Horror Movies : The Horror Movie Genre

Imagine the world without fear, where everyone wouldn't be scared of anything, but without fear, you won’t be able to think twice about your decision and you can meet get yourself killed. Fear is always with you can't get rid of it even if you tried fear is a type of nerve and it needs to be exercised. If the horror movie would occur, then you would know what to do in that situation. The horror genre is right for young readers because it's fictional, and was basically young adults were 12-13 years old.

General Purpose: To inform the audience about the psychological appeal of the slasher film, a brief history of the genre, and the links to urban legends and fairy tales.

The Horror Genre The Horror Genre has been very popular ever since Etienne Robertson, the pioneer of film horror, made the first film. The film 'Phantasmagoria' was more of a theatre shadow play. It was made during the French revolution.

Merriam Webster defines “horror” as “painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay.” A popular definition of horror film argues that horror is subjective-anything that evokes the emotion of horror in an individual is a horror film to that individual. (Horror Writers Association) This definition is far too dependent on the audience for its categorization. Although, the emotional argument being made in films is an essential factor when defining a genre, it cannot be the only device considered for defining the entirety of a genre. I contend that some films are objectively horrifying. Further, a definition of horror should not only incorporate a film’s emotional appeal. The definition must expand to include a film’s ethical and logical appeal. The definition of horror should be all-encompassing. It should articulate how a film argues in every medium, by every element, and from every angle. Additionally, a horror definition should not be limited to the subcategories that it has typically produced: the uncanny, the marvelous horror, and the fantastic horror. (Prohászková, 1-2) This allows no room for growth and expansion in the genre. This definition cannot be articulated without specific examples, and is, therefore, insufficient for our purposes. A narrative, objectively horrific in nature, which contains horrific elements, which delivers strong appeals emotionally, logically, and ethically, which features a “monster,” or source of evil, regardless of its sub-category, falls

Films made in the 1930’s emphasised on the monster and gore. ‘When seen through the eyes of the original audiences, critics and censors, the thirties Horrors were a fairly nasty lot.’(3) Dracula was the first classic Horror film in the 1930’s, which contained sound. It received financial success as well as negative responses from critics. They saw these types of movies and had to consider whether people would copy the violence or see the movie, as it was, that these acts of violence were just for the story.

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

How do horror movies bond friends? Horror movies are made to scare the viewers. Some horror movies are too gore which makes the person not want to see it alone. Going in pairs or even a group allows the person to feel safer. Having friends beside them allows the person to feel secure when a scary scene is on. Horror movies not only allow friends to hang out in the movie theater, but also outside the theater. After the movie it allows friends to go out to eat and chat about the movie. It keeps people wanting to talk about their favorite part and the part that made them jump or scream. A horror movie is the best way to bond friends. Even if the movie is infamous it is still a great way to hang out with friends.

Horror can be defined as a genre meant to psychologically trigger individual fear with the presence of certain supernatural or abstract characteristics. The genre is dependent on people’s fascination with unrealism and the sensation that comes from experiencing fear personified into tangible elements on a screen. Horror films have thrilled audiences for decades, revealing stories of the more sinister parts of life. The popular allure that stems from the genre comes from the tension moviegoers experience when aroused by specific stimuli uniquely present in these cinematic features (Walters). Over time, as the genre progressed, the standardized elements found in a typical horror movie began to shift in different directions primarily due to changing societal circumstances and increasing consumer demand for cinematic innovation. The expansive nature of the different codes and conventions within the horror genre, coupled with the evolution of society’s fascination with these characteristics, has led to the mutation of the genre itself in order to allow for unique approaches to a familiar style in response to both economic developments and taste shifts within the consumer industry.

A girl runs frantically through the woods trying to escape an axe wielding villain. The defenseless victim suddenly trips and collapses to the ground. The villain laughs wickedly as he lifts the axe above his head. The girl releases a final scream as the weapon quickly ends her life, causing the audience to go silent as they watch the villain drag away the lifeless body. Death, blood, guts, suspense, screaming, and terror are all just a few things to expect when watching a modern day horror film. What is horror? Horror can be defined as an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust. (Wilson) The description of horror is not very pleasant, but for some reason horror films are extremely popular. Why is this so? People are addicted to the

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 slasher film is a sub-genre of horror that is particularly concerned with exploring the themes of sexuality and gender. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement, drawing on relevant academic reading and one slasher film of your choice.

Overall, horror has been a universal theme that has captivated various audiences. Horror films have long served various purposes. They deliver thrills and chills, as well as tell stories of the dark, forbidden side of life and death. They also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time. For instance, Nosferatu (1922) was not simply a tale of vampirism but offered a distressing image of a town besieged by premature and random deaths, which echoes the Great War. Therefore, horror films between the 1920s-1970s have reflected societal fears during their release and demonstrate important historical significance. The various films analyzed in this paper have represented what was happening throughout each decade beginning with

From bloody massacres to demonic possessions, the genre of horror has come a long way, todays horror movies have a variety of things in common with horror movies from the early 1900s. Although horror movies have been around for decades, they’ve changed through out the years. From extreme gore and gushing blood to edge full suspenseful horror; horror movies have different and unique styles.

Genres are broad titles that most often than not have many sub genres that work under them. Horror is an example of this. Under the horror category you have many sub genres like vampire films, gothic horrors and slashers. The Slasher film has become a defining subgenre of the horror film. While the origins of the slasher come from their predecessor the Italian giallo films they have had a massive American influence in recent times. The turning point in the themes and aesthetics of these films was Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho (1960). Psycho (1960) was the launching pad for slasher films to exhibit the features that make up today’s slasher films. This essay will look at horror and gender in the slasher films working closely with Pyscho. I will go on to discuss the influence it has on contemporary slasher films such as Wes Craven’s Scream (1996).

The horror movies of the past ten years of so have tended to be more violently graphic and visceral - a reflection of modern times, perhaps. Think of the blood and gore, of the violent deaths at regular intervals in such movies as the Friday the Thirteenth series, I Know