Friday, 26 October 2012
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Shaun of the Dead Horror Film Essay
Shaun of the Dead is a comedy-horror film which aired in 2004. It was directed by Edgar Wright and stars some famous comedic characters such as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It was produced by Universal Pictures, Studio Canal and Working Title Films – which already shows that this film was to be a big hit as it was produced by such leading companies in the film industry. Shaun of the Dead is based around three main characters, Shaun, Ed and Liz – who get a group together to fight off a new deadly spreading virus which turns civilians into blood-thirsty zombies. There is also a sub plot of which Shaun tries to win back Liz’s love by taking control after their inevitable break up.
Shaun of the Dead does seem to follow the basis of Todorov’s narrative structure, with the exception of the beginning (not everything is fine). Other than challenging the first step of the narrative structure, this film continues to follow it by using ‘the event’, the ‘recognition’, the ‘attempt to fix it’ and a ‘new equilibrium’. Examples of these features are that the event is the social life around the three main characters has gone dead – almost literally. The next stage is the recognition of the event when Shaun starts to realise abnormal things are happening and that the local public are acting strangely, for example two people standing in their garden. Continuing Todorov’s narrative structure, the next step would be the attempt to fix it, which Shaun does by gathering a group of friends and family to fight off the zombies and get them to safety. Finally, after everyone has died or been infected apart from Liz, we get a new equilibrium, being Shaun and Liz getting back together and everything seems to be back to normal and okay. However, one final piece which challenges the ending of Todorov’s structure is the last clip in the film, where we see infected Ed chained in the garden shed when Shaun comes to play video games with him – causing a sense of humour as well as fear that it could all happen all over again.
I believe the audience expectations of this genre would be – to be humoured/frightened at the same time. Having a comedy effect in a horror film lightens the mood and makes it more bearable to sit through without a constant fear of ‘what happens next?’ for the audience. As a fan of this film, I didn’t know what to expect before watching, but found myself pleasantly surprised throughout the entire movie. I believe this may because I have enjoyed other similar films to this including the same characters as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost such as ‘Hot Fuzz’. Having popular stars in a film also has an effect on what the audience expects to see as they already know what these celebrities are known for – therefore creating hope that they will keep up the good standard of acting to make us keep watching their films. The comedy-horror genre has been around now for many years but still has the capability of making its viewers feel satisfied and scared through the medium of film.
As previously mentioned, Shaun of the Dead is a comedy-horror movie, but what makes it a horror? Firstly, I would mention the fact that it has several horror conventions which make it a horror film, such as; the final girl, zombies, death, blood, and if you are a weak character, you will die. These and many more conventions are what make Shaun of the Dead a typical horror film with comedic aspects added to it.
I believe that this film fits in nicely with the horror genre history, especially the 1960’s onwards, where zombies really came into horror films. However, as this film was released in 2004, it fits in perfectly with the huge return to zombie horror films. Alongside fitting in with the zombie history of horror genre, I also believe it suits the era of the 1960’s – where humans were becoming the main threat in the horror franchise. Shaun of the Dead, although mainly focusing on the threat of zombies, also focuses on the fear that humans can genuinely cause a real sense of danger –even if it is through becoming a zombie.
The film bases itself around a group of characters including friends and family of Shaun. These characters include himself, his best friend Ed, his recently ex-girlfriend Liz, his mother Barbara, her husband Phillip and Liz’s friends Dianne and David. I believe there are certain character types in this film such as the hero (Shaun), the helpers (Ed and Liz), the villain/threat (the zombies), the coward who dies (David) and many more. Also, these main character stereotypes are also linked in with the Final Girl theory. Although Liz may not be seen as the main protagonist in this film, her will to survive and how she helps Shaun throughout the film displays courage and sensibility which are aspects of the ‘final girl’, who survives at the end of the films – which she does.
Binary opposition also takes its place in Shaun of the Dead, focusing on the ‘good vs. evil’ and the ‘rational and irrational’ personalities of the characters. The ‘good vs. bad’ opposition is suggested throughout almost the whole film, with the normal humans being the good, and the contrasted characters of the zombies – the bad. Another binary opposition I found when watching and analysing this film is the one of ‘rational and irrational’ behaviours between the characters. I would say that the main ‘rational’ and logical thinker in this film would be the main protagonist Shaun, with him then contrasting David, the cowardly irrational person who attempts to take control of the situation by doing stupid and unhelpful actions – such as threatening to kill the mother who has been infected.
