This essay critically analyses and discusses the semantic and syntactic areas of what defines a horror genre in films. Followed by a case study of an animated film which supports and demonstrates theses horror film conventions. Then another case study which challenges and questions its position in the chosen genre. To decide whether it does hold elements of the horror conventions in both semantic and syntactic point of view, or possibly sway towards a different category of film. Before discussing the forms and functions of what defines a horror film. It is important to understand the term genre and how genres are created. In order to be selective within the research about the works of horror films in the right manner and which aspects should be placed under the title of an established horror genre. Genres are initially created with the idea of gathering certain defining elements resulting a “group” or “type of” films. Tim Dirks interpreted film genres as “various forms or identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that are recurring and have similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, syntax, filmic techniques or conventions - that include one or more of the following: settings (and props), content and subject matter, themes, mood, period, plot, central narrative events, motifs, styles, structures, situations, recurring icons (e.g., six-guns and ten-gallon hats in Westerns), stock characters (or characterizations), and stars.”. Although it is possible to establish and set restrictions based on features like “recurring icons” to form a criteria for films and some film work do lends itself well in a specific genre. As Rick Altman points out in his journal that the concept of genre is prob... ... middle of paper ... ...ed: 19th Dec 2013]. Brophy, P. 1986. HORRALITY--THE TEXTUALITY OF CONTEMPORARY HORROR FILMS.Screen, 27 (1), pp. 2-13. Available from: doi: 10.1093/screen/27.1.2. Carroll, N. 1987. The Nature of Horror. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 46 (1), pp. 51-59. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/431308 . Cook, P. and Bernink, M. 1999. The Cinema Book. 2nd ed. London: BFI Pub. Ochs, D. 2009. Who's Hungry. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8srEvrF90-s [Accessed: 21th Dec 2013]. Shaw, D. 1997. A humean definition of horror. Film-philosophy, 1 (1), pp. 1-9. White, D. L. 1971. The poetics of horror: more than meets the eye. Cinema Journal, 10 (2), pp. 1-18. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1225234 [Accessed: 20th Dec 2013]. Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film By Harry M. Benshoff
Film Noir, as Paul Schrader integrates in his essay ‘Notes on Film Noir,’ reflects a marked phase in the history of films denoting a peculiar style observed during that period. More specifically, Film Noir is defined by intricate qualities like tone and mood, rather than generic compositions, settings and presentation. Just as ‘genre’ categorizes films on the basis of common occurrences of iconographic elements in a certain way, ‘style’ acts as the paradox that exemplifies the generality and singularity at the same time, in Film Noir, through the notion of morality. In other words, Film Noir is a genre that exquisitely entwines theme and style, and henceforth sheds light on individual difference in perception of a common phenomenon. Pertaining
Morgan, J. The biology of horror: gothic literature and film. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002.
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
Barry, , Keith, and Grant, ed. Film Genre Reader III. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press,
Genre in film theory is bespoken from literary genre scrutiny as well as founded on a film’s organization and its sequential events. Similarly, films are more often than not categorized according to its mood that is an emotional tone, setting which is its locale, and theme topic that is the issues in the film. Likewise, all these fundamentals come into consideration for the appointment of the film to be properly categorized in a genre. The moment we look narrowly at a film genre, we typically ascertain intricacies that give an awareness of subtle shades of meaning or feeling, especially in artistic expression or performance. However, all along not losing sight of the fact that a genre convention, that is to say some type of common identity that reappears in the film that eventually contributes essentially. Conjunctionally these elements are influential to classify a film in a genre, which includes essentials such as iconography, plot, and thematic elements. An epitome of a genre drama is exemplified by the film, The Ice Storm (1997) and accordingly, with an analysis of its genre it demonstrates David Bordwell’s reflectionist approach that expounds on its social function, relatibility, during the time of its production.
