Intertextuality in horror films

1. INTERTEXTUALITY

2. • Intertextuality is the relationship between texts, especially literary ones.
• It breaks the wall between what’s real and what’s not.
• Sometimes in horror films they include hidden clues which relate to other
films or parody multiple horror films.
• Horror fans can see the links between films.
WHAT IS IT?

3. EXAMPLES…

4. • ‘Scary Movie’ is a 5-film franchise which parodies many horror films such as
The Exorcist, The Blair Witch Project and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
• Fans of horror can easily tell which scenes Scary Movie are mocking.
SCARY MOVIE…

5. • There’s a 3-way link between Halloween (John Carpenter), Psycho (Alfred
Hitchcock) and Scream (Wes Craven).
• The link is the name ‘Loomis’
• In Psycho there’s Sam Loomis, in Halloween Michael Myers’ doctor is called
Dr. Samuel Loomis and in Scream Sidney’s boyfriend is called Billy Loomis.
PYSCHO/HALLOWEEN
/SCREAM

6. • In Scream, directed by Wes Craven there’s a scene with a janitor of the
school who’s called ‘Fred’
• He dresses in a red and green jumper- the iconic look of Freddie Krueger
from A Nightmare on Elm Street, also directed by Wes Craven who plays
the janitor.
SCREAM/ A NIGHTMARE
ON ELM STREET

7. • With the Blair Witch Project, all of the characters were given the same
name as the actor who played them.
• The increases the horror as it seems more realistic.
THE BLAIR WITCH
PROJECT

8. IN MY
TRAILER…
I’ve been looking at male and female names of popular horror characters to
name my two lead characters, so that I can include intertextuality in my trailer

9. • Regan The Exorcist
• Laurie Halloween Could adapt to sound more modern- Lauren?
• Nancy A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Sydney Scream
• Casey Scream Maybe
• Rachel the Ring Favourite
• Samara the Ring
• Janet Psycho Sounds too old
• Ellen Alien Maybe
• Sally The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Jodie Silence of the Lambs
• Heather the Blair Witch Project
• Dana Poltergeist Maybe
GIRL’S NAMES

10. I tried to think of male horror villains…
• Michael Halloween
• Freddy A Nightmare on Elm Street – Favourite
• Jason Friday the 13th - Maybe
• Jack the Shining
BOY’S NAMES