SlasherEG2: Halloween

Halloween
(1978) John Carpenter
PRODUCED BY: Compass International Pictures, Falcon International Productions
DISTRIBUTED BY: Compass International Pictures, Mid-America Releasing (US), Miracle Films (UK) (full list)
BUDGET: $320k
BOX OFFICE: $47m US, $60m Worldwide
RATINGS: IMDB 7.9
MY RATING:
WIKI, OFFICIAL SITE

After the opening title sequence, which, with its quick and unsettling pace, sets up the tone of the film, we fade straight in to simple white text on a black background. The font and use of captioning closely mimics that of 'Psycho', which was a key influence on director John Carpenter's work.

Exposition is provided, with the exact date, time and location appearing on screen. Given that the next sequence is almost entirely dialogue free, it's possible that these were added to avoid confusing the audience.

The use of a long camera shot and a low angle makes the house seem large and imposing, especially as its surroundings are completely devoid of any light - so the viewers eyes are naturally drawn to it.

Shaky, hand-held camera work signifies a point-of-view shot, that we are looking through the eyes of an unseen character.

The carved pumpking acts as a form of continuity with the opening sequence, as well as the more obvious connotations with Halloween itself.

We have a typical teenage couple

The light being switched out in the bedroom marks the first appearance of non-diagetic sound in the opening, and acts as a signifier to the audience. Up to this point, the film has been in a state of equilibrium, the change in the score coupled with the slight dutch angle here suggests this is about to change.

The camera moves through the house, and we are given hints as to the identity of the character whose POV we are seeing. We look at the sofa where the couple were earlier, suggesting that they are the target.

Our character is cautious to approach the boyfriend, who leaves the house. A comment on gender roles; males are typically seen as tougher than females and more likely to put up a fight in response, which could explain why he isn't targeted.

The selection of the mask has the immediate effect of creating claustraphobia for the audience, as we see even less of the surrounding area with it on. The mask is also a call forward to later in the film when an adult Michael wears another Halloween mask.

We get a brief look at the half-naked girl, suggesting vulnerability and weakness. The POV shot looks over at the recently vacated bed; connotations are that the about to be committed murder is related to sexual activity.

The murder itself is mostly inferred rather than show, screams from the girl, sound effects and the score reaching a crescendo provide most of the scenes tension and horror; the quickly moving POV and a final shot of the girl's blood covered body confirm what we have half-seen.

The reveal of the killer is a shock for the audience, although the low camera angles throughout the opening have hinted at it.

The panning out of the camera to a similar shot as the one that opened the film, takes the opening full circle and effectively brings it to a close. 

SlasherEG1: Psycho

Psycho
(1960) Alfred Hitchcock
PRODUCED BY: Shamley Productions
DISTRIBUTED BY: Paramount Pictures (full list)
BUDGET: $800k
BOX OFFICE: $32m US, $50m Worldwide
RATINGS: IMDB 8.6
MY RATING:
WIKI, OFFICIAL SITE

The slow panning sequence is of complete contrast to the fast paced, almost maniacle titles. Exposition is provided in the form of captions.

The camera takes in the vast expanse of the city; but a gentle zoom suggests that it is searching for something.

The change in captions each signal a shot change; the opening isn't actually one sequence. However, the presence of the same titles acts as a visual bridge that links each successive shot together in the audience's mind and makes the changes harder to spot.

There are feelings of voyeurism as we spy on a couple getting dressed in a hotel room. Plenty of exposition comes from the exchange of dialogue between them, and we learn about their relationship.

The very sedate, romantic opening is completely at odds with the ideas we have collected about the film; that it's a thriller featuring a psychopathic killer. In a sense, the entire opening acts as a red herring and throws us off the scent, although there are a few hints to later developments.

Dialogue reveals that they are both living unfulfilled lives; unable to get the jobs they want and owing money to other people. This desperate attitude sets the events of the film in motion.

