Overview of Horror Genre

OVERVIEW OF HORROR GENRE

• Horror film is one of the first genres to have been successful and created a distinctive identity in the early days of film history. Many of the earliest full-length horror films of the 1910s and 1920s were created by German directors, in a distinctive EXPRESSIONIST style. Examples include The Golem, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, and Nosferatu. Early horror movies were often based on classics of GOTHIC LITERATURE, such as Frankenstein, Dracula, Phantom of the Opera, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Many of these early successful titles were produced by UNIVERSAL STUDIOS in the heyday of popular horror in the 1930s and 1940s.

• Distinctive sub-genres of horror evolved after World War II, as societal issues such as FEAR OF NUCLEAR WAR began to influence the content of horror film. For example, horror films such as The Thing From Another World and Invasion of the Body Snatchers channelled societal paranoia of the Cold War and genetic mutation into film.

• From the 1950s and 1960s onwards, horror movies could begin to be divided into three distinct sub-genres:

HORROR OF PERSONALITY (films in which the villain is human, rather than a monster… e.g. Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO)

HORROR OF ARMAGEDDON (films dealing with doomsday events and/or their aftermath… e.g. Robert Wise’s THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL)

HORROR OF THE DEMONIC (films dealing with evil forces, demons, monsters, witches… e.g. William Friedkin’s THE EXORCIST)

• Advances in technology (i.e. better camera equipment & film stock, improved special effects & makeup) also began to influence the look and feel of horror. It continues to evolve as audiences’ tolerance for violence and death on-screen has changed, & covers a variety of styles (e.g. remakes of foreign classics – The Grudge; parody – Shaun of the Dead)

TECHNICAL CODES & NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS OF THE HORROR GENRE

USE OF TRACKING SHOTS – the camera is often used to track/follow the victim, putting the audience in the villain’s shoes. Films such as Friday the 13th use tracking shots and POV shots often, to allow the viewers to see the world through the eyes of the killer, Jason, as he stalks his victims at the abandoned summer camp.

MAKEUP – horror makeup is known for being gruesome and realistic, and is an essential part of creating the proper mood for the film, as well as creating memorable horror characters. Gary Oldman’s makeup in Bram Stoker’s Dracula was notable for showing the evolution of his character from old to young, and from human to monster, repeatedly.

NON-DIEGETIC SOUNDTRACK – Horror films depend on a scary music soundtrack to create the proper mood, especially when a monster or killer is about to strike. Notable examples of soundtrack include the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, or Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Strings (violin, cello) are often used to chilling effect. ------“THE LAST GIRL” – a common narrative convention of horror is that the final survivor left to fight the villain is a young, innocent girl. This convention defies traditional societal expectations that women are weak and powerless. Buffy the Vampire Slayer explicitly deals with this convention as the main conceit of the show.

“BAD THINGS HAPPEN AT NIGHT” – Most horror films follow the convention that death/violence happens after dark. Often, dark/dim lighting is used to conceal the villain at nighttime, and create suspense, i.e. ‘What could be lurking in the shadows?’ Films such as Nightmare on Elm Street use locations such as dark streets, basements of houses, etc to create suspense as we wait for “Freddy” to pop out of the darkness.

“THE FALSE ENDING” – Horror movies often feature a “Gotcha!” ending, in which the killer is presumed be dead, but pops up at the last moment for one last attack. The ending of 1976’s Carrie is a good example.