By Shahid Islam

Genre Research For Horror

Top films in this genre

1) Exorcist (1973)2) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)3) Halloween (1978)4) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)5) The Blair Witch Project (1999)6) Paranormal Activity (2009)7) 28 days later (2002)8) The Ring (2002)9) The Poltergeist (1982)10) Saw (2004)

My Top 10 Horror movies

Horror

Stereotypical Genre Characters

Horror

• Monsters• Ghosts• Serial Killers• Aliens• Ordinary People in masks• Demons• Vampires• Dolls/Puppets e.g. Chucky • Zombies• Skeletons

Type of Characters that are in Horror movies are:

Horror

• Graveyard• Haunted House/Cellar• Dark Rooms or Mental Institution• Alley way• Abandoned Locations• Forest/Jungle• School/Classroom• Hospital• Desert• Carnival

Typical setting a Horror film are set:

Typical Setting

Horror

Narrative Theme

• Pleasure of killing• Revenge• Kidnapping• Haunting a person or their house; but they still

live at the house knowing there is a ghost• Psychopath • Recording/First Person perspective of ghosts• Zombie apocalypse• A chase scene when someone trips over and gets

caught• Dark, broken, haunted houses being bought

Typical narrative theme’s in Horror may include:

Horror

Iconography/Props used

• Sharp, long Knives/Axes/Butcher knives/Hammers

• Weapons found on the floor• Masks• Guns/Chains• Dolls/Puppet• Chainsaw• Demonic Book or Possessed items• Camera/Camcorder• Clothing• Vehicle• Torch/Flashlight

Typical props used in Horror movies are:

Horror

• “Who killed him/her?”• “How are they going to escape?”• “Who will save them?”• “When are the Police going to arrive?”• “How did they get captured?”• “Who is the mysterious, masked murderer?”• “Will they let them survive or kill them?”• “How will they warn the others?”• “Why don’t they run or move house?”• “Why aren’t they running away?”• “Stop being the hero and run!?”

Questions the audience may ask themselves:

Enigma Codes