This leads to the alienation of the man who has an illness as he is only shown in the sequence twice, adding to the growing suspicion as to what illness he has and why he is in the house with the other two women. The major themes within the narrative are:

• Religion
• Beliefs
• Illness
• superstition
• Possession

Representation & Ideology

• Both young and old social groups are represented in this sequence mostly by the use of mise-en-scene (costume).
• It is clear that religious beliefs are valued within the sequence as the pentagram highlights, as well as superstition with the image of the black cat.
• Ideological discourse of both age: young and old and gender of the household being female dominant are present.
• Emergent ideology is illustrated within the sequence as a slightly higher camera angle is used on the man in order to make him look small and vulnerable, also he appears to be sat down on the bed whereas the two women are standing on the feet giving them a sense of importance.
• This challenges the dominant ideology of a patriarchal society (that men are more superior than women )as he is portrayed as weak and fragile as is marginalized from the majority of the sequence.

Media Audiences
The target audience for this film is mainly aimed at the horror genre audience of males aged between 15-24, containing a male gaze of a young female target who is victimised by the older women. The possible audience readings of this opening sequence are:

• Dominant (preferred)- with the understanding of the religious aspect to the narrative as well as knowing that good vs. evil will play a major part within it also.
• Negotiated- as the audience can recognize the religious significance however, could not be followers of a religion themselves or believe in ghosts and demonic activities.
• Oppositional- as religious followers could oppose to the misuse of the pentagram by a non religious follower who uses it for her safety.

Opening sequence clip:

AR; Textual Analysis 1 of The Lost Boys (Schumacher, 1987)

The Lost Boys (1987) is a Joel Schumacher film of the teen comedy sub-genre of horror. The main cast includes Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland and Jami Gertz. It was the introduction to the acting duo The Two Coreys, Feldman (Goonies, Gremlins) and Haim (Silver Bullet, Lucas).

The film is about two brothers who move from Arizona to California. They end up having to defend themselves from Santa Carla's biggest secret, a gang of teenage vampires. 

Trailer:

Deconstruction of film clip

                                          

Genre

This clip is prominently horror, however it also has aspects of comedy. The clip shows generic features of horror such as the turning of the door nob as Michael enters the bathroom. However the audiences expectation of this genre of film is also challenged with the aspect of comedy that has an ironic take on the cliches of horror such as when Sam finds out his brother is a vampire and says 'you wait till mum finds out buddy' which is an unconventional reaction to this horrific news. 

Form and style of opening 

This is not the actual opening of this film but it introduces the horror effectively in a way that could be applied to an opening sequence. The style of this clip is one that focuses on fear deduced from a build in tension rather than for example the use of violence and gore in a torture porn film. 

Foreboding is introduced:

-The draining of the milk carton alludes to the draining of blood from the body.

-The dog senses Michael outside so is positioned with the audience because like the audience knows that something is about to happen.

-The reaction shot of Sam when he looks in the mirror, you know something is up before you have seen it.

The title is a reference to J.M. Barrie's stories about Peter Pan, as this is what inspired the film. Peter Pan can fly, and takes Wendy from her house to another land, he like the Lost Boys does not grow old, all features of a vampire. The Older brother is called Michael just like in Peter Pan and the dog is called Nanook which is an allusion to the the dog Nana. The Lost Boys also connotes a rebellious age of teenagers. 

Film language-telling the story

Mis-en-scene conveying meaning
-Props: The draining of the milk carton alludes to the draining of blood from the body. 
-The lighting stretches Michael's shadow across the floor. This conveys fear as you are only given part of the information it also alludes to title again as Peter Pan looses his shadow. 
-Pre-filmic effects- Michael is wearing contacts to make his eyes cloudy showing him as crazed and not himself. 

