Sub genre of
horror films – Part 2
Monster – Monster is the
name commonly given to films that center around the struggle between human
beings and one or more monsters. These films involve fictional creatures, but
in most cases they are over-sized monsters. Some examples of Monster films are:
The first monster film I am looking at is
Nightmare on Elm Street. The monster in this is called Freddy Krueger. He is
the main antagonist and a killer from the slasher film series ‘A Nightmare on
Elm Street’. The citizens of springwood
he was offered the spot ad “Dream Killer” from the demons who live in the
depths of hell burned him to death in 1968. He uses this new career of his to
advantage to murder the children of the killers in his dream.
The
second monster film that I am going to look at is Friday the 13th.
The monster in this film is called Jason. On Friday June 13th Jason
Voorhees witnesses his mother Pamela Voorhees be beheaded by a camp counselor
who was trying to escape Mrs. Voorhees murderous rampage around camp Crystal
Lake. Approximately 30 years later a group of vaccinating friends arrive at
Crystal Lake. This is when we see adult Jason killing the group of friends
apart from one girl called Whitney, he decides to kidnap her because she
resembles his mother at a young age.
All of these sub genres are horrors. In
comparison to one another Nightmare on Elm Street has a lot more mind games and
plays with the audiences emotions. Whereas Friday the 13th is more
realistic. However both films start off immediately. Nightmare on Elm Street
begins with someone having a nightmare and Friday the 13th begins
with the death of Jason’s mother. What I would expect in both of these films is
to feel on edge whilst watching them and not expect what was going to happen
next. I would expect to be guessing what is going to happen throughout the
entire film.
Slasher – Slasher is a type of
horror typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a
sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool
such as a knife or axe.
The residents of Haddonfield
don't know it yet... but death is coming to their small sleepy town. Sixteen
years ago, a ten year old boy called Michael Myers brutally kills his step
father, his elder sister and her boyfriend. Sixteen years later, he escapes
from the mental institution and makes his way back to his hometown intent on a
murderous rampage pursued by Dr Sam Loomis who is Michael's doctor and the only
one who knows Michael's true evil. Elsewhere a shy teenager by the name of
Laurie Strode is babysitting on the night Michael comes home... is it pure coincidence
that she and her friends are being stalked by him?
When detective Eric Matthews is called to a crime scene of a
victim of Jigsaw, he finds a lead to the place where he is hidden. Once there,
he realizes that Jigsaw trapped his son Daniel Matthews with three women and
four men in a shelter, and they are inhaling a lethal nerve gas. If they do not
use an antidote within two hours, they will die. Eric follows with increasing
desperation the death of each member of the group in monitors, while
trying to convince Jigsaw to release his son.
In comparison both films include a mass
killing of people. However saw involves more blood and goriness whereas
Halloween is more about physical fear itself and then the killings. Also in
Halloween the killings are not as brutal as saw. From both of these films I
will expect different things. From Halloween I would want be guessing
throughout the entire film whereas saw I would like to see the brutal tasks
being done.
Comedy – Comedy horror is
a sub genre of horror films that combines horrific elements with comedic.
The first film that I have chosen to look
at is Scream 3. A new film is currently in production, and a killer is on the
loose. The murders draw a reporter, ex-cop, and young woman to the set of the
movie inspired by their life. They soon find out that they are dealing with a
trilogy, and in a trilogy… anything can happen.
Shaun doesn’t have a very good day, so he
decides to turn his life around by getting his ex to take him back, but he
times it for right in the middle of what may be a zombie apocalypse… but for
him, its an opportunity to show everyone he knows how useful he is by saving
them all. All he has to do is survive… and get his ex back.
In comparison both Shaun of the dead and
scream 3 have elements of comedy in them. However they both also have horror
elements to them. There are also some differences. Shaun of the dead has more
to do with zombies, whereas Scream 3 is about one killer going on a massacred
after people. From these two films I would expect to know what was going to
happen throughout the entire film, and I would expect to laugh, and not feel as
scared as I would if I was watching a slasher film.
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