Essay Plan

"The audience may know what to expect, but are still excited by genre texts." To what extent is this true?

Conventions of slasher films, how far they still excite the auidence. Repertoire of elements-how the same conventions are repeated-audience know what to expect.

Conventions are still there-new things being added to add excitement? e.g. Female killer in Friday 13th. Also, postmodern texts such as Scream-were the conventions of slasher films is discussed. In addition, to Friday 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street also adds a new convention e.g. the setting being in a dream.

Conventions are still there e.g. final girl, group of teenagers, no authority figures etc.

Sequels create excitement, as make the auidence want to keep watching. Not all slasher films have closure-no security for the auidence which causes them to watch the rest.

Sequels and Re-makes cause the auidence to watch them-auidences are however becoming more desensitized. Have to work harder to excite auidences-sequels,re-makes tend to do this.

Introduction:

It can be suggested that although audiences know what to expect from genre films they remain excited by media texts. This essay will explore this idea looking at the slasher genre and films such as Halloween (1978) and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

Recent developments in genre have included the emergence of parody, pastiche and hybrid forms. Show how such developments have influenced the nature of media texts.

Scream (1997) shows post-modernism and self-conciousness

References to other films in the slasher genre such as 'Halloween'

Offers intellectual pleasures as the viewer becomes an insider as the audience are aware of other slasher texts

Subverts audience expectations of the slasher genre

Reinvigorated the slasher genre

Scary Movie (2000) creates comedy by making a parody of different slasher films

Introduction:

It can be stated that recent developments in genre have included the emergence of parody, pastiche and hybrid forms. This essay will look at this ways in which such developments have influenced the nature of media texts with particular focus on slasher films such as 'Scream' (1997) and 'Scary Movie' (2000).

Account for the popularity of one genre of your choice. Illustrate your answer with examples.

The popularity of the slasher genre can be accounted for due to several elements

Reflects the zeigeist of the age, eg. Scream which reinvigorated the slasher genre

The films get progressivley more graphic as the audience become more desensitised to violence and sex- comparing the original and remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Cross-gender indentification with final girl

Introduction:

This essay will account for the popularity of the slasher genre, with reference to films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978) and Scream (1997).