Camera shot, size, movement and angle conveying meaning
-Pan down as Sam looks at the dog highlighting his attachment to the dog. Sam believes he is looking after Nanook when Nanook is actually looking after Sam. 
-A Point of view shot is used from Michael's perspective so that the audience knows even though he is becoming the evil character we are positioned with him and still want him to succeed. 
-A quick zoom out of Sam in the bath creates urgency and highlights how the danger was once too close to comfort and is being pushed further and further away from him which is reassuring for the audience. 

Sound anchors the images
-The heartbeat is amplified as Michael goes through his transition. This builds tension and makes the audience feel his pain.
-The non-diagetic sound when Michael reaches the door creates a sudden urgency and fear. 

Dialogue and non-verbal language tells us about the characters
-Sam is very unaware of what is happening when he is singing in the bath. 'I'm a lonely boy' this lyric is ironic because he is not alone as Michael is tracking him down. 
-'What you do to my dog, you asshole' Sam is more concerned about his dog than his brother.
-'He was protecting you' Emphasizes the idea that even Michael knows he is the danger.
-'My own brother a god damn shit sucking vampire' Sam is the supplier of comedy in the clip even though he is in danger. The use of swear words proves it is for a teenage audience and not for the young.

Ideas we can take from this sequence
-Two parallel lines of action can cause tension as a hunter and a prey allusion is created. 
-An effective dialogue with stand out lines ('He was protecting you') can create horror and help explain the situation to the audience. 
-Shadows are a common feature in horror and are effective is highlighting the unknown which creates horror.

Narrative

In this clip we are positioned with Michael but we want Sam to be safe so we are also positioned with Nanook as he saves Sam. The tension is creating through the constant switch in parallel lines of action and it is maintained when Sam is running away from Michael. 

Representation and Ideology (gender, age, ethnicity)

Male teenagers are represented as immature through dialogue by using swear words, however Sam's reaction to the events, by running away, proves he is able to think on the spot. 

(hegemony, stereotype, ) for example in the shot where.

Media Audiences

The target audience is age 15-29 as they can relate most to the characters presented. The actors such as The Two Corey's are 80's teen icons so have cult fan-base who will be the main audience. As the film was being made it was related to Goonies (1985, Donner) but the next generation. It shows how 80's film of this type had evolved from a slap-stick comedy to a darker more horror based story-line.
I believe An uneasy feeling is evoked from the audience with the switch from dark and mysterious of Michael to upbeat and funny of Sam singing in the bath.  

This is a Youtube video I found showing Kiefer Sutherland who played the lead vampire David talking about The Lost Boys roughly 20 years later.

AR; Textual Analysis 2 of Donnie Darko (Kelly, 2001)

Donnie Darko (Kelly, 2001)

This is a clip in the first 10 minutes of Donnie Darko. It's popularity over time has made it a cult-classic, it was not a success though as it was made with a (low) budget of $4.5 million and only made $7.7 million at box-office. It is really simple yet effective in scaring the audience, I think this sort of thing will be easy for us to create. I really advice you watch this film, as it is one of my favourites with a very interesting plot line, brilliant soundtrack and some iconic actors. It is extremely entertaining with aspects of humour and an ending that will leave you thinking about it for ages.

Synopsis
Donnie Darko escapes death because he follows a person dressed in a giant bunny Halloween costume leading him out his house. The bunny, called Frank, tells him that the World is coming to an end in 28 days (also the days it took to make the film). Donnie returns home, after waking up in the middle of a golf course, to find out a mysterious jet engine has crashed through the roof of his house into his bedroom. As the 'end of the World' comes closer Donnie is drawn into an alarming series of events that may be the product of his growing insanity. Frank continues to turn up in Donnie's mind, causing him to commit multiple acts of vandalism and worse. He floods the school, burns down the house of a man that he does not like and even kills someone.
Frank promises Donnie that they will not get caught for the crimes they have committed. During a hypnotherapy session Donnie confesses his crimes to his therapist, Dr Thurman, and tells her that Frank is going to kill someone. Frank also begins telling Donnie about time travel.
Donnie starts to see tubes of fluid light extending from the chest of his family and friends. He notices that this indicates where the people are about to go, therefor the future. He becomes obsessed with trying to find answers for what Frank is trying to tell him.

