What Is The Difference Between Slashers And Psychological Horror Movies?

What is common between most horror films and texts? They all use similar types of codes and conventions. These codes and conventions differ between genre and can be easily identified. These also reflect the values of the audience they are intended for. The 1993 stop-motion animated film, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, directed by Henry Selick, and the 1845 poem, ‘The Raven’, written by Edgar Allan Poe, are both a part of the horror genre, as they follow the codes and conventions of that genre. They use similar visuals, sounds, characterisation, and themes. Using these and other conventions, audiences can identify a genre, which influences their opinions and feelings about the genre.

Horror movies defy the norm when looking at media theories and arguments. It doesn’t follow mood management theory because no one would possibly watch a movie because they’d like to make their mood darker and sadistic along with the movies plot. One argument that works with horror movies is the idea that they can desensitize the viewer to specific things such as violence in general, or even more specifically violence toward women, especially women who are sexualized in some way. Desensitization is the idea that a person becomes detached to a specific thing such as violence toward women, or begins to believe that something is the norm due to over exposure to something that is down played or glorified.

‘The word genre means ‘type’ or ‘category’’ (Teach yourself film studies) it is really important as an audience member to recognise genres as then things become categorised and easier for them to understand which is more comforting. Sometimes however genres are crossed and categories are broken for example sometimes we have ‘action thrillers’ or ‘sci-fi horrors’ this is known as a hybrid genre. This often intrigues the audience and draws them to the film as it changes their outlook as they have no expectations for the film as they have never been exposed to this genre before.

The role of the female throughout the horror genre has generally reflected the roles of women in society within the social context of the movie. In the early days of movie, women were no more than the weak and defenceless victim. They are ‘the object of the creature’s desire’ , a beautiful yet two-dimensional character who is there for no other reason than to become the victim. As feminism and the role of women in society has developed, so too has the role of the female in the horror genre. This is recognisable in both Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978).

As you grow older your views on what you fear change. As a child, I developed a fear of little things such as ghosts, the dark, etc. Once I grow into an adult I developed a of things observed on a daily. Americans between the age group of children and adolescents introduce themselves to bigger fears by watching movies that replayed on the already experienced fears. For example: Freddy Krueger, Jason, Vampires, Werewolves, etc. Many people in society watch these horror movies, and movie goers assume that directors based the movies on serial killers, who become glorified for the crimes committed and made into huge stars that we love. In the film Halloween, a little boy name Michael Myers kills his sister at the age of six. Twenty years later, Michael return 's to his home town Haddonfield, Illinois to kill a group of teenagers that appear around his deceased sister age. Halloween identifies as one of those gruesome films that you question, because he was a six year old when he first killed. To society Michael exemplifies monster qualities because at that age, how can someone so young stab his sister or anyone to death. Michael Myers poses as a Monster in America, he demonstrates traits of the devil in him and express his hate by killing his family, by existing in a dysfunctional family.

John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween epitomizes the slasher films, encompassing the most common themes of this genre, including teenagers making the transition into adulthood by engaging in reckless behavior, a maniac using violence as a teaching tool for the audience, a final survivor girl, and an immortal maniac. (Thesis)

Horror movies generally are all the same. They all have been based off of something that has already happened or a previous movie. Society has paid to be entertained by these gruesome stories that we all truly fear. Before movies, people would purchase books of similar traumatic events to read in their spare time for amusement. It has been said by the Filmmakers IQ's horror film lesson (2012), that writers such as Bram Stoker created graphic novels that would grab the audience's attention for years to come. But the horror movie, The House Of The Devil (1896), was noted as being the first ever horror movie. And as the years pasted, the industry grew and became stronger. But Ryan Koo (2013) stated that it was not truly until after WWI

One in four college students in a recent study said they experience lingering effects of a frightful movie or TV experience from childhood. (Bernie DeGroat) Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief the someone or something is dangerous causing pain, or threats. It is not appropriate for middle schoolers to read classic horror stories like “The Tell-Tale Heart”, because they can cause them anxiety and it can make them aggressive after watching scary movies.

