Account of the popularity of one genre of your choice. Illustrate your answers with examples.
(June ‘03a)

Introduction:

To a certain extent, psycho could be classified as the granddaddy of the slasher genre. From there on developments in order to entertain audiences has allowed genres to be dynamic. Richard Malby stated that “genres go through the process of adaptation and change. No long after psycho was Texas chainsaw massacre. This was the starting point in the popularity of this genre however to avoid audiences from viewing the same film again and again requires a new formula. James Monaco (1979) said that “we are all going to see the same ten movies”. This is where Rich Altman’s after view takes place so the audience are given the chance to view the same expectations, the same genres, same conventions but with a new and different element to make it different from other slasher films.

Slasher genre

Attracts audiences through the use of the repertoire of elements. The repertoires of elements (Neale) are:

Iconography
Style
Setting
Characters
Audience Pleasures/ Audience response
Narrative
themes

Iconography

The murder weapons- use of knife in Halloween, psycho, Friday the 13th.
Use of chainsaw- Texas chainsaw massacre
Use of axe
Use of hook in contemporary films
These connote phallic objects- penetrating the body- a substitute penis
Theorised by LAURA MULVEY.

This leads to the castration anxiety of the male audience- fear of being castrated. If not a phallic object then fetish objects. Result in them being objectified (human characteristics being taken away from them). This is theorised by FREUD.

The conventions of a slasher make it more appealing to audience- make it more popular such as

Blood (in contemporary films, the blood is used more and more)
Because audience become desensitised to what is being shown.
=CULTIVATION THEORY

Scream- was first seen in the granddaddy of the genre in psycho. This element has been used in films after then reflecting Altman’s theory of the after view.

The scream—producers analyse films to see what made it successful—they use the formula to receive the same success- audience are fulfilled with this expectation making it a popular genre

Useful quotes
Richard Malby- “genres are flexible”
Steve Neale- “films repeat themselves in different ways”
James Monaco- “increasingly we are all going to see the same then movies”

The visceral pleasures are the main reason for the popularity. These pleasure include tension, increasing heartbeat, sweaty palms== due to enigma, one of BARTHES codes.

The visceral pleasures the audiences gain from this are different to other genres. This makes it more popular as it is unpredictable and films use same elements in different ways.

The use of the final girl is another popularity element that may attract a mainstream audience, especially female audiences due to the dominant role they are being given- reflecting the zeitgeist of contemporary society.

The popularity has increased due to the use of post modern elements such as:
Pastiche
Parody
Intertexuality

This makes it different and is in the forth cycles of genre development allowing re invigoration of the genre. The use of playfully using other slasher genres is another reason for the account of the popularity of the genre.

Another reason for the popularity of the genre is because this genre is becoming more and more frequent and easy to access as new releases get released. This means that they are consumed by a mainstream audience rather than a niche audience.

Past films ended with no resolution. This led to the enigma code being introduced again- keeps the audience entertained and makes them wonder what will happen next. This challenges the Todorovian narrative structures in it being a linear narrative. However contemporary society, this is not the case as the killer is killed by the final girl, theorised by Carol Clover. Examples include Scream movies.

The expectations are fulfilled thus attracting a mainstream audience. The expectations are that people are killed of one by one. However the audience are guessing and wondering whose next and how they will be killed thus another reason for the popularity of the genre.

During the time of censorship—Texas chainsaw massacre was banned. This could be due to the gory bits and the high amount of blood in the film. Censorship is being coming less affective against the slasher genre resulting in the blood levels increasing.

The point of view shots—creates realism
Natural lighting--- making it more realistic