Genre

It is a science fiction, psychological horror/drama. There is no graphic violence of gore so the fright that is evoked from the audience is purely based on the human psyche. Generic features of horror are present such as the second shot which is of the house from outside in the cold at night. I have seen this in a few other horrors such as in the beginning of 'Halloween.' It is good at setting the time and place of the sequence, for this extract it is a cold, windy night in a middle class, suburban, family house. The soundtrack of the echoed whispers and distorted singing from the TV as well as the constant whaling is generic of horror and is successful in creating an frightening and uneasy sense of tension. The audience expectation of horror is challenged with the 'monster' who is creepy and frightening but as they are not particularly intimidating or violent it is an original and yet even more disturbing source of horror.

Form and style of opening
The style of this opening sequence has a dream-like, distorted atmosphere that is evident through the echoing sound and dull, blue, grey colours.
A sense of foreboding is introduced in this opening sequence, most prominently with the line 'that is when the world will end' as it gives an obvious indication of the apocalyptic theme of the film which introduces the inevitable death and suffering that is to come. The flash of Frank the Rabbit in Darko's eye in the first few seconds of the sequence foreshadows the form of the voice.
The character of Donnie Darko has Schizophrenia with a history of violence. He previously spent time in jail for burning down an abandoned house. The troubled teenager doesn't get along very well with his family, his teachers or his classmates. He also has the tendency to get into trouble; however he is actually quite clever. Donnie is a very misunderstood character. He says how he feels without considering how it affects other people. He often presents very inappropriate emotions (a characteristic of schizophrenics) such as in this clip when he smiles at 'Frank' who would be considered as frightening to other people. Frank is one of Donnie's 'friends' that he has hallucinated, he hears voices in his head telling him to do things 'wake up' which introduces Donnie's sleepwalking taking him to strange places, in this sequence, to a golf course.
Donnie's father is also awake in this clip, or sleepwalking rather. Schizophrenia does tend to be genetic so it is obvious that this is a broken family doomed to end in destruction because it is tainted with mental illness.
The image of 'Frank' is almost a logo which is so subtly placed in the extract so that it messes with the viewers psych as well as the character's.
The title 'Donnie Darko' is a name which links to the traditional super hero names that are made using alliteration e.g. Peter Parker. It instantly places you with Donnie and gives the idea he is a good character. The surname 'Darko' gives the idea he is a dark character and not at all like the traditional super hero.

Film language-telling the story
Mis-en-scene:
-The writing at the beginning of the sequence 'October 2 1988' gives the audience key information for the time the film is set.
- The pupil of the eye expands quickly at the beginning, this non-verbal language connotes horror because it shows the character is alarmed and it is a striking change in temperament of the character from being a sleepy eye to very awake.
-Low key lighting from the lamp in his bedroom links to the generic form of lighting in horror films such as candle/ torch light.
-Plain pajamas with no branding shows Donnie is not making any statement and does not want to draw attention to himself, fading into the background, suggests a character that might usually be marginalised.
-Franks bunny costume is an emergent form of horror monster as it is a person dressed as a beast which creates slight humour as it makes fun of the traditional horror villain.
-Character blocking-as Donnie and Frank have their 'conversation' they both stay in the center of the frame facing towards the camera giving a strong sense of confrontation.
Camera shot size, movement and angle:
-An extremely close up shot of Donnie's eye as an opening shot is very invasive and immediately creates a relationship with the audience and positions us with Donnie.
-The following shot is the opposite as it is a long shot from outside of the house. Creates sense of depth and space from the two extremes which builds fear.
-A low angle shot as Donnie walks out of the frame as if he is floating above the audience in his sleepy state.
-There is one shot that looks like a POV shot which pans up but then as it pans down to look back at the door Donnie is closing the door behind him, in shot. This mimics how his schizophrenia gives him a split personality that makes him almost wonder out of his body.
Sound:
-Non-diagetic voice over of Frank. Arguably this is real sound that belongs to Donnie's world however as we can here his voice without seeing him it suggests it is not actually real, highlighting Donnie's insanity.
-Diagetic sound coming from the TV is distorted. It is of children singing which is extremely unsettling and is the king of music generic to horror.
-Ticking noise when Donnie is faced with Frank is a non-diagetic sound that builds tension and is significant with the narrative that the world is coming to an end.
-Diagetic sound of Frank speaking. He is the only character to speak in this opening which gives him prevalence and a didactic presence. He is the voice in Donnie's head telling him what to do.

