Horror Sub-Genres
Slasher
• Slasher horror typically involves a serial killer who stalks and
murders a series of innocent victims in a violent , graphic and
unprovoked way. The films are usually a guessing game as to
who is the killer.
Main Characteristics
Micro Features
• weapons e.g. knifes, chainsaws
• Mask or costume for killer.
•Shilloutes of killer (hard lighting)
• Suspense building music during
murder scenes
Macro Features
• Final Girl
• Young victims
•Isolated house
•False hero
Scream (1996)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx3kB
Uq8UPg
Scream is an example of a sterotypical
slasher movie. It features an unknown
killer who is dressed in a costume and
mask until the very end. We have the
weapon of a knife throughout the film
which is used to kill all of the victims. The
victims are a group of young adults and
the main protagonist ‘Sydney’ is our
example of a final girl. The film fits in with
the genre of a slasher movie as its main
focus is the graphic murder of several
characters by one murder and thorughout
the film the audience is guessing who the
killer is.
Found footage horror
•
Found footage movies are typical for the horror genre. In these movies the
film is presented as if it was found from video recordings left behind by
missing or dead protagonists . This makes the story seem more real. The
recordings would belong to the people in the film and would often feature a
person being filmed and the voice of the person filming. This mean that the
only point of view you see in the film is the view of the charcters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5
1QgOHrCj0
‘The Blair Witch Project’ is a clear found footage
horror film. We know this as the camera is of a
low quality which hints that it is a normal cam
recorder. Also we only see the story from the
characters point of view. Therefore we find out
things as the character do.
Urbanoia
• Urbanoia horror is a film in which the characters travel into a
rural and isolated area. The characters are often from urban
areas and eventual get themselves into a bad situation with
the locals.
Charcteristics
• Characters are away for recreation
•Two cultures clash
•Weak characters turn modern primitive
•Wilderness character dies
•Final Girl
The Descent (2005)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
CSYg7Z1KS_I
The descent is an example of an urbanoia
horror film. In the film a group of girls go
away to explore a undiscovered cave.
There are the sterotypical characters of a
urbanioa horror film featured including the
sporty female and the eventual final girl
‘Sarah’. This film fits into the sub genre
well as the characters are all travelling
from a urban area to the rural countryside.
Also the plot follows the way that the
women tackle the obstacles when they
meet the local inhabitants of the cave.