Sub Genre - slasher
As a group we chose slasher as out subgenre as it is the most realistic genre. This subgenre of horror typically involves a violent psychopath murdering people with bladed tools. Most agree that the genre 'peaked' in 1970s and 1980s due to many american films being released, this shows that there will be room in the market for a new, updated modern slasher film. Wes Craven released Scream in 1996, this film is one of the last well known slasher film to be made and this renewed the public's interest in the genre.
The killers identity is often hidden throughout the film by the use of masks, creative lighting and camera techniques, this is done to make the audience more intrigued to who the killer is. The killer is also most likely to be a man, this is used to show gender differences and to emphasise the final girl. The weapon of choice is always hand held so that the killer is closer to the victim following Stuart Kaminskys theory.
Many common theories are used in Slasher films such as the Wes cravens theory that the safest most relaxed places are used when creating a horror to make the audience feel more anxious. Carol clovers final girl theory is also commonly used in slasher films, as well as wheeler winston dixon and Stuart Kaminsky. Theses theories will either have to be followed or completely reversed in order to keep the audiences interest and either make it more unique or to make it fit the genre perfectly, however doing this can cause it to look the same as other making it less interesting for the audience.
examples of slasher films
Alfred Hitchcock's Psyhco
"Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), is overcome by exhaustion during a heavy rainstorm. Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother."
This movie first got mixed reviews, however it later gained outstanding box office reviews and four Academy Award nominations. Physco is now thought to be one of Hitchcock's best films and is ranked among the greatest horror films of all time. It was known to set a new level of acceptability for violence, bad behaviour and sexuaility. This will be important to look when making our trailer as they acceptance of these factors will determine how good our trailer will do." |
Wes Craven's Scream
"High school student Casey Becker receives a flirtatious phone call from an unknown person, asking her, "What's your favorite scary movie?" However, the caller turns sadistic and threatens her life. He reveals that her boyfriend Steve Orth is being held hostage and demands she answer questions about horror films. After Casey gets one wrong, Steve is murdered. When Casey refuses to answer more questions, she is murdered by a masked killer. Her parents come home to find her corpse hanging from a tree."
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top 10 highest grossing slasher movies
This clip shows some of the most famous slasher movies, for our slasher horror to be successful it will be important to both take inspiration from these films as well as create a unique aspect to our slasher, so that it is not boring and predictable for out target audience.