COMM 4200, RELIGION AND FILM

1
COMM 4200, RELIGION AND FILM

• FILM GENRES HORROR FILMS

2
I. FILM GENRES OVERVIEW

• A. Genres--widely recognized groups or
  categories of films.
• 1. A "contract" between filmmaker audience.
• 2. Come from literary artistic genres.
• 3. Existed since start of filmmaking.
• 4. Depend on audience familiarity with genre
  conventions.
• B. Filmmakers can accept or reject genre
  conventions risk alienating audiences if reject.

3
II. COMMON CONVENTIONS (A GRAMMAR OF GENRE).

• A. Styleway subjects presented using common film
  techniques.
• 1. Different genres have different styles.
• 2. Styles also reflect specific filmmakers.
• 3. Includes characteristic techniques. 
• 4.  Defined by subject matter setting.
• 5.  Includes emotional effects specific to the
  genre (i.e. horror films want to scare us,
  comedies to make us laugh, etc.).

4
CONVENTIONS, CONT.

• B. Plot structure
• 1. Typical characters per genre
• 2. Specific conflicts, depending on genre
• a. Westernscivilization vs. wildness, nature,
  lawlessness
• b. Gangsterlaw vs. lawlessness.
• c. Romantic comedymarriage vs. individualism.
• Etc.

5
CONVENTIONS, CONT.

• C. Common iconography for each genre
• 1. SymbolsAny verbal or visual image standing
  for something else.
• 2. Archetypes--Manifestations in image, dialogue
  or character of basic universal symbolic
  elements.
• 3. Motifs--Dominant recurring idea or image
  symbolic patterns.

6
CONVENTIONS, CONT.

• D. Common social concerns or themes
• 1. Social-cultural issues relevant to the genre
  change with time place.
• 2. Themesbasic premises or meanings underlying
  a specific work (or body of work).
• a. Explicitstated themes or meanings.
• b. Implicitimplied by structure, symbols,
  techniques, etc.

7
IV. EVOLUTION (STAGES) OF FILM GENRES

• A. EXPERIMENTAL (PRIMITIVE)
• 1. Genres created.
• 2. Conventions established.
• 3. Most genres created by 1920s some later
  (e.g. teenage films).
• B. CLASSIC
• 1. Conventions reach their apex.
• 2. Social ritualistic functions stressed.

8
EVOLUTION (STAGES), CONT.

• C. REVISION/REFINEMENT
• 1. Conventions revised, renewed, updated,
  altered, critiqued, etc.
• 2. May include blends or hybrids.
• D. PARODY
• 1. Pokes fun at one or more particular genres,
  using genre conventions.
• 2. Intertextual self-reflexive.
• 3. Must understand genre to understand the
  parody.

9
HORROR FILMS

• A. Recognizable for emotional effects (even in
  hybrid formats).
• 1. Thus more psychoanalytic in its themes
  symbols than science-fiction films
• 2. Many horror films do have scientific or
  technological aspects to them (in common with
  SF).
• B. Also may revolve around the struggle of good
  vs. evil, cast in religious or apocalyptic terms.
  

10
HORROR FILMS, CONT.

• C. Psychological in themes symbols
• 1. Various fears (death, technology, etc.)
• 2. The effects of our pride
• 3. Repressed sexual desire
• D. Favored by low-budget filmmakers.
• 1. Create emotional impact through low-budget
  effects.
• 2. Low cost techniques include grotesque makeup,
  costuming, low lighting techniques spooky
  music.
• 3. May be filmed in black white.

11
HORROR FILMS, CONT.

• E. Common conventions
• 1. People must defend themselves group from a
  monster.
• 2. Monster discovered or revealed.
• 3. Monster is unknown creature of some type
• a. Might involve a dangerous breach of nature
• b. May violate our normal sense of what is
  possible

12
HORROR FILMS, CONT.

• c. Can violate boundary of living dead (e.g.
  vampires, zombies)
• d. May have an unknown biology (e.g. Alien)
• e. May be supernatural (e.g. ghosts)
• f. May be psychological (e.g. Psycho)
• g. Can be large or small (e.g. bacteria).

13
HORROR FILMS, CONT.

• 4. Monster appears threatening (e.g. Cat People
  vs. E.T.)
• 5. Monster tries to destroy normal life
• 6. Protagonist may or may not be able to defeat
  the monster
• 7. Ending may suggest monster remains or will
  return

14
HORROR FILM CYCLE EXAMPLES

• Experimental--The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
  Nosferatu (1922)
• Classic--Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy
• Refinement/Revisionist--The Birds, Night of the
  Living Dead, Halloween, Rosemarys Baby, The
  Exorcist, Carrie, Jaws, Poltergeist, Scream, The
  Evil Dead, The Blair Witch Project, Saw,
  Paranormal Activity
• Parody--Young Frankenstein, Gremlins, The Rocky
  Horror Picture Show, Beetlejuice, Army of
  Darkness, Scary Movie, Shaun of the Dead
• HybridAlien, Jurassic Park