Narrative
We become aware of Donnie's character through his costume, body language and clear indicators that he has a mental illness. The Narrative that is then formed from this becomes clear to the audience by what Frank is saying. We know that the rest of the film will be about the world coming to an end. The audience is supposed to feel this information as a threat as we ourselves have a strong connection to the world. This creates horror.
The audience is made to identify with Donnie as he is the character we are following and the BCU shots of him force the audience to connect with him as we are invading his space. Alienation is employed by Frank as what he is saying threatens the audiences existence also so we immediately are afraid of him.

Representation & Ideology
Social groups represented:
-teenagers (negatively)
-mentally ill (negatively)
-young men (negatively)
All the social groups that Donnie is representing are portrayed negatively as it shows how easily he is being manipulated by his weaknesses suggesting the weakness of all teenagers.
It is an emergent ideological discourse of teenagers and the mentally ill though as Donnie is an original subject to study. However this new form of mentally ill teenagers is negative as it highlights the danger they are in.
A first analysis makes Donnie appear as the protagonist and Frank as the antagonist, however this is challenged in the opening sequence by such things as when Donnie smiles at the horrific things Frank tells him about which makes Donnie appear as also an antagonist and someone to be feared as much as Frank.  

Media Audiences

ER; Zombie Horror

Why are we so afraid of zombie horror?

• "The horror-film appeal of zombies is rooted in an instinctive disquiet at faces that are almost human", says a psychologist, who found that 3000 people were scared of near-human faces

• Research into the "uncanny valley", in the 1970s, shows that although people were more receptive which were more human looking, people were repelled when they tried to imitate humans too closely.

• Stephanie Lay described it as "the sense of unease that accompanies the sight of something almost, but not quite, human".

• This explains why the faces of clowns, dolls and dummies are so often used in horror films.

• This is found more in psychological films than in bloodthirsty films.

• "When people begin to interpret something as a human face, they are left with a sense of disquiet when they come against something that does not match their expectations."

Why people love the Zombie Apocalypse

• People love the zombie apocalypse because they believe they can survive it, because of the way it has been presented to us in popular culture.

• The zombie apocalypse is an attractive fantasy because zombies are presented as easy to beat: slowness, poor co ordination, bad reflexes.

• 

Why do we love zombies?

• Fans of vampire movies move on to zombie movies.
• The difference between zombies in horror movies and zombies in TV shows is that we are with the characters for a lot longer in TV shows and therefore, we can understand them ignoring the endless zombies, which we would find hard to believe in a movie.
• We love zombies because of the endless possibilities.

CB; Supernatural Horror

 

Subgenre of Horror

Supernatural Research

 

·         What is supernatural Horror?

Supernatural horror films focus mainly upon ghosts and the occult (referring to knowledge of the paranormal) as opposed to knowledge of the measurable (science). 

·         What films come under the supernatural horror category?

Some well-known horror classics such as The Exorcist (Friedkin, 1973), The Skeleton Key (Softley, 2005), The Evil Dead (Raimi, 1981), Poltergeist (Hooper, 1982) and Paranormal Activity (Peli, 2007) all enter into the supernatural horror category. All of these films contain some form of ghostly activity which has made them so popular with audiences from the early 20^th century up to present date, with the on-going suspicion upon whether ghosts exist or not keeping audiences on tender hooks.