Throughout the scene the emphasis is on Marion; the camera framing her in the foreground with far more close up shots. Sam is off-centre in nearly every shot, and as a result feels more distant in the mind of the audience.

Again, although this shot is of Sam, he is off-centre and facing away from the camera, staring over the city below. The window has many connotations, including escape, hope and desire.

Slasher film pitch

As Christmas is coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to pitch a Christmas-themed slasher. Many slasher films use a gimmick, and ones centring around holidays in particular, these include:
          
April Fool’s Day (1986)

Black Christmas (1974)

And the working title for my film, ‘Red Christmas’, is intended as homage to the last one. Both films have since been remade, which shows the continuing popularity of the sub-genre, and demonstrates that my film would be a big draw at the box office.

The film would be a typical slasher in many ways, although it would be interesting to play around with what we expect of the genre. The identity of the antagonist remains hidden; and it’s revealed through use of flashback that he was formerly a department store Santa who lost his job over a scandal, and the murders he commits are his way of getting revenge on the people he believes have wronged him. In accordance with Todorov’s theory; his actions upset the current state and the remainder of the film is the struggle to achieve a new equilibrium, this being achieved at the film’s climax.

In terms of characters, the film would play to established types mostly, but there would be a couple of countertype ‘twists’, such as an apparent jock/scream queen character who becomes the main protagonist and turns out to have hidden talents that help them eventually defeat the killer, as well as having a shared history that makes them binary opposites.

The opening scene would be of a cold winter’s evening, and we follow one character making their way home. We become aware of a figure in a Santa costume walking on the other side of the road, but it’s treated as a background event; until he steps forward and slashes the characters throat. This would be shot and edited extremely quickly, disorientating the audience and reminding them to pay close attention throughout the rest of the film.

Shooting would be very easy, as the film mostly takes place on Christmas Eve on the one street; it could even be possible to have one house doubling for multiple buildings through use of editing. A snowy backdrop would be a particularly striking example of mise en scene

The film would have black comedic elements, not due to cracking jokes as in some slasher films such as ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, but through use of irony. The ending would cut between children opening presents and bodies being wrapped up in a mortuary.

Sterotypes

In slasher films there are various commonly used sterotypes such as:

Age
Gender
National identity
Regional identity
Social class
Ethnicity
Sexuality

In a situation where a stereotype appears to be being used but in fact the opposite becomes true, then this becomes an example of a countertype.

Denotation is anything that can be seen or heard in the text, such as what appears on the film screen. A connotation is when the text suggests things that aren't spelled out explicitly on screen.

Common adult stereotypes in slasher films tend to be useless or ineffective, and parent or police figures will have very little impact on the plot.

The normative occurs when something is shown so often that it becomes the accepted norm. For example, constantly showing heterosexual couples establishes the idea that this is the norm; anything other is abnormal and in some cases the killer will be struggling with their own sexuality.

Narrative representations:

Fundamental parts of the slasher genre, examples of binary opposites, Scream Queen and Final Girl. There has been debate over whether slasher films are sexist and misogynist or whether they promote strong female characters.

Halloween: Stalk scene analysis

In the film 'Halloween' (1978) John Carpenter; the film keeps the audience on edge by it's use of atmosphere, above all else. It's a film that relies heavily on shadows, angles and a heightened sense of realism through hand-held camera shots and effective use of music.

The scene begins in heavy darkness, with a slow tracking shot of the final girl as she walks through the house. At this point the music is slow, but it jolts the viewers by becoming high pitched as one by one the killer's victims are revealed.

The final girl is usually held in an off-centre shot for most of this scene, allowing us to see behind her and down the corridor, adding to the impression that the killer could be hiding just out of shot and teasing us for a reveal.

There's a great jump scare as another body is hung down from behind, catching both us and the final girl by surprise. By this point in the film she has become the viewpoint character for the audience, and we experience her surprise with her. We can hardly see her as the shadows have increased, making her isolated and increasingly vulnerable.

