Psycho vs Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Horror movies tend to use similar conventions, some more than others. This can be because there are key techniques which makes a movie a horror; therefore, it's essential to include these qualities within horror movies. During one of our lessons, we closely analysed the similarities and differences which are presented in 'Psycho' (1960) and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1973).

Similarities: 

- Both have human killers - male 

- Inspired by Ed Gein 

- Both consist of a domestic setting (house / room etc)
- Killers dress up as women when killing
- Child like elements - dominated by parents
- Female protagonists
- Two strong women who escape
- Multi killings
- Editing is fast
- Date and time specified

Differences:

- Norman Bates comes across as a normal character
- Leatherface wears mask whereas Norman wears a wig
- 'Psycho' is in black and white, whereas 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is in colour
- 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is more gruesome - blood and gore
- One killer has bee caught ('Psycho') and another has been set free ('Texas Chainsaw Massacre')
- 'Psycho' has more of a build up to the killings. 'Texas chainsaw Massacre' consists of sudden killings
- 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' has more use of weapons

The Male Gaze

'Film has been called an instrument of the male gaze, producing representations of women, the good life, and sexual fantasy from a male point of view' - Jonathan Schroeder (1998)

It is regularly questioned as to why women are presented sexually within the media, especially focusing on TV and films, which can have a negative affect on women, due to the way they are being portrayed, as it sending the wrong message across in relation to femininity.
We researched this particular issue in class, and found out that this is in fact called 'The Male Gaze Theory.' Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist, who wrote a very influential essay, 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' in 1975, in which she used the theories of Freud, a famous philosopher. Within this particular essay, Mulvey suggests that the way women are viewed in cinema is 'unequal.' the camera necessarily presents women as 'sexualised', for the pleasure of men.
Mulvey has three types of 'looking,' which is shown in the diagram below.

'The presence of women is an indispensable element of spectacles in normal narrative film, yet her visual presence tends to work against the development of a storyline, to freeze the flow of action in moment of erotic contemplation.' 


This theory clearly illustrates why women are depicted sexually, which makes the stereotype more noticeable. As an audience, we are more focused on females, as they appear to be more vulnerable, regardless of the fact that their body may be on show, due to them wearing revealing clothes. Therefore, this entices the male population to an extent, which could be one of the reasons they enjoy watching movies, especially action or horror, as these types of genre do consist of a stereotypical woman, in a sexual manner.

Paul Well's Research (2000)

In class, we have been researching different theorists in relation to horror audience, and the different ways of how we as individuals, analyse audience theories. We studied Paul Well's research theory, which consisted of a small group from various ages, which carefully focused on the relationship between audiences and the horror genre. He had categorised the age groups, as well as years, making it rather specific. He asked them what was the earliest horror movie they watched, and then the latest one, illustrating the difference between movies over the years.

From the table above, it shows that relationship to being frightened changes with age and relates to broader factors, such as life experiences. Also, young audiences are aware of artificiality, therefore, becoming harder to shock. 

Propp's Character Theory

Recently, we researched Vladimir Propp who was a Russian soviet formalist scholar. He found 8 different roles in folktales, showing that characters can be combined with each other. His theory of narratives appear to be focused on a male orientated environment.

Propp's Character Types

Camera Angles

There are many different types of camera angles and shots that used within horror movies. Each shot has its own reason for being used; nevertheless, they are all rather effective. Below is a image that I found on which clearly illustrates the types of camera angles and shots which can be used. 

Horror Movies - Similarities & Differences

Many horror movies do consist of the same conventions; however, they are interpreted in different ways, which makes the audience interested in the movie. Therefore, I chose 3 horror movies that I have recently watched, and highlighted the key similarities and differences between them. The movies I chose to analyse are: The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Paranormal Activity and Orphan.

Similarities:
- One similarity between each of these movies is that each one consists of a some sort.
- Characters are portrayed in similar ways. For example, the killer will usually have an iconic weapon, which they use, such as a knife, which is shown frequently in 'Emily Rose' and 'Orphan.'
- The protagonists usually have some sort of link with the killer, mainly from the past, which is the case in 'Paranormal Activity.' This aspect makes the movie much more exciting, as the audience wonders how this past relation was formed in the first place.
- The usage of sound and music is vital, as movies from the horror genre share similar techniques. Also, they tend to include silence a lot too, which is implemented in 'Paranormal Activity,' as theres no non-diegetic music involved.
- Music is also used during important scenes, as this indicates that something major is about to occur. At this point, the music is usually fast and upbeat, which creates tension.
- Horror movies tend to focus on a selective number of locations, mostly which are isolated. The most common one would be someones house, which doesn't exactly look ordinary from the outside or inside. This is shown regularly in 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Orphan.' In 'Paranormal Activity,' the whole movie is shot inside a house, which shows how congested they are, indicating the fact that theres no escape from the killer.
- Camera angles and editing are also essential in horror movies. The main similarity between these 3 movies when it comes to camera work is that they tend to zoom into the characters facial expressions, certain objects or settings, enabling the audience to see things much clearer, illustrating its importance.
- When action is involved, the pace of the camera quickens, building on the tension of the scene. Furthermore, cuts are used within difference scenes, or even the same ones, but showing it in different angles.

Differences:
- When it comes to the killers of these 3 movies, the difference is that the killer of 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Emily Rose' are male, whereas in 'Orphan,' its a female child. This also shows that the age of the killer varies too, as well as the gender.
- 'Paranormal Activity' is a movie which is handheld, as it makes it seem more realistic and effective. 'Emily Rose' and 'Orphan' aren't portrayed in the same manor; however, some scenes may have been handheld for the same reasons, emphasising on the overall effect.
- The killers don't always have to be physically presented on screen, which is what happens in 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Emily Rose.'

First Post :)

Welcome to my blog, which has been created for my Media Studies A level coursework. For this particular course, my group and I have to create a horror trailer as well as a magazine cover and a poster, in relation to the movie.
In class, we have been looking at different conventions which are used within a horror movie, and why certain things are included and what sort of impact they have on the audience. We have also been looking at various clips from several horror movies, all the way from the 60's to the latest ones. Below are some of the movies we've looked at:

• Nosferatu (1922)
• Dracula (1931)
• Psycho (1960)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
• Carrie (1976)
• Faculty (1998)
• Let The Right One In (2008)
• Case 39 (2009)