 

 

·         Who watches supernatural horror films?

Horror films in general nowadays have been more suited to a teen culture, being an easy target for film institutions to exploit. Therefore, many horror and subgenres of horror audiences are mass consumed by younger core audiences of 12-29 year olds and are mainly male dominated (thinking they can handle all the scary stuff and be a real man-right!).

·         Why do people watch supernatural horror films?

The appeal of horror depends on characteristics of the viewer, the film, and the viewing circumstances. It has been identified by researchers that various motives for viewing horror films include the need for excitement, the desire to feel intense emotions and distraction from everyday concerns. Although dramatic films can fulfil some of these needs, movies depicting violence and horror have features that other forms of drama do not, including the violation of social norms and the portrayal of events seldom seen in real life; this provides visceral pleasure to many individuals who enjoy an adrenaline rush.

Mood board

 

 



 

AR; The History of Horror

The History of Horror

Why are stories that ‘aim to scare their audience’ so popular?

Horror is a film genre that has proved itself very popular and successful within the industry. It is a genre which aims to scare the audience and has been evolving into many sub genre's such as slasher or psychological since its creation in ‘Le Manoir du Diable’ (Melies, 1896). People love the thrill of feeling uneasy and exhilarated just like the effect of a roller coaster.

What insight can the study of horror monsters give?

• One of the reasons for its popularity is how it can relate to the audience. Monsters are often created with the characteristics derived from people’s most deep-seated fears and taboos. Horror films reflect that mankind has shown itself to have the potential to be monstrous. They can give an insight into the anxieties and concerns of society. Post WW2 monsters were first being used in films, horror still often uses monsters as a focus, often those that 'invade or infect' or reflect the ‘science gone wrong’ motif which expands across both horror and science-fiction.
• There was a development of monsters in 1960 starting with Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960) which is about a man whose family dynamics made him a monster through his ‘abnormal psychology’. Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960) was similarly about a dysfunctional family that created another monster. In both these films the monsters, on the surface, look like normal people but they brought horror close to home for the 1960’s audience. They also had more mundane settings than the distant, fantastical horror of the previous decades. The setting and form of the monster makes them seem more like us creating an unsettling realism, it makes the audience realise that anyone has he potential to be monstrous.
• In the 1970’s children were being used as the monster focus of horror films such as ‘The Exorcist' (Freidkin, 1972). This film got a lot of media attention and outrage as it depicted a possessed girl which is a daring, outrageous image to exhibit to people. There is an unease and uncertainty with using devils, demons and paigans as monsters especially when they are taking the form of something as innocent as a child. This film also identified the post-war changes in family life as this child is from a single-parent family. "The demon is only expelled with the help of two catholic priests the implication being that the modern world, with its fatherless families, reliance on science rather than religion allowed the demon in". Other films which use a child as the monster is the slasher film Halloween (Carpender, 1978) which shows a boy traumatised by rising sexual liberation so reacts with violent attacks against teenagers as they are seen as punishable for immoral behaviour.
• The Saw franchise is an example of a 'torture porn' film. It shows how the monster’s victims can become monsters themselves. These monsters are "selfish, nihilistic creations of the culture itself."

What did Nosferatu (1922), one of the earliest horror films use the vampire as a metaphor for?

Nosferatu is one of the earliest films created to scare the audience and it introduced the idea of monsters. It has majorly influenced the representations of vampires. The vampire is an ‘invader’; he comes from ‘elsewhere’ and brings pain to the local community. The method of a vampires attack involves penetrations and the exchange of bodily fluids. This can be seen as a sexual metaphor however the outcome of a vampire attack is death or infection, vampires could therefor be a metaphor to suggest that promiscuity is wrong. It was created in Germany shortly after WW1 when the country was economically and socially depleted whish is the reason for the vampire, Count Orlok looking rat-like and representing invasion and infection.
Many horror texts between the wars reflected the social changes in terms of power, authority and class that followed the political upheaval of WW1. Both Nosferatu and Dracula (Browning, 1931) featured a corrupt and abusive aristocratic class who are the sources of horror.



