The Final Girl Theory

In most stories women often play the role of the damsel in distress. The character that always needs saving and is often the prize for the hero. Because of this role being used ever so often in the majority of stories women are often stereotyped as being weak, timid and often used more a sex symbols rather than being more complex and deep characters. Cinema only increased this since most female characters were very attractive actors that suited the male gaze (shows that cinema is more focused on the male audience compared to female). Now this doesn't apply to every role a women plays since there females villains who are vindictive and evil like: poison ivy, Jason's mother etc, but also some female characters are quiet strong smart and poses the characteristics that are often seen within the masculine hero like Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Samus Aran etc. This type of character is most present within horror films (slasher in particular) since this character is the only one smart, strong or brave enough to escape/defeat the killer where as everyone else (including male characters) have been killed. This is known as the 'Final Girl'.

The final girl theory first became popular with such horror films as alien, Halloween, and Texas chainsaw massacre in which the only characters to make it to the end and live where females. Throughout the course of these films the other characters are picked off one-by-one by the killer, often due to the characters doing something stupid or not being strong enough to confront the killer and once the film reaches its climax only one person is left and she is the one who ultimate defeats the killer or survives (e.g. fight back in Halloween, escaping in Texas chainsaw massacre, and killing the killer in alien). Because of these type of films females have been portrayed as much stronger and more independent characters compared to their traditional role of the damsel in distress, and this often makes the film more exciting to watch since it's something different compared the traditional masculine hero.

Often what makes the final girl stand out isn't the character herself in particular but rather the killer and the side/stock characters. This is mainly because the stock characters in most horror/slasher films are generic and one dimensional character that are built around typical teenagers stereotypes (since most character within a slasher film are teenagers) like a nerd, a jock, a whore etc.  These characters serve no other purpose other than providing a cheap laugh and are the murder victims of the killer which is why at the end of the film we want the final girl to survive and overcome the killer since she is the only character we care about (though this isn't present within every horror film since the characters in alien are all interesting and it's sad when they die). On the other hand there is the principle of the killer whom we often follow throughout the first and second half of the film as he kills off each character from his point of view, so we feel like we're him and know how dangerous he is. Once the third act takes place we take the view point of the final girl and we want her to survive since we know what the killer is like and how dangerous he is and because we can see him properly from her point of view this makes him seems scarier since it looks like he going to kill us instead of us being the killer.

Because of these factor the final girl is always the most developed character since she has the most screen time and the audience connects with her more than any other characters which is why when she overcomes the killer there is a great feeling of satisfaction as well as the fact that the character is female rather than male which is a welcome change. What's interesting is that the final girl  theory could also represent some sort of real life issue since with most of these films the killer is a man and the final girl is female, this principle/concept could represent overcoming male oppression since males are often seen as strong more dominant beings than female and this concept could be representing those who believing against this idea and even have experienced this in their lives. The character of the final girl also plays against the expectations of the male audience since not only is she head strong, brave and even possibly masculine, but also this type of character from other females and sometimes doesn't meet the male gaze compared to the other females within the film (though that's mostly down to opinion). However in some cases the final girl does sit nicely between these expectations since she is strong, smart and interesting enough to watch and care about but not to the extent in which she becomes overly masculine that she doesn't meet the male gaze (e.g. Ripley from aliens). 

The Final girl has also been a very large inspiration for strong females in various types of media since the majority of strong females leads are strong, smart, interesting and also meet the male gaze which is what makes them such likeable and recognisable characters since they have both masculine and feminine characteristics and often are very attractive (e.g. wonder woman, rogue, Samus Aran, tomb raider, Chun-Li etc). In the end the final girl theory is simply the identification of certain characters with in a female character in horror films that often play against typical roles females with in storytelling and helps to establish women as much stronger, independent people compared to their stereotypical role of damsel in distress. It's because of these characteristics that the girl is able to outsmart the killer and live at the end due this character being the most developed and cared for by the audience which is often helped by the generic stock characters and taking the view point of the killer so that we can understand how dangerous he is and why there is so much fear when the final girl has to confront him and so much joy when she comes out on top.             

