Horror Genre Theories

STEPHEN PRINCE

Horror as a genre in films dates all the way back to the origin of film. Horror is a genre which has been around since cave men and the stories they painted on their cave walls of mythical monsters. It is easy to see why horror immediately entered cinema considering the first horror movies made were about horror books. Stephen Prince author of the book The Horror Film gives us a rundown on why horror is an elite genre in this excerpt:

“Like other genre movies any given horror film will convey synchronic association, ideological ad social messages that are part of a certain period or historical moment. One can analyse horror films in terms of these periods or moments, just as one can do with westerns or gangster movies.  But, unlike those genres, horror also goes deeper, to explore more fundamental questions about the nature of human existence, questions that, in some profound ways, go beyond culture and society as these are organized in any given period or form. Here lies the special significance of horror, the factors that truly differentiate it from the other genres and that make it conform most deeply with our contemporary sense of the world.”(Prince 2)

Also characteristic to horror genre is the struggle of good and evil. Originally horror films plotted some unthinkable monster against an individual or group of people who must fight to stay alive. Over the years the monster has mutated into several things including, lunatic fathers, possessed children, ghosts, aliens, the psychotic murderer next door and etc. The struggle of good and evil can be thrown onto many situations and made into a horror film.

Another aspect which makes these films so appealing in more modern times is the idea that humans are not atop the food chain. The idea that we as a race are not the end all be all most powerful creature in the universe.  The feeling of helplessness is on of the aspects of the films that helps to keep me interested.

Horror as a genre has remained same over the years yet changed so much. The genre mutated time and time again to create sub genres and various aspects to be added to films. Horror films have caught the attention of the American public from the time of their arrival and surely will not stop anytime in the near future.   

Wes Craven

Wes Craven is a well known American film director and producer, most famous for films such as 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984) and the 'Scream' franchise.
His theory says that Horrors are more effective in stereotypically safe places, such as family homes, which is where Craven usually sets his films.
His theory also states that there is usually an absence of authority, such as an absence of parents. which removes the feeling of security from the life of the main character.

Scream(1996) is a perfect example of Craven's theory of stereotypically safe places. In the opening title sequence we see the victim in her home, which she deems a safe place, and she is about to watch a film with her boyfriend who is yet to arrive at the house. This 'safe' atmosphere created from being in your own home can be related to everyday life. So when a horror film portrays that there are no safe places to hide, it creates fear and tension from an audience's perspective. 

Wheeler Winston Dixon

Wheeler Winston Dixon is a noted American film maker and scholar and is regarded a expert on film history, theory and criticism. He is well known for films such as 'UFO exclusive' (1978) and 'Amazing world of ghosts' (1978).
Believed men and women were sites of activity rather the situation than characters.
as level of graphics specifically continues to rise in the horror film
the contemporary horror film must "horrify" the spectator
He believes that classic horror characters like Dracula and Frankenstein's monster no longer suffice and no longer hold the audiences attention as the overall pace and graphic focus on violence has increased.
also believes that horror films make the assumption that violence, degradation and ritual torture are inescapable facts of contemporary existence.

Carol Clover 

Carol clover is an American professor of film studies who is most notable for her book "Men, women and chainsaws" written in 1992 which goes deeply in to her various horror theories mainly focusing on the female hero and the male audience, the book has been complimented for well refining the "final girl" theory. Clover has stated in her theory's that killers in horror movies have either issues with there childhood which is the supposed cause for there disturbing behaviour. They also enjoy inflicting pain and receiving it, female killers suffer from gender confusion an example of this is the mother in 'Friday the 13th' (1980). She also mentions that walls that seem safe for example a house soon turn into a prison keeping you with the killer, prime examples of this can be found throughout the scream series.

Stuart Kaminsky

Stuart Kaminsky is an American mystery writer and film professor born in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois and wrote over 60 novels including 3 successful series most notable the 'Inspector Rostnikov' series.

Kaminsky's theory stated that weapons in horror films are extensions of the people using them, there are no guns used in horror films as in slasher its focused around the gore meaning that guns are too clean, the only people in horrors who have guns are authority figures but they never use them effectively this comes with a few exceptions such as in the ending of the original scream. there are example of Kaminsky's theory in the majority of slasher films in which the weapon is the extension of the killer these include 'Friday the 13th' (1980), 'Halloween' (1978), 'Scream' (1996) and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974) but this is most notable in 'Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984) where the weapon used is a glove which is a true extension of the character, there are next to no scenes in which Freddy appears without is famous slasher glove. In conclusion the theory is simple stating in these films all the antagonists very rarely part from there weapons in a way making them part of the character.