Films and Characteristics of Horror Sub-Genres
Slasher Film This Sub-Genre contains a lot of violence, which revolves around a psychopathic serial killer who throughout the film stalks and kills numerous victims. The killer usually has a specific weapon of choice to kill his victim, such as an axe or a chainsaw. Slasher films can also include crime, with lots of mystery and suspense. The murder scenes will be elaborate and the tension before hand will be strung out to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.
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Psycho, 1960, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974, Directed by Tobe Hooper Prom Night, 2008 remake from 1980, Directed by Nelson McCormick
Action Horror Film Action Horror is a sub-genre that has the intrusion of evil in horrors, such as an event or a supernatural antagonist, and combines it with gunfights and frantic chase scenes that are performed in the action genre. Particular themes are more common in action horrors, for example zombies, vampires, vicious animals and intense gore are frequently seen in action horrors.
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Dawn of the Dead, 2004, Directed by Zach Snyder From Dusk Till Dawn, 1996, Directed by Robert Rodriguez Blade, 1998, Directed by Stephen Norrington
Body Horror Film -
Body horror films generate the horror from the degeneration or deconstruction of the human body, the creation of monsters out of human body parts or unnatural movements and dysfunction of the body to create fear. This could be by spreading diseases, scientific or medical experiments, technological impulses and body modification. A well-known director for this genre is David Cronenberg.
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The Human Centipede, 2009, Directed by Tom Six Cabin Fever, 2002, Directed by Eli Roth The Beyond, 1981, Directed by Lucio Fulci
Comedy Horror Film Gothic Horror Film Comedy Horror films combines the elements of the Horror and Comedy genres and almost inevitably includes black comedy. Some of the earliest horror movies were of this genre. It again combines the elements ofto Gothic Horror genres. This genre allows the audience laughand at their fears, and
movies are made to give a lighter side on events around the world. For example based at romance Halloween or World These movies usuallymovies involve a dark story between War 1+2 can contain a lot of include horror sequences, but the the characters. It would also extreme landscapes comedy elementcastles allows and comedy relief to of thetypically tense like a cemetery, dungeons, allsome of which moments. – centuries so the audience have a deep shouldFilms date back sense of history in the movies. • Dracula, The Ghost1931, Breaker, Directed 1914, by TodDirected Browning by Cecilcould also occur in this Magic or supernatural elements DeMille and Oscar 1931,Apfel genre. • Frankenstein, • Directed Warm Bodies, by James 2013, Directed by Jonathan Whale • Levine The Mummy, 1932, • Directed Shaun of by theKarl Dead, Freund 2004, Directed by Edgar Wright
Psychological Horror Film This horror genre focuses on the characters and audiences fear, guilt and emotional instability. The supernatural are also commonly used to scare the characters, build the tension and further the plot, and typically make the audience jump. The horror and fear that’s created comes from the reality of this sub-genre, as they are typically set in normal circumstances.
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The Ring, 2002, Directed by Gore Verbinski The Shining, 1980, Directed by Stanley Kubrick The Exorcist, 1973, Directed by William Friedkin
Science fiction Horror Film -and Science fiction horror is the sub-genre of science fiction horror films. They usually include alien invasions, mad scientists and experiments gone wrong. This sub-genre also focuses on the fear that technology goes wrong, and sometimes ends with the end of the world.
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Alien, 1979, Directed by Ridley Scott World War Z, 2013, Directed by Marc Forster Pandorum, 2009, Directed by Christian Alvart