Explanation and analysis of horror sub-genres/

1. Horror Sub-Genres

2. SLASHER
CONVENTIONS.

3. 1.Male Antagonist.
General Appearance; Appears, male,tall, broad
and strong. Lots of low angle shots are used
when introducing the killer to make the
audience feel afraid and uncomfortable of this
terrifying man.
The Mask; The use of a mask in slasher films
adds to the fear of the unknown. By using a
mask, it strips away the killers features,
making them appear inhuman and more like a
threatening creature, as he can see us,
however we cannot see him.
Costume; it is conventional for the male antagonist
to wear dark costume, allowing him to blend
into the darkness and appear fearful and
mysterious. The antagonist may also have
splatters of blood over his costume highlight
his strength, power and strive to kill, again,
adding to the fear. The dark costume
connotates death and darkness which the
slasher target audience love.
For Example; In this image of Jason
from ‘Friday The 13th’ he follows typical
conventions of a slasher, male
antagonist. He appears frightfully tall
and bold, a threat to those around him.
Mask;His mask strips away his
normality and makes him appear crazy
and psychotic. The deep cut holes
around the eyes allow him to see
around for prey to kill and pounce on
with his powerful strength.
Costume; The dark colours mirror the
dark and twisted mind of the character
Jason and his motives. The tattered
over jacket appears dirty and torn,
highlighting the fights and murders he
has got himself into. The rips and tears
could also mirror the tears of flesh and
ligaments of his victims. The gloves
also remind us of murder and how his
fingerprints will not be tracked,
therefore he will keep killing; adding to
the fear for the audience.

4. 2. The Weapon.
The weapon used to kill in slasher films is usually
one which allows for the most amount of blood
and gore to be shed as possible. Comparing to
a gun which would allow a quick and painless
death. Common weapons used are axes,
machetes and chainsaws. For example the
famous chainsaw used in ‘Texas Chainsaw
Massacre’ by the antagonist of Leatherface.
The use of a chainsaw allows a unwatchable
scene for the audience which a slasher crazed
fan would love.
The weapon is one of the main focuses of a
slasher film, therefore it has to be memorable.
The only way to portray this convention is to
make the weapon as large, heavy and sharp
as possible.

5. 3. Setting
The setting in a slasher horror is an isolated area with nowhere to run. It tends to be
surrounded by forest and trees, lots of places for the killer to lurk and hide.
There tends to also be a large lake, another perfect opportunity for the killer to drown a
victim. The advantages of a lake is also to increase the levels of difficulty for the victims
to get away from the killer, a scene of crossing a lake will be common in a slasher horror.
Another conventional setting is the setting of ‘Cabin In The Woods’ a small house in the
middle of nowhere, perfect for a killing spree.

6. 4. The Narrative.
It tends to follow a similar narrative. A group
of reckless teens head out for a drunken
weekend in an abandoned area, usually a
forest, where there are lots of trees; plenty
of places for lurking and watching in the
distance.
These teens will face an endless cat and
mouse fight with the killer. The deaths
they face will be gruesome and will have a
unwatchable effect on the audience.
To end the narrative of the slasher film, the
‘final girl’ will face the killer, she will use
her intelligence and quick thinking to get
away and find help.
However, just as the audience think the killer
is defeated and all over from the hell, we
are wrong.
The trailer for Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2003 highlights the simple narrative of a
conventional slasher horror. It highlights the
group of teens on their way to what they
thought would be the perfect getaway.

7. 5. Final Girl; Protagonist
The final girl is portrayed strongly to the
audience from the beginning of the film.
Although it is common for her to still be
over sexualised through the choice of
costume, it is not as obvious compared to
the sacrificial lamb.
She comes across as intelligent, logical and
a quick thinker compared to the other
teens.
Throughout the film due to conventions we
can guess who will stay to the end of the
slasher film and will face the killer.
Although she is just as scared as the other
victims, she is determined to keep herself
and her friends safe and most importantly,
alive.
Laurie Strode; From the film ‘Halloween’. She faces the killer and
manages to defeat him and keep everyone safe. Conventionally she
has darker hair and wears less revealing clothing. Rather than
running around frantically she uses her brain and quick thinking to
slow down Michael and leave him clueless, compared to the easy
catch from the other members of the group.

8. 6. Sacrificial Lamb.
The sacrificial lamb is the over sexualised female in
slasher horrors who is killed for her promiscuous
behavior.
This female is usually a blonde, girly and curvy girl
who wears very revealing clothing to emphasise
her body. She is a stereotypical ditzy blonde,
compared to the intelligent final girl, she is very
naive and childlike.
Her death in slasher horrors almost symbolises the
wrong in sex and being promiscuous.
Furthermore, her death tends to be more so
gruesome than the others throughout the film. For
example the death of Paige Edwards in ‘House
Of Wax’. This example highlights fully the typical
sacrificial lamb in other slasher horrors as she
follows all typical conventions of being an over
sexualised blonde.

9. POSSESSION

10. TYPICAL CONVENTIONS
Conventions include, levitations;
this highlights the power the
spirit has over the character.
Making them appear fearful and
threatening over life.
Props include religious texts such
as the bible; these are used
during a carried out exorcism. It
creates a contrast of good vs
evil.
The evil usually comes from a
source such as, a box or another
normal household object.
For example, the box found in ‘The
Possession’. From the finding of this
box, all the evil begins.

11. NARRATIVE
Like the other sub-genres, possession
follows Todorov’s Narrative Structure. An
example of this is the film ‘Drag Me To
Hell’;
The protagonist Christine lives a normal life
in her job in an office (Equilibrium).
She receives a threat from an old woman
who curses her (Disruption).
She sets out to seek help to relieve the curse
from her soul (Reaction & Repair)
Finally, she is free from the curse (so she
thinks) - this is the New Equilibrium.
However like all horror films, the ending is
not so sweet, as she realises she is not
free from the curse and is dragged to hell

12. PSYCHOLOGICAL

13. Narrative Conventions.
In a psychological horror, the main
protagonist usually comes across as a
normal person. However, as the narrative
continues this protagonist becomes more
and more twisted as they are affected by
the going-ons in the setting.
Furthermore, there tends to always be a
twist to a psychological horror. This is to
add more to the crazy confusion to the
audience, which a psychological fan
would love.
For example. the twist in The Uninvited as
we find out the character if Aex is
acctually dead.

14. GOTHIC

15. Setting
Gothic setting is conventionally
very gloomy and dull, with an
eerie and misty atmosphere.
This sub-genre usually includes a
castle or a large mansion which
has been run down and covered
with ivy and forests.
A typical example of a gothic
setting is the large mansion in
‘The Woman In Black’.

16. Types Of Characters
Characters commonly featured in
gothic horror films are usually,
vampires and zombies.
These characters tend to be pale
white, with dark eyes and dark
features. Followed by black
costume, usually long capes or
dresses.
It is also common for the
antagonist to be half human half
animal, for example the
antagonist in ‘The Wolfman’
For example the characters from
the Twilight Saga.

17. Chosen sub-genre
My chosen genre for my portfolio is slasher. I think the slasher sub genre is the
most exciting. It is a thrilling and sometimes unwatchable, highlighting the
amount of fear it has on its audience. I want to be able to mirror this fear and
through my research into the slasher sub-genre I hope to create a realistic and
spine-chilling trailer, leaving my target audience excited for the release of my
film. Furthermore, through my research into slasher posters, I am interested in
recreating a petrifying killer. He will be just as frightening as the famous Jason
from Friday the 13th, yet myself and my group will put our touch of imagination
into the creation of our antagonist, making him stand out from the rest.