Overall, I believe Shaun of the Dead is a brilliant comedy-horror film which includes many traditional horror conventions and stereotypes (and occasionally challenging them) which make this film a success in the horror genre. The use of a clever storyline, popular celebrities and an overall sense of comedy are what make this film worthy of being one of the best ’25 horror films’ quoted by ‘Times’ magazine in 2007.
Shaun of the Dead does seem to follow the basis of Todorov’s narrative structure, with the exception of the beginning (not everything is fine). Other than challenging the first step of the narrative structure, this film continues to follow it by using ‘the event’, the ‘recognition’, the ‘attempt to fix it’ and a ‘new equilibrium’. Examples of these features are that the event is the social life around the three main characters has gone dead – almost literally. The next stage is the recognition of the event when Shaun starts to realise abnormal things are happening and that the local public are acting strangely, for example two people standing in their garden. Continuing Todorov’s narrative structure, the next step would be the attempt to fix it, which Shaun does by gathering a group of friends and family to fight off the zombies and get them to safety. Finally, after everyone has died or been infected apart from Liz, we get a new equilibrium, being Shaun and Liz getting back together and everything seems to be back to normal and okay. However, one final piece which challenges the ending of Todorov’s structure is the last clip in the film, where we see infected Ed chained in the garden shed when Shaun comes to play video games with him – causing a sense of humour as well as fear that it could all happen all over again.
I believe the audience expectations of this genre would be – to be humoured/frightened at the same time. Having a comedy effect in a horror film lightens the mood and makes it more bearable to sit through without a constant fear of ‘what happens next?’ for the audience. As a fan of this film, I didn’t know what to expect before watching, but found myself pleasantly surprised throughout the entire movie. I believe this may because I have enjoyed other similar films to this including the same characters as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost such as ‘Hot Fuzz’. Having popular stars in a film also has an effect on what the audience expects to see as they already know what these celebrities are known for – therefore creating hope that they will keep up the good standard of acting to make us keep watching their films. The comedy-horror genre has been around now for many years but still has the capability of making its viewers feel satisfied and scared through the medium of film.
As previously mentioned, Shaun of the Dead is a comedy-horror movie, but what makes it a horror? Firstly, I would mention the fact that it has several horror conventions which make it a horror film, such as; the final girl, zombies, death, blood, and if you are a weak character, you will die. These and many more conventions are what make Shaun of the Dead a typical horror film with comedic aspects added to it.
I believe that this film fits in nicely with the horror genre history, especially the 1960’s onwards, where zombies really came into horror films. However, as this film was released in 2004, it fits in perfectly with the huge return to zombie horror films. Alongside fitting in with the zombie history of horror genre, I also believe it suits the era of the 1960’s – where humans were becoming the main threat in the horror franchise. Shaun of the Dead, although mainly focusing on the threat of zombies, also focuses on the fear that humans can genuinely cause a real sense of danger –even if it is through becoming a zombie.
The film bases itself around a group of characters including friends and family of Shaun. These characters include himself, his best friend Ed, his recently ex-girlfriend Liz, his mother Barbara, her husband Phillip and Liz’s friends Dianne and David. I believe there are certain character types in this film such as the hero (Shaun), the helpers (Ed and Liz), the villain/threat (the zombies), the coward who dies (David) and many more. Also, these main character stereotypes are also linked in with the Final Girl theory. Although Liz may not be seen as the main protagonist in this film, her will to survive and how she helps Shaun throughout the film displays courage and sensibility which are aspects of the ‘final girl’, who survives at the end of the films – which she does.
Binary opposition also takes its place in Shaun of the Dead, focusing on the ‘good vs. evil’ and the ‘rational and irrational’ personalities of the characters. The ‘good vs. bad’ opposition is suggested throughout almost the whole film, with the normal humans being the good, and the contrasted characters of the zombies – the bad. Another binary opposition I found when watching and analysing this film is the one of ‘rational and irrational’ behaviours between the characters. I would say that the main ‘rational’ and logical thinker in this film would be the main protagonist Shaun, with him then contrasting David, the cowardly irrational person who attempts to take control of the situation by doing stupid and unhelpful actions – such as threatening to kill the mother who has been infected.
