Horror Film Theories

Final Girl Theory

The final girl theory is present in many horror films. This theory suggests that a female always survives. This theory came from Carol J.Clover. The final female surviver has ordinarially has got some sort of connection with the killer from the beginning of the film and the female usually has a unisex name. A unisex name for the female gives the impression that the female has a bit of a masculine side. Within horror films the 'final girl theory' explains that the final girl is a quick thinker, recourseful and become a person who is willing to kill to survive. With a horror film using the 'final girl theory', male viewers are much more likely to empathise with a female and want her to succeed. If a male was left last, then I beleive a male would be more competitive and would feel as if the male should be able to defeat villain or killer with ease. Feminists will argue that many horror films, if not all horror films have an element of sexism as a women is always being terrorised or brutally slaughtered in horror films. All horror films give off the impression that the women is initially being blamed for the villains rage, so therefore, I shall also be using an element of this in my horror film trailer. Although it will look like the female is being punished or blamed for the deaths of the other victims, she will not be the last girl 'standing' if you like so we as a group have tried to subvert from the typical final girl theory which is present in a lot of horror films. More frequently, the last person 'standing' in horror films are becoming to be male, which is occuring more in the 21st century. In my groups horror trailer, the last person standing is male and therefore doesnt follow the final girl theory.

Male Gaze Theory

It is said that horror films are made for male entertainment. There is evidence of this statement which is that in a horror film, there is always a terrorfied woman and it is thought that it is not what the woman represents but what the woman provokes in the villain. The theorist name for the male gaze theory is Laura Mulvey. She states that the audience view the horror film from a heterosexual point of view and that women are objectified in horror films for pleasure of the male viewer. This theory is less obvious in horror films now and an example of this the film Eden Lake. In Eden Lake it is true that the woman is very scared and frightened, but near the end of the film she is also very brave and couragous and attempts to tactfully get out of the situation she is in which presents her as a heroine.

Horror Trailer Analysis

Whilst watching a few horror trailers I was able to tally the camera movement and the various types of camera shots involved in the horror trailers. i have represented them as bar charts and I also commented on the use of sound, issues of representation and horror iconography. I looked at four horror trailers which include 'nightmare on Elm Street', 'The Crazies', 'The fourth kind' and 'The anti-Christ'. The information I discovered has been displayed below:

The Crazies

Sound: A drum beat which gets faster. A soft song is played in the movie which is 'Mad World' by Gary Jules.
Horror Iconography: Blood trail, no signal on mobile phones. All connection with the outside world has been cut off. A community event turned out badly, fire, a mysterious character walking into a feild.
Issues of Representation: Male characters are dominant. The husband turns on his family (male gaze).

Nightmare on Elm Street

Sound: Charaters talking about nightmare and capture. Casual talking between characters and also significant dialouge "anyone here!?"
Horror Iconography: Unknown hallucinations, child, hospitals, phallus shaped objects, unknown person and isolation.
Issues of Representation: Screaming girl, men cope with it better (male gaze).

The Fourth Kind

Sound: There is dislouge included in the trailer - "what you're about to see is extremely disturbing", "staring at me", "an owl" actress speaks as actress. The music includes airy soft sounds, high pitched screeching, and loud drum beats. Other sounds included were camera turning on and off, scratching and screaming.
Horror Iconography: A true story which has been recreated with real footage shown, isolated area, aliens and abductions, cabin in mountins.
Issues of Representation: Strong female, curious female, male victims (final girl theory).

The Anti-Christ

Sound: Important dialouge included in the trailer - "what are you most afraid of?" In response "the woods". The music included is a choir, and opera music. Other significant noises include snapping sticks, animal cries and panting.
Horror Iconography: Woods, darkness, girl in toilets, an isolated house in the middle of the woods, Satan, anti-christ and screaming.
Issues of representation: Vunerable women, man has authority, baby crying and sex.

I have noticed that there are many similar traits within horror films after having analysed a few horror film trailers. The most common type of camera movement was the movement where the camera moved away, moved nearer and moved down. In my opinion, these camera movements are the most common to be found in horror movies as they create more intensity in the horror film trailer. The camera movement which involves the camera to be moved nearer encourages the view to notice something they wouldn't have noticed from a distance. The camera movement which involves the camera to be moved away encourages the viewer to notice the surroundings and the mise en scene. The camera movement which involves the camera to be moved down may be used to show how far away the characters are from contact and this what I discovered these camera movements were used for in the horror trailers I had watched.

The types of camera shots that were frequently used in these horror trailers were close ups and medium shots. Within horror trailers close ups are used very often as they create a sense of uncomfertability. In the trailers I had viewed, I had also noticed that the long shot was also used quite a bit. I beleive they were used to show or present isolation.

The sound in the horror film trailers were mostly slow and airy which usually got faster as more of the trailer was revealed. There was also a quite noticeable drumbeat which was repetitive. The iconography used in these horror film trailers were isolation, darkness and blood which are people's usual fears. Intensifying them causes them to become even more frightening. In the horror trailer 'The Fourth Kind' the actress spoke as an actress which ultimately made it seem more realistic in the film.