Among New American Ghost Cinema, one can witness the re-emergence of an interesting sub-genre: the Found Footage Cinema. We can observe this new fascination in many modern horror films such as 2008’s Cloverfield, 2009's Paranormal Activity, and 2011's Apollo 18. Digging below the surface of a literal reading of some of these movies, one finds a genre that can be far more intelligent than what meets the public eye. For example, within Cloverfield, the screams and images of smoke heaving through the city of Manhattan hint at post-September 11th. To understand the growing popularity of Found Footage Cinema and why we discover these political undertones, this paper will examine The Blair Witch Project (1999, Myrick and Sanchez) in the context of theorists Robin Wood and Jürgen Habermas’ discussion on humankind’s senses of truth and what our society represses or oppresses. Both Habermas’ essay “The Public Sphere” and Wood’s “Introduction to the American Horror Film” touch on the inner workings of the public’s mind. With these essays and an analysis of these films, I will be able to propose theories working towards a mode of critical engagement with the success of The Blair Witch Project. It is then that we will connect it to the wider social and political jungle surrounding America as it stood on the edge of the Twenty First Century.
Friedman, L., Desser, D., Kozloff, S., Nichimson, M., & Prince, S. (2014). An introduction to film genres. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company.
Film scholars around the world agree that all genres of film are part of the “genre cycle”. This cycle contains four different stages that a specific genre goes through. These stages are: primitive, classic, revisionist, and parody. Each stage that the genre goes through brings something different to that genre’s meaning and what the audience expects. I believe that looking at the horror genre will be the most beneficial since it has clearly gone through each stage.
Bayer-Berenbaum, Linda. “Elements of the Gothic”. Horror. Ed. Michael Stuprich. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. 73-83
In this investigation, I aim to explore how females are represented in horror films. The representation of females and males has changed dramatically in society and this is reflected in horror films. However, traditionally women in general are characterised as the damsel in distress because stereotypically they are playing the weaker role and are in instantaneous danger and attacked by a stronger character, usually played by a male.
The Horror Movie in Late Modern Society’ that labelling films such as these as postmodern may be an overreach. He argues that the hybridity of the genre as seen in horror-comedies such as ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ and ‘Scream’ are nothing ‘new’ and that comedy has always played a prevalent role in the horror genre. He goes on to state that, “much of the comic fun to be had (in contemporary horror-comedies) derives from the excess of gory detail. The other aspect, in this case more a development characteristic of the 1990s than the 1980s, is the tendency to reflexively generate humour by openly appealing to a knowing audience’s familiarity with the genre conventions.” This view suggests that Tudor views the emergence of a more comedic element to horror movies as more of an evolutionary step in horror, than a deliberately postmodern outlook. He cements this as his view as he uses the example of ‘Scream’ and the films made in its wake (such as ‘Scary Movie’ (2000)), Tudor claims “It is films such as these that have so often attracted the designation ‘postmodern’, if only superficially, because of their studied self-consciousness and their use of pastiche.” (Tudor, p.107) Tudor’s view is that films such as these bear only surface-level post-modernism that the term is used too liberally and the films would be better suited towards the term parody than a post-modernism. Tudor argues that their “studied self-consciousness” disqualifies them from being labelled as postmodern, however it can be argued that parody and self-consciousness elements of these films are what make them postmodern at
A fine example of the separation of foreign and American horror can be found in a comparison between Dario Argento's Suspiria and Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980)...
A Brief History Of Horror Movies. Ezine Articles. Spark Net, 10 Aug 2010. Web. The Web.
Jack Morgan, The Biology of Horror: Gothic Literature and Film (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002) null03, Questia, Web, 29 May 2010.
Throughout the many tropes which are correlated with the presence of the Horror Film Genre, there is always one underlying theme that is consistent over the lifespan of horror film development: The main protagonist(s), male and/or female, struggle to bring a sense of normality and uniformity back into a society that has turned into a chaotic domicile. We, then, must question and evaluate what obstacles conflict with the protagonist’s motives. These are, in terms of this analytical essay, the subject of the Other to whom possesses characteristics that can be equated to common symptoms of patients diagnosed as psychotic or similar psychopathology. In valuating this posed statement, Robin Wood’s theory, which is the concept of sexual repression