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Title  

 

Tutor  

 

Unit  

 

Name  

 

Date  

 

Word  Count  

 

UCA  Rochester  

 

Content:  

 

Introduction  p.3  

 

Body  p.4  

 

Conclusion  

 

Bibliography    

 

Illustrations  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Scream  DVD  Cover  (1996)  

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Introduction

Scream (1964) is an example of contemporary visual culture. This essay will

discuss ways in which theories of postmodernity might be used to interpret its

meaning, making reference to key concepts encountered in the theoretical

ideas emerged in the second half in the twentieth century. In analyzing the

film Scream, one might suggest that the concepts most prevalent are,

pastiche, intertextuality and parody, these being the focus of this essay. The

sources used for this essay include: Postmodernism: A Very Short

Introduction by C Butler (1945); The Portable Postmodernist by A Berger

(2003); Postmodern Culture by Hal Foster (1987); The Politics Of

Postmodernism by Lainda Hutcheon (1989). These will be used to explore

and explain why and how Scream (1996) relates to postmodernism.

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Body

One could broadly define postmodernism, which came about in the 1980s, in

a single question, ‘Postmodernism: does it exist at all and, if so, what does it

mean?’ (H Foster, 1987) Postmodernism is not widely understood or accepted

and very few people can say with any assurance what the term actually mean

or involves. This has aroused many debates on what postmodernism is due to

the many theory’s that has plagued the art world. It has been argued that

postmodernity focuses on the relative ‘truths’ of each person and the

interpretation of ‘reality’. (M. Khan, 2000) Some state that postmodernity is

simply a ‘phenomenon’ and that it is highly ‘political’, (L. Hutcheon, 1989) and

that it is ‘some kind of reaction to, or departure from modernity.(D Harvey,

1990)

Scream (1996) is a film littered with postmodernity in its construct in both plot

and text. Throughout the film the three main topics of this essay, pastiche,

intertectuality and parody, are weaved into every minuet of the film, both seen

and unseen. To understand how postmodernity effects Scream (1996) one

must also look at the core of horror thrillers.

Pastiche in its simplest form is a work of ‘mimicry’ that ‘imitates’ the style of

another. (A.  Berger,  2003 ) Parody is very similar in some regards to pastiche

but has ‘ulterior motives’, it is a work that mimics in an absurd or ridiculous

way to make fun of or in light of another’s work. (A.  Berger,  2003). An example

of this is Police Academy (1984) which was a spoof on police movies of that

time.

Intertexuality is the more complex and harder to recognize as a defining

concepts within the three aforementioned characteristics of postmodernism.

One must be aware or have some knowledge of the genre in question, which

in this case is horror, in order to spot the use of intertextuality, as it ‘refers’ to

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the linkage across ‘texts’ or discourse events where one ‘text refers to

another.’(J. Christensen, 2000)

Plan

Images of films

Describe image/ relation to texts

Explain how this is using intertextuality

Images from film

Describe image/ its use of parody and pastiche

Conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bibliography  

 

Arthur  Asa  Berger,  The portable postmodernist, Walnut Creek : Alta Mira

Press, 2003.

 

Christopher Butler, Postmodernism : a very short introduction Oxford ; New

York : Oxford University Press, 2002.

David Harvey, The Condition Of Postmodernity, Malden, MA: Blackweell,

1990

Hal Foster, Postmodern Culture, Pluto Press Ltd, 1987

Jorgen Riber Christensen, Postmodernism-A Brief Description, 2002 [online]

at:  http://www.hum.aau.dk/~riber/PostmodernismBrief.htm

Linda Hutcheon, The Politics Of Postmodernism, Routledge New York, 1989

M. A. Muqtedar Khan, Postmodernity And The Crisis Of Truth, 2000

 

 

Illustrations  

 

Scream  DVD  Cover,  (1996)  [online  image]  at:  

http://www.theartofmovieposters.com/ForSale/Images/HORROR/1996_SCREA

M_A.JPG