What are the different readings of horror based on social/cultural contexts of the decade?

Horror films can highlight the cultural horrors in the real world forcing people to face their problems such as the depths of human cruelty seen in the holocaust. For example in Frankenstein (Whale, 1931) were Dr Frankenstein takes on a God-like role in the act of creation, but he oversteps his social position and shows he needs to return to his predetermined aristocratic role to help protect the village from the horror he has unleashed. Another reading of this film is that it is a criticism of racial tensions that were present in American culture at the time. It portrays a mob lynching of an individual who cannot integrate into the dominant culture. The monster itself is not as monstrous as the abuse of scientific knowledge that creates him or the aristocrats’ abuse of power or the mindless, murderous mob.
By the end of the 1960’s there was a development in horror due to the changing attitudes of audiences. Night of the Living Dead (Romero, 1968) had a black male lead which was new to film. It was also showed vivid violence, this occurred because there was a demand for it in order to scare the audience. Psychological horrors had lost their scary effect as audiences where being familiarised with the harrowing images of the Vietnam War as well as the assassinations of President Kennedy in 1963, and later his brother Robert and Martin Luther King in 1968. It was because audiences were becoming so accustomed to seeing images of horrific real-life violence that films like The Last House on the Left (Craven 1972) and The Texas Chainsaw massacre (Hooper, 1974) where made with such graphic violence.
Film franchises replicated the same ideas over and over, and the genre grew tired and clichéd, becoming less economically viable. In the 1990’s horror engaged with this familiarity for both comic and horrific effect. Scream (Craven 1996) uses an ironic approach to the genre which made fun on the clichés for comical effect whilst still being scary, this is black comedy. The monster in the first Scream film is finally defeated by being hit with a television after a discussion of the effects of horror films on audiences. It used the conventions of the genre as a plot device.
Recent horrors include many remakes which can be updated with CGI effects and be made more polished and slicker however they appear more style over substance as they have no sense of cultural context. Hollywood remade some Asian horror films which touched on globalised concerns such as over-crowding (Dark Water: Salles, 2005) and the impact of technology (The Ring: Verbinski, 2002 and OneMissed Call Vallette, 2008).

Why according to Steph Hendry (journalist for Horror history article) is horror still relevant to audiences?

• Modern horror often takes traditional conventions like the mad scientist in The Human Centipede (Six, 2009)
• Horror ideas have been adapted into TV series' like The Walking Dead (AMC) and True Blood (HBO). They have been made into comedy series' also, like in Dead Set (C4) and Being Human (BBC3) or as soap opera and high-romance in The Vampire Diaries (CW) and The Twilight Saga. These reinventions prove horror still attracts audiences.
• "The genre has the ability to adapt to allow it to tap into each generation’s preoccupations and concerns and its metaphorical approach can be used to deal with ideas and issues that appeal to a range of audience groups."

CB; Gender in Slasher Films

Gender in Slasher Films

·         When, and in what way were women repositioned within the horror genre?

Women were repositioned within the horror genre in the late 1970’s by American cinema, which underwent a profound change as directors responded to the politics of the current time; these included the Vietnam War, race riots, civil unrest and the growing Feminist movement. Directors such as George A. Romero, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter all incorporated these issues within their latest horror films in order to introduce the ‘new woman’, who would no longer be represented as weak and unable to defend herself but be able to protect herself and actively seek out the threat and destroy it. Films that promoted this ideology were Night of the Living Dead (1968), The Last House on the Left (1972), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Halloween (1974).

 

 

 

·    What are the conventions of the 'Stalk and Slash' subgenre of horror?

