Explorations in Children's Animated Horror Films Megan Estelle Troutman University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
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University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 5-2015 (Re)Animating the Horror Genre: Explorations in Children's Animated Horror Films Megan Estelle Troutman University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the Other Film and Media Studies Commons, and the Visual Studies Commons Recommended Citation Troutman, Megan Estelle, "(Re)Animating the Horror Genre: Explorations in Children's Animated Horror Films" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 1090. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1090 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. (Re)Animating the Horror Genre: Explorations in Children’s Animated Horror Films (Re)Animating the Horror Genre: Explorations in Children’s Animated Horror Films A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by Megan Estelle Troutman Southern Nazarene University Bachelor of Arts in English Education, 2010 University of Arkansas Master of Arts in English, 2012 May 2015 University of Arkansas This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council. ____________________________________ Dr. M. Keith Booker Dissertation Director ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Dr. Lisa Hinrichsen Dr. Susan Marren Committee Member Committee Member ABSTRACT This project seeks to define the subgenre of children’s animated horror film by examining its classification within the children’s film genre and its use of generic conventions of horror. While this project does not aim to conflate children’s film as a genre and animation as a medium, the scope of this project will be limited to children’s animated horror films from 1993 – present day. In order to explore the subgenre of children’s animated horror films from 1993-present, I will focus specifically on the following films: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit (2005), Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2006), Monster House (2006), Igor (2008), Coraline (2009), 9 (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), Hotel Transylvania (2012), and ParaNorman (2012). These films not only raise questions about children and childhood, but also specifically engage in the generic conventions of horror through various monsters, use of comedy, gender stereotypes, and generic hybridity. By engaging in conversations with the conventions of horror films, children's animated horror film legitimates its status as a horror subgenre, not merely simple children’s films. © by Megan Estelle Troutman All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks are extended to the University of Arkansas English Department for their assistance with fulfilling all the requirements for this degree. Specifically, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to director, Dr. M. Keith Booker, and my committee members, Dr. Lisa Hinrichsen and Dr. Susan Marren. Without your flexibility and invaluable feedback, this project would be impossible. I would also like to thank my support network of family and friends for the endless encouragement and assistance. For the endless emotional and financial support (not to mention the never ending cups of coffee), I would like to specifically thank my husband, Nathaniel. Your investment in my dreams and this project can never be repaid. Furthermore, I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Dr. Mary K. Leigh, for her endless suggestions on this project and the mental and emotional stability she has provided during this process. DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this project to Eli Robert. You certainly made the race between this project and your arrival a unique and unforgettable experience. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILMS: AN INTRODUCTION .............................. 1 CHILDREN’S FILMS AND HORROR ..................................................................................... 2 DEFINING CHILDREN’S FILMS ............................................................................................ 4 DEFINING HORROR FILM ..................................................................................................... 6 CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILM .......................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 1: PUTTING THE CHILD IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILM ...... 9 CHAPTER 2: FRANKENSTEIN, VAMPIRES, AND GHOSTS, OH MY! MONSTER TYPES AND FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILM ..................... 11 CHAPTER 3: IT’S ALIVE . AGAIN: CHILDREN’S HORROR FILM AND POSTMODERN TRAITS ........................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 4: BOYS OR GHOULS? : GENDER ROLE DIFFERENCES IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILMS ............................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 1: PUTTING THE CHILD IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILM15 CONSTRUCTING THE CHILD: ............................................................................................. 16 CHILDREN IN ANIMATED FILMS: ..................................................................................... 21 CHILDREN AND LIVE-ACTION HORROR: ....................................................................... 23 CHILDREN AND ANIMATED HORROR: ............................................................................ 25 DJ : MONSTER HOUSE (2006) .............................................................................................. 28 CORALINE JONES: CORALINE (2009) ................................................................................ 33 NORMAN BABCOCK: PARANORMAN (2012) .................................................................... 39 VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN: FRANKENWEENIE (2012) ...................................................... 45 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 2: FRANKENSTEIN, VAMPIRES, AND GHOSTS, OH MY! MONSTER TYPES AND FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILM .................. 51 MONSTERS IN HORROR FILMS .......................................................................................... 53 MONSTERS IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILM ............................................. 56 COMEDY AND RECYCLED MOSNTERS ........................................................................... 57 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2012) ......................................................................................... 58 IGOR (2008) ............................................................................................................................. 64 DOMESTIC MONSTERS ........................................................................................................ 70 MONSTER HOUSE (2006) ..................................................................................................... 71 CORALINE (2009) ................................................................................................................... 76 HORROR AND COMEDY COLLIDE .................................................................................... 81 PARANORMAN (2012) .......................................................................................................... 82 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 87 CHAPTER 3: IT’S ALIVE . AGAIN: CHILDREN’S HORROR FILM AND POSTMODERN TRAITS .......................................................................................................... 89 POSTMODERN PARADIGMS AND CHILDREN’S MEDIA .............................................. 90 GENERIC HYBRIDITY AND CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILMS ................... 93 WALLACE AND GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT .......................................... 94 9 (2009) ..................................................................................................................................... 99 POSTMODERN HORROR .................................................................................................... 103 HORROR IS A VIOLENT DISRUPTION OF EVERYDAY WORLD ................................ 105 HORROR TRANSGRESSES AND VIOLATES BOUNDARIES ........................................ 110 HORROR QUESTIONS RATIONALITY ............................................................................. 116 HORROR REPUDIATES NARRATIVE CLOSURE ........................................................... 121 HORROR AS A BOUNDED EXPERIENCE OF FEAR ....................................................... 124 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................... 128 CHAPTER 4: BOYS AND GHOULS: GENDER ROLE DIFFERENCES IN CHILDREN’S ANIMATED HORROR FILMS .................................................................... 130 FEMINIST THEORY AND THE CINEMATIC HORROR GENRE ................................... 132 FEMINIST THEORY AND CHILDREN’S FILMS .............................................................. 136 HORROR CHARACTER CATEGORIES ............................................................................. 139 THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993) ..............................................................