Overall, I believe Shaun of the Dead is a brilliant comedy-horror film which includes many traditional horror conventions and stereotypes (and occasionally challenging them) which make this film a success in the horror genre. The use of a clever storyline, popular celebrities and an overall sense of comedy are what make this film worthy of being one of the best ’25 horror films’ quoted by ‘Times’ magazine in 2007.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Friday, 12 October 2012
Paranormal Activity 4 Trailer Analysis
Paranormal Activity 4 is the fourth instalment of the Paranormal Activity sequel. Throughout this 2:11 trailer, it manages to cover the key aspects of the film and what we expect to see from it. In this short amount of time, I counted 65 edits, 1 environment and 14 close ups. Also, the character types involved in this trailer are the victim, the helper and the possessed spirit.
I realised that the title of the film is only shown near the very end of the trailer, and this is for the film’s recognition and audience memory purposes – they will remember the title as it one of the last things they will see. Also, I believe that it is shown near the end because it holds suspense. The Paramount logo is included in the very last frame of the trailer, as is the release date of the film. Other features I saw were reverse, long screams, a dark eerie atmosphere and unstable camera movements. We also recognise that this is a horror trailer from the previous sequels as they all include aspects of the paranormal, unknown and supernatural events.
Throughout the whole trailer, there is no mention whatsoever of who is starring in the film and I believe this is because there are no big stars which anyone would recognise from any other film franchises. Another reason for this may be because it is a home documentary and the viewers may relate to it as this film includes a couple of characters from previous movies.
Throughout the trailer, we can expect to see suspense, supernatural events, characters, a contrast between calm and dangerous action which draws the audience in and the following of the narrative structure – equilibrium, event, recognition of event, attempt to fix it, solution, equilibrium.
History of Horror
The genres of horror have been around now for many years, designed to frighten/scare/startle and entertain its audiences through the medium of drama. Horror films are made to make us believe our worst nightmares can indeed become reality. This genre tends to aim toward the supernatural, the unknown, and the dark side of life.
German Expressionism was brought to life during WW1 in the trenches in 1914. The German soldiers who were involved in the war were mostly artists, and the terrifying events they experienced lead them to blame their superiors for putting them onto the battlefield in the first place. Four years later – when the war ended in 1918, the people rose to the November Revolution. German Expressionism challenged our traditional views of art and culture after the First World War. Many horror movies were filmed during the start of the 1900’s, therefore creating a whole new genre of cinematic experience.
Films first associated with German Expressionism were “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, “Nosferatu”, “Phantom” and “The Last Laugh”. During the war in 1916, the government had banned more foreign films in the nation. However, six years on during 1922, international audiences had started to appreciate and watch more films associated with German cinema. The majority of expressionism films were based upon the genres of madness, insanity and betrayal. However, German expressionism did not just change cinema, it also allowed art, culture and society to change too.
German Expressionism was brought to life during WW1 in the trenches in 1914. The German soldiers who were involved in the war were mostly artists, and the terrifying events they experienced lead them to blame their superiors for putting them onto the battlefield in the first place. Four years later – when the war ended in 1918, the people rose to the November Revolution. German Expressionism challenged our traditional views of art and culture after the First World War. Many horror movies were filmed during the start of the 1900’s, therefore creating a whole new genre of cinematic experience.Films first associated with German Expressionism were “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, “Nosferatu”, “Phantom” and “The Last Laugh”. During the war in 1916, the government had banned more foreign films in the nation. However, six years on during 1922, international audiences had started to appreciate and watch more films associated with German cinema. The majority of expressionism films were based upon the genres of madness, insanity and betrayal. However, German expressionism did not just change cinema, it also allowed art, culture and society to change too.
Gothic fiction – otherwise referred to as gothic horror is the combination of horror and romance which creates brilliant film productions such as Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde. There are many archetypes of this type of horror genre including; virginal maiden, older/dumb woman, hero, tyrant, the stupid servant and clowns. The literary gothic era shows the emotion and fear brought to life through the films.
The 1930’s was the birth of ‘Monsters & Mad Scientists’. In comparison to the horror films of the 1920’s, these films were a completely new experience for the whole media world. The introduction of sound and these monsters during this time period allowed the horror genre to change the whole nature of cinema. Along with new special effects came an audience of around 80 million people who attended the cinema weekly – proving that these new horror features of monsters and mad scientists had an unimaginable impact on horror. Despite the Great Depression at the time, Universal Studios managed to create two films forever changing our view on the history of the horror genre – ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Dracula’. These two films changed the lives of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, the leading roles in these two films. The 1930’s used classic literature to influence early American horror films.