Definitions of horror tend to emphasize the psychological effect it has on audiences. Specifically, they highlight the internal terror that arises from encountering threats to existence. According to

Horror films have been around for over 100 years, petrifying people and bringing their worst fears to life but still they can’t get enough of this sick and gory genre that is unbelievably entertaining and captivating to the audience. Horror comes with many sub-genres from your bloody slashers like Friday the 13th to your Supernatural-Horrors like The Exorcist, but in the end they all seem to do their job by scaring you and leaving you with nightmares for weeks on end. Usually Horror’s films have the same character stereotypes such as the nerd, the jock, the slut, the virgin, the junky, the tough hero, the unlikely hero and last but not least the masked murderer, but yet they all play their own part in the making of these horrors movies whether it is the extremely slow walk the killer does but almost always catches the victim, or the unwise decision to split up and investigate where the unusual noise is coming from.

We all need an excitement in our lives and experience the adrenaline rush. Horror genre fills up that empty spot. In today's society us teens go to amusement parks to pay to get scared by the serious tense the rides give us. Roller coasters keep us guessing what will happen next and scream at various parts of the ride. Stephen King states it himself “we are not afraid, that we can ride this roller coaster” (King, “Why We Crave”1). King says that on that surface level, we watch horror movies for that level of fun. Even knowing horror movies can give us this frightening feeling King says “we are daring the nightmare” (King, “Why We Crave”1). Horror movies are innately conservative, even reactionary. If the brain knows there is no risk of really being harmed, it experiences the adrenaline rush as enjoyable. This is the obvious option. Wondering what is going to jump out as us at a haunted house. As in who will get slashed next or who is this mystery killer in the horror movie. When you put yourselfs in the victim's shoes, your reaction can be true fear, but once you leave the theater, you are in no real

Horror is designed to scare, cause alarm and dread, while also entertaining the audience at the same time in a cathartic experience (Dirk, 2016). Horror films are meant for a specific type of audience that enjoy scary films. Dirks (Tim, 2016) approach to genre horror, is that films went back as 100 years ago, from the earliest days our vivid imagination in seeing ghosts in the shadows to be connected emotionally of the unknown, and fear things that are improbable. You watch a horror film, it makes you aware of the scary surroundings, the essence of fear itself, without actually being in any sorts of danger. Dirks argues that there is a fun and thrill factor in being frightened, or watching something disturbing. It gives you that feeling of an adrenaline rush, as well as having that feeling someone is actually next to you lurking in the dark (Dirk, 2016).

The good thing about films is that we not only have the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of different genres, but also compare them and understand their purpose in the world. The Horror genre has used the basic principles throughout time, and as a result, films of this type have not proven to be as timeless as another genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy. At first, these two genres might at times seem similar as they have at several occasions been blended together, but their basic, common theme serves different meanings about humans. I shall compare and contrast these two genres and focus on both classic films and modern films. From the Horror genre perspective I shall discuss Psycho (1960) and The Mist (2007), while in the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre I will examine 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and Serenity (2005). Although the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre and the Horror Genre share some similarities, the differences lie in their focus on human progress.

I chose to pick a genre, and I chose to do psychological thrillers. What are psychological thrillers? A psychological thriller is a subgenre of horror and thriller fiction that relies on characters' fears and emotional instability to build tension. However, this genre often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre in addition to they typical traits of the thriller genre. ALso. occasionally this genre will border into the, also wide-ranfing, horror genre. The elements of psychological horror focuses on the inside of the characters mind, their mental state. This includes emotions, personality, mental attitude of individuals, inhumane acts and conspiracies. The aim is to get you confused with

H.P. Lovecraft, in “The Call of Cthulhu,” and Stephen King, in “Gramma,” use psychological horror. In “The Call of Cthulhu,” the buildup of suspense is more prominent than the shock factor, and in “Gramma,” the shock factor is more