Genre Analysis – PART 2

There are many movies with many memorable scenes, but what gives a genre like horror for example, it’s purpose?

Let’s take Wes Cravens’ infamous – A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984).

SYNOPSIS

In the early 1980s, a psychopath named Fred Krueger, otherwise known as Springwood Slasher – murdered several children. He did this with a glove outfitted with straight razor blades attached to the fingers. Fred Krueger is the substance of nightmares. A group of four teenagers all begin to have the same strange dreams about Krueger before one of them is gruesomely murdered in her sleep. One of the teens, Nancy, realises that she must stay awake and try and uncover the truth behind this phantasmic killer – Freddy Krueger.

The scene that I’m going to talk about is, the death of Glen – pictured far right.

The other three teens are killed with nothing left but bloody remains. The first friend to die was Tina (far left). Tina was brutally murdered by Kruger in her sleep with claw marks on her chest. As she was killed in her sleep, only she could see Freddy which means Rod (her fling) could not. Rod couldn’t explain what happened as he wasn’t sure, he fled the scene. Nancy and Glen burst through the door after hearing suspicious screams coming from Tina’s room to discover Tina’s brutally bashed remains. Police were on high look out for Rod as he was the main suspect. He went to try convince Nancy that it wasn’t him and the person who killed Tina was invisible. Obviously Nancy found this impossible, and Rod was arrested. Nancy soon realised that the person who killed Tina, was infact, Freddy Krueger. Nancy realised Rod is next. As she tries to go save him, it’s too late. Rod is strangled to death by his cell bunk cover in which Krueger laughed with a demonic smile. Next comes Glens Death.

I’ve focused my attention on Glens Death as I find it the most interesting yet gruesome murder.

Over 500 gallons of fake blood was used during the making of the feature. Most of it was probably used in Depp’s epic death scene.

Genre Analysis

There are many different types of genres, such as:

• Horror
• Comedy
• Romance
• Drama
• Fantasy
• Thriller
• Action
• Adventure
• Sci-fi
• Musical
• Crime/Gangster
• Historical
• War
• Western

Genres are not just used for movies, but for many types of things. A genre is a specific type of music, film, or writing. Your favorite literary genre might be science fiction, and your favorite film genre might be horror flicks about cheerleaders. Go figure. In music, genre refers to musical style such as jazz, salsa or rock.

SUB-GENRE

Some sub-genres are more prominent such as: biopics, ‘chick’ flicks, courtroom dramas, detective/mystery films, disaster films, fantasy films, film noir, ‘guy’ films, melodramas (or ‘weepers’), road films, romances, superhero films, sports films, superhero films, supernatural films and thriller/suspense.

Examples of Movies for different genres are:

1. HORROR: The Exorcist (1973), Scream (1996), A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984), Jeepers Creepers (2001), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), 28 Days Later (2002), Psycho (1960), The Shining (1980), Saw (2004), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1978), The Conjuring (2013), Night Of The Living Dead (1968), Hostel (2005).
2. COMEDY: Superbad (2006), She’s The Man (2006), American Pie (1999), Bridesmaids (2011), Kevin And Perry Go Large (2002), Stepbrothers (2008), Some Like It Hot (1959), Austin Powers (1997), I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009), Mean Girls (2004), Bruce Almighty (2003), Pineapple Express (2009), White Chicks (2004), Borat (2006).
3. ROMANCE: Dirty Dancing (1987), The Notebook (2004), Titanic (1997), When Harry Met Sally (1989), The Princess Diaries (2001), Love Actually (2003), Pretty Woman (1990), Me Before You (2016), The Vow (2012), Beauty And The Beast (1991), Ghost (1990), Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961), My Stepmother Is An Alien (1998), A Cinderella Story (2004), The Parent Trap (1998), Clueless (1995).
4. DRAMA: Burlesque (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Full Monty (1997), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Step up (2006), The Cheetah Girls (2003), Bring It On (2003), The Shawshank Redemption (2003), The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013), Black Swan (2010), Coyote Ugly (2000), Green Street (2005).
5. FANTASY: Dark Shadows (2010), Life Size (2000), Matilda (1996), Freaky Friday (2003), Labyrinth (1986), Edward Scissorhands (1980), Casper (1985), Hocus Pocus (1983), Enchanted (2007) Alice In Wonderland (2010).
6. THRILLER: Disturbia (2007), Coraline (2009), Fight Club (1999), Taken (2009), The Butterfly Effect (2004), Abduction (2011), Lights Out (2016), Kill Bill (2003), Sweeney Todd (2007).
7. ACTION: The Bounty Hunter (2010), Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003), Mad Max (2015), Transformers (2007), Die Hard (1988), The Avengers (2012), Kick-Ass (2010), The Matrix (1999).
8. ADVENTURE: Without A Paddle (2004), Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004), Scooby Doo (2002), Epic Movie (2007), Indiana Jones (1981), Back To The Future (1985), Iron Man (2008).
9. SCI-FI: Star Wars (1977), 2001 – A Space Odyssey (1968), Alien (1978), E.T (1982), The Terminator (1984), Gravity (2013).
10. MUSICAL: Cry Baby (1990), Grease (1978), Singin’ In the Rain (1952), West Side Story (1961), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
11. CRIME/GANGSTER: Pulp Fiction (1994), Black Mass (2015) Scarface (1983), Road To Perdition (2002).
12. HISTORICAL: Gladiator (2000), Braveheart (1995), Apollo 13 (1995).
13. WAR: Saving Private Ryan (1998), Apocalypse Now (1979).
14. WESTERN: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966).