The 1940’s was the start of well-established fictional animals featuring in most horror films. This birth of introducing ‘the primal animal within’ allowed the genre of horror to change dramatically. One example of this type of film would be ‘Cat People’ which follows the story of Irena, a woman who believes she has been cursed and thinks she will turn into a large cat if she consummates her marriage and makes it official. Also, because of this new change in cinema, ‘The Wolfman’ was released, based upon a man who returns to his village after learning his brother has died and while there, after a series of events turns into a werewolf. After attacking the village, his father kills him and watched as his son turns back into human form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ADPSaybusM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ADPSaybusM
After the ‘primal animal within’ stage a decade previous, the 1950’s brought to life the mutant creatures and alien invaders era. This new found horror film genre was a brilliant way of attracting new audiences and masses of viewers to the cinema. New monsters and aliens during this era were seen to be unstoppable except for one person with the cure – the ‘hero’. The atom bomb which created everyone’s fears at this time is how this new media was born, and the monsters supplied a vision of destruction made by the in terrestrial instead of humans – therefore making us look more reliable and safe as a nation. Also during this time a new birth of horror was born too, the sci-fi era. One film which shows this example perfectly is ‘The Blob’ made in 1958 which follows the story of giant alien blob which attempts to take over the world, spreading from one place to another – which is a direct link to communism. This film was made to represent the fear of communism throughout the nation during the 1950’s.
The 1960’s enabled the film industry to use humans as the new main threat in horror films. Using humans as a force to be reckoned with made the audiences fully aware of the danger, making it more real for them. Having humans as the threat in these new horror films allowed the viewers to become more involved and intimate with the action, as they were no longer worried about monsters or aliens, but by their own race of people. Along with humans, ghosts, zombies and Satanism were also introduced as the threat and fear of horrors back in 1960’s. Ghosts and the unknown were able to produce a spark for these new horror films throughout this decade, using the paranormal and supernatural to attack the audience’s mind and
insert a fear of something which isn’t there. This feature is still alive today and is used in many horror films, no matter what genre. It was during this period that zombie films were really established in their own right.
The horror films produced in the 1970’s are a true representation of that decade, showing the mood and atmosphere of that era. For example, the downfalls of the 70’s including the split of the Beatles, glam rock and oil strikes allowed the horror films to become brilliant. It was during this era that horror films based themselves upon genuine psychological fears. Anti-feminist Hammer horror films introduced a particular sense of women and how they were perceived as sex objects and nothing more, that you had to have a certain body type to be seen as attractive. This decade started off the second wave of the feminist movement, showing that women were always the victim and needed a man to save them from the danger. Possibly the key film to talk about for this decade is ‘The Exorcist’, which for once, took the content and seriousness of the horror genre head on. This film is seen as a grown up horror film and is known to have created a shift for the genre.
The Slasher horror genre/body horror/gore and video nasties were all brought to life during the 1980’s. This decade is where special effects and new technical movements allowed horror to really come to life and introduce a new genre altogether, focusing on format fears and moral panic, mainly from low budget films. Producers of these new horror films throughout the 80’s wanted to challenge themselves and attempt to create something completely new which had never been approached before. However, this leap of faith was a huge risk, as some people argued over the ‘image/imagination’ aspect of horror – were they good films because we were left to our own devices, or were they good because they showed blood and gore and challenged audiences to keep watching even if they were repulsed? Another feature which could’ve potentially harmed the horror genre for this era is the case of ‘is too much too comic?’ Some people said that too many blood and gore images on our screens were eventually seen as humorous instead of frightening, whereas this helped others as the comedic side effect allowed them to enjoy horror films – even if they were watching limbs being torn from bodies. Throughout the 1980’s, some of the genre’s credibility was lost – only aiming at young males for thrills at the new found cinema. However, for this time period, this seemed like the only legitimate audience. The main film which represents the 1980’s horror genre I would believe to be ‘The Thing’, with the tagline being Man Is the Warmest Place to Hide. It focuses on a shape shifting alien which takes the body of the person it kills – still being one of the most famous horror films of all time.
All of these shifts in the genres of horror have all led to this, todays day and age of horror – ‘torture porn’ and ‘gore-nography’ focusing on the aspects of porn, but with the action being torture instead of sexual acts. Viewing these horror films now is purely based on realism. Films which show this are – ‘Saw’ and ‘Hostel’, both of which create a sense of fear based on reality
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