SUB GENRE RESEArch
Slasher
In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock released Psycho, featuring an iconic score often used in later slasher films. Psycho uses visual content which had previously been seen as unacceptable by production companies including images of violence, sexuality, and interior views of a bathroom as seen in this classic shower scene. Psycho tells the story of Marion Crane, who steals $40,000 from her employer. She leaves her home in Phoenix, Arizona and ends up at the Bates Motel in Fairvale, California. The motel is run by Norman Bates who kills her disguised as his mother. The 1990's reignited the genre with the Scream movies by Wes Craven proving popular and "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Sequel films of Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elmstreet also took off from the previous success of the first films. |
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Comedy-Horror
Comedy-Horror combines comedy with traditional horror movie themes and characters. They can cross over into the Black Comedy sub-genre with dark humour. Comedy-Horror films aim to scare the audience, but also provide comical outlets that let the audience laugh at their fear. Examples: Beetlejuice, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead |
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Monster-Horror
A Monster film is sub-genre of Horror that centers on a struggle between human beings and a monster(s). Often, the monster in the film has been created in an “experiment gone wrong” and becomes the antagonist. A hero or heroine ultimately saves the world from the monster. Although these movies commonly fall into the Horror genre, Monster films can also be placed in the Science-Fiction and Fantasy genre. Examples: Aliens, Godzilla, Creature from the Black Lagoon. |
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Supernatural-Horror
Supernatural-Horror films includes ghosts, demons, or other depictions of supernatural occurrences. They often have elements of religion. Common themes in Supernatural-Horror films include the afterlife, the devil, and demonic possession. Unlike Religious Thrillers, Supernatural-Horror films are not limited to specific religious elements and can contain more vivid and gruesome violence. Examples: The Exorcist, The Ring, The Omen. |
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Zombie-Horror
Zombie film is a sub-genre of Horror film that portrays mindless human beings who are raised from the dead. These films often include a Zombie invasion, and center around Zombies feasting on human flesh. The plot of a Zombie film then revolves around the struggle between the living and the living-dead. Zombie films not only falls into the Horror genre, but Sci-Fi, Thriller, and Comedy as well. Examples: Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later. Psychological-Horror
Psychological horror films rely on mental, emotional and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle their audience. These films aim to create discomfort or dread by exposing common or universal psychological fears and revealing the darker parts of the human psyche that most people may repress or deny. The genre seeks to challenge or confuse the audience's grasp of the narrative or plot by focusing on characters who are themselves unsure of their own perceptions of reality and are questioning their own sanity. Examples: Split, Shutter Island, Identity |
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