Again, we have an advantage as we see Michael Myers move forward before Laurie does, and this brings us back to the feeling of helplessness, knowing what's going to happen but being unable to warn against it. The knife slashing down and the fall from the stairs disorientate us; the music picking up pace slightly signifies that the next scene will be fast-moving.

We see Michael from the bottom of the stairs, he has become a shape, the low angle suggesting his power and dominace over the desperate Laurie. When she escapes from the house, Michael disappears again, his lack of presence actually making him more terrifying as both Laurie the character and the viewers watching are constantly searching the screen to try and see if they can spot him.

Slasher Franchises

Leprechaun (1993) Mark Jones

$900k

Box office $8.5m

Comedic horror film
Mixed reviews overall, mainly bad

6 films in the series and an approaching remake

Leprechaun 4 is set in space, hybridising genres

5 & 6 are hybrids with the gangster genre

Lack of a final girl character in the first film, countertype
Use of a pogo stick as the killer's weapon
Large amount of franchise related merchandise produced

Idents: Trimark Pictures and Lionsgate

Halloween (1978) John Carpenter

Slasher idents and titles

Slashers (2001)

Low budget, indie $165k

Gameshow style opening credits, straight in.
No titles or credits.

Urban Legend (1998) Jamie Blancks

$14m
Box office $38m

Idents: Tristar, Phoenix Pictures
Production credits, then main title
Credits of actors, they stop for several minutes after the first killing scene
After the scene, the credits begin again

Scary Movie (2001) Keenan Wayans

$19m
Box office $157m

Idents: Dimension Films
Intertextual references to horror films

Madhouse (2004) William Butler

$3m

Idents: Lions Gate Films, A Madhouse Production
Straight into film, no immediate titles
Again, after first scene titles begin proper
Directors credit appears last

Black Christmas (1974) Bob Clark

Titles appear shortly after establishing shot
Credits then appear on the screen

Cry Wolf (2005) Jeff Wadlow

Idents: Rogue Pictures, A Hypnotic Production
Typewriter style font used for titles, decaying letters

Donkey Punch (2008) Ollie Blackburn

Idents: Optimum Releasing, Warp X, UK Film Council & Film4
In association with Screen Yorkshire and EM media

Dressed To Kill (1980) Brian De Palma

Idents: Metro Goldwyn Meyer
Producers credits, Presents...
Credits of actors, then editors, photographers, composers and other key roles

All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)

Indents: Occupant Films
Low budget film
Fade to black, then title appears sharp and clear
Use of music adds tension and sound effects

April Fool's Day (1986)

Idents: Paramount
Initial shots are of home video footage
Several minutes in before film title appears on screen
Suggestions of comedy along with the horror
Final credit is of the director

Babysitter Wanted (2008) Jonas Barnes, Michael Manaserri

Idents: Big Screen Entertainment Group, The Independent Film Company
Fade to black, then white titles on one side
Fast, high paced music
Dark background speckled with blood, to act as a signifier

5ive Girls (2006)

Idents: Alliance Atlantis, Archetype Films
Credits appear slowly, animation with cast names
Use of rock music
Male character reading a prayer
Montage of religious and violent images

Opening conventions & Slasher Background

Conventional features in film openings:

Idents

Titles:
Director
Producer

Editing/Mise en scene

Transition, between scenes or titles

On screen titles giving time or location

Sound/Music and use of diagetic bridging

Initial impressions:
Era the film was made
Intertextuality
Genre

Peeping Tom (1960), and Psycho (1960) are generally considered the first slasher films, in that they set the template for a lot of what was to follow. The idea had been around for a long time beforehand and had surfaced in gothic horror films and other pulp material.

Main features of slashers, that can be seen in virtually every example are those of an unknown figure stalking and killing several individuals. There are elements of voyeurism, as the camera oftens puts the audience into the killers point of view. The films often feature a mystery element that has to be solved before the climax, as well as some form of twist ending.

Films such as Halloween (1978), introduced the concept of a masked indistructible figure who represented evil, rather than being a tangible human. The defeat of this character represents a kind of moralistic victory.