1. Burton’s theory
Burton thought that genre ha a certain distinctive man features, they are recognized and
repeated over a period of time. He also stated that genres have recognizable protagonists or
lead characters. Stock characters are used and are recognizable through minor characters.
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror fiction that
relies on characters' fears and emotional instability to build
tension. It typically plays on archetypal shadow
characteristics embodied by the threat. Psychological horror
aims to create discomfort by exposing common or universal The Blair Witch Project
psychological vulnerabilities and fears, such as the shadowy
parts of the human psyche which most people repress or The sixth Sense
deny, whereas splatter fiction focuses on bizarre, alien evil
to which the average viewer cannot easily relate. The Grudge
Session 9
The Ring
Burton stated that sometimes
there are variations on the
genre, which may be called a
subgenre .The term is generally
associated with fiction
material.

2. Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film
about a local urban legend... The Blair Witch. The three went into The setting background
the woods on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, and never set in the woods
came back. One year later, the students film and video was found already this is a
in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie. repeated characteristic
The Blair Witch Project. on a
horror/Psychological
genre .The woods are
seen as quite an
isolated location and a
According to Burton These three film place where it is easy
student s would be seen as the to get lost and a dark
protagonists or lead characters .The area. The woods is a
Good vs. Evil detached place from
society and these three
protagonist characters
are alone in the dark
Survival vs. death or a sense of
woods
The student are travelling most the unknown vs. the known
of horror films have a sense of because these students are
uncertainty places they have never seen again so the
never been before or exploration. question is what happened to
Journey and discovery these the students. Fitted into he
three film student want to psychological genre we as an
explore and find out about the audience never find out
Blair Witch

3. Karen Davis is an American Nurse moves to Tokyo and encounter
a supernatural spirit who is vengeful and often possesses its
victims. A series of horrifying and mysterious deaths start to
occur, with the spirit passing its curse onto each victim. Karen
must now find away to break this spell, before she becomes its
next victim.
Theme of the supernatural ,spirit
.Meaning outside the natural
world so already here is a sense of
horror. Good vs. Evil .Themes that
Burton explored.
Protagonist character seen as the main Fear vs. Hope AS Karen must find
character of the film and good she is away to break the spell ,before she
American but has travelled to Tokyo. becomes its new victim. This
Another reoccurring theme travelling protagonist main character has to
exploring a sense of the unknown some how challenge or seek a way to
moving to another country. stop this supernatural spirit from
making her its next victim

4. The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological horror film .The film
tells the story of Cole, a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and According to
talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries Burton’s theory
Malcolm could
to help him. Malcolm Crowe is a child psychologist who receives an be seen as the
award on the same night that he is visited by a very unhappy ex- protagonsist,her
patient. After this encounter, Crowe takes on the task of curing a young o if he is able to
boy with the same ills as the ex-patient. This boy "sees dead people". cure the little
Crowe spends a lot of time with the boy (Cole) much to the dismay of boy
his wife. Cole's mom is at her wit's end with what to do about her son's
increasing problems. Crowe is the boy's only hope.
Theme Fear vs. Hope The boys
mother has given up on hope
Plot already highlights that the and feels as if Malcolm Crowe
boy is troubled and isolated is her sons only hope to help
from that or the normal society cure him .So the main theme is
.He is in some ways corrupted if there is hope will Malcolm be
he is able to talk and see the able to cure this corrupted
dead. He in burtons theory can isolate little boy from seeing
be seen as a protagonist but the dead
that of a sort of a victim

5. The plot focuses on the growing tension within an asbestos removal crew working
at an abandoned mental asylum, which is paralleled by the gradual revelation of a
former patient's disturbed past through recorded audio tapes of the patient's
hypnotherapy sessions. The film takes place in and around the Danvers state
mental hospital.
What should be a straightforward, if rather rushed, job, is complicated by the
personal histories of the crew. In particular, Hank is dating Phil's old girlfriend, and
Gordon's new baby seems to be unnerving him more than should be expected.
Things get more complicated as would-be lawyer Mike plays the tapes from a
former patient with multiple personalities, including the mysterious Simon who
does not appear until Session 9, and as Hank disappears after finding some old
coins.
The film is set in a Mental asylum.
The plot highlights that it is
abandoned. From looking at
Burton’s theory it is clear that
many horror/subgenre highlight
the fact that most of these films
have a main theme of
isolation, loneliness abandonment
. Mental asylums are linked to
lunatics and crazy .Sense of
discovery and also the Unknown
vs. known

6. Rachel Keller is a journalist investigating a videotape
that may have killed four teenagers (including her
niece). There is an urban legend about this tape: the
viewer will die seven days after watching it. If the
legend is correct, Rachel will have to run against time
Urban legend/Urban
to save her son's and her own life.
myth them
recurring known vs.
Unknown our
protagonist needs to
go on a journey to
Protagonist character a journalist discover and explore
looking to explore the deaths of why these teenagers
four teenagers were killed and find
more about the
urban myth