Stalk and Slash subgenre has been described as one that is inherently an American product and one that is intensely formulaic by Mark Whitehead in his book ‘Slasher’.  Virtually all stalk and slash films are a manifestation of American studio productions, all of which follow the same basic plot: a mixed-sex group of teenagers who travel to a remote location and almost immediately indulge in drink, drugs and sex. After these events have taken place, those involved are steadily murdered, one by one, by an unknown and often masked killer. This usually only leaves just one member of the group isolated who, in order to survive the ordeal, must confront the murderer alone and vanquish them. Once they have been killed, their identity and rationale for their murder spree is revealed.

·    Who originally watched these films and why?

Audience research into the Slasher film industry highlighted that the main core audience were teenage boys and young men. The reason for this, no doubt, was the visual elements of sustained scenes of female nudity and the graphic depiction of assault and murder.  So popular was the subgenre and so dominant was the desire to see explicit violence, that Slasher films had to find new and increasingly gory means by which to kill their cast of teenagers. Directors did this by piercing arrows into throats and squeezing heads until eyes popped out of their sockets; one even featuring a character trapped inside a sleeping bag and beaten to a bloody pulp against a tree.

·    Why does the author argue that the films were 'significant'?

It is said that Slasher films are nothing more than puerile entertainment, being without morals and lacking any merit in terms of film study. However, Mark Whitehead argues that the films were significant as on a superficial level, the Slasher subgenre created two of contemporary horror cinema’s most enduring icons: Jason Voorhees from the Friday 13^th series and Freddy Krueger from The Nightmare on Elm Street series. As a consequence, these icons gave birth to the notion of a sustained narrative (and income revenue) through popular horror film franchises. While both these qualities certainly have financial properties, the films themselves, despite their graphic content, were, at their most basic, deeply moral tales. As Whitehead states, “the killer is punishing the group either for trespassing upon its territory or is avenging an earlier wrong perpetrated by that group or a group that they symbolically represent.”

·    What is the concept of ' the final girl'?  

The concept of the final girl (constructed by Carol J. Clover) was presented in her seminal essay ‘Her Body, Himself’ (1987), in which she coined the term ‘The Final Girl’ and used it to describe the sole female survivor of numerous Slasher films. For Clover, the final girl repeatedly embodied a set of features that marked a female character out as ‘different’ from her peers. The final girl is:

·         Smarter and more conscientious than her friends, being intelligent, watchful and level-headed.

·         Morally pure and therefore does not participate in drinking, drug-taking or sexual liaison


·         The first to recognise both the lack of morals in her peer group and the inherent threat of danger.

With such qualities, the final girl is often visualised, at the start of the film, as a character that is slightly distanced from her peer group exactly because of these qualities. By rejecting the drinking, drug use and sexually active behaviour, the final girl is subtly pictured as a repressed teenager, a potentially weak, young girl who is frightened by the ‘adult’ nature of her friends’ activities. In effect, she is visualised as ‘powerless’ while her friends ‘empower’ themselves through the ‘adult’ acts of getting drunk and high and engaging in sexual intercourse. Although, when the killer begins to take action upon his murderous violence, it is this girl who emerges to be the most ‘powerful’ as she uses her intellect and cunning both to outwit the killer and then trap and/or challenge him. The final girl is the sole survivor and therefore she must, one way or another, kill the threat in order for the narrative’s desire for normality/equilibrium to be returned. Clover interprets these events in a different way, viewing the shift of the final girl as going from ‘powerless’ to ‘powerful’, from weak/passive female to strong/aggressive ‘male’. She has this view simply because the final girl becomes increasingly masculine as the film moves towards its climatic confrontation. To visualise this, the final girl will defend (and murder) with a phallic object whether it be an axe, machete, chain saw or shotgun. By taking up this weapon, the final girl becomes ‘masculine’ and is therefore empowered to become proactive in her survival and as equally aggressive as the killer. Clover notes that, from the very start of the film, the final girl is already represented as ‘masculine’, appearing to be boyish by her smartness, gravity, competence in mechanical and other practical matters and sexual reluctance which set her apart from the other girls and ally her, ironically, with the very boys she fears or rejects, not to speak of the killer himself.