Pyscho VS Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Psycho and Texas chainsaw massacre are two of the most renowned and popular horror films to date and for good reason, both films were cannon to many horror films of the current generation and also help to create the sub-genre know as 'slasher' films. This is was mainly done through the key elements that are used through out bout both films like having a human killer, the larger emphasis on tension and suspense and being based on real life killer Ed Gein, but as similar as the films are the have their difference and it's because of these differences that these films stood on their own and were able to create many of the ideas and conventions used in horror films today.

There is much similarty between both films. As I mentioned before they both have human killers unlike the majority of old horror films having some sort of monster like Dracula or the wolf man, they have a large emphasis on tension and suspense since there the films aren't gore fest and they used their creepy atmosphere and music very effectively and that they were both based on the killer Ed Gein. There are other similarities like the use of a date and time in the opening credits which makes the events that take place in the film look like they could have actually occurred, both films have strong female leads who survive the killer and even help to some-what defeat them (though not to the extent of 'Halloween' and 'aliens'), and that both films use remote locations to signify the isolation of the character like with the bates motel being in the middle of no where and the town where Texas chainsaw massacre takes place being almost deserted. 

Despite their similarities there are also many differences between the films. These consist of: Texas chainsaw massacre while not being a gore fest has a larger emphasis on blood compared to psycho since there is more blood present and the killer has more brutal methods of killing people, the fact that Texas chainsaw massacre is shot in colour compared to psycho being in black and white (relates to the gore factor), the fact that there is suspicion as to who the killer is in psycho were as in Texas chainsaw massacre leather face is the obvious killer, Texas chainsaw massacre uses as documentary style of story telling since there is a narration at the beginning of the film, in Texas chainsaw massacre the entire family are psychopath where as in psycho it's just Norman, also Texas chainsaw massacre is in-conclusive since the girl escape but lather face is still as large where as Norman is captured and section.  

Desensititation theory presention

Desensitisation theory

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This is mine and Leanne's presentation about the desensititation theory.

Audience theories

There are many different audience theories that can be related to audience reactions to what they see and how that reflects on them in real life. However there are four main theories that are most often associated with this type of argument about audience’s viewings.


These theories are: the cultivation theory which is the effects of television on the behaviour and attitudes of the public, and that those who spend more time watching TV will reflect what is being shown on TV.


The copycat theory relates to something that is published in the media which results in other naturally copying what is being seen (e.g. famous stunts or murder that have taken place in a film).


The hypodermic syringe model is when the audience passively receive information via media text without any objection to the data.

And the desensitisation is the over exposure to varying behaviours on screen makes the audience immune to these and thus harder to shock. As a result the effects are generally more widely spread.

Why was 'PSYCHO' such a land mark on the horror genre?

It is easy to argue that 'Psycho' (directed by Alfred Hitchcock) is one of the greatest and most influential horror films to date... but why is that so? There many reasons as to why Psycho is seen as such a great horror film, but there are certain key factors that helped to give it the reputation is has today. First of all the premise of psycho is completely different to any other horror film at the time since most horror films were about monsters like the wolf man, Dracula and Frankenstein and had simple plots about simply defeating these monsters, psycho is a story of betrayal, mystery and real human issues, which made them film seem a lot more realistic than other horror films and made the film a lot scarier since the events that occurred in the film could occur in real life. 

One major factor that made psycho such a hit was because of its killer Norman Bates. Most killers in horror movies were a type of monster or supernatural force that didn't really exist; the use of a human killer added much further to the films sense of realism and set the stage for future human killer such as: leather face (Texas chainsaw massacre) and Michael Myers (Halloween). What was interesting about Psycho is that before Norman bates is revealed to be the killer he seems like a normal person even rather nice at times (despite being controlled by his dominating mother) which really plays with the audience's expectation because in the majority of horror films the killer is painfully obvious from the first time you see them so there is less sense of suspicion and mystery, where as psycho uses these elements to its advantages since the audience were made to expect that Normans mother was the killer after witnessing the shower scene which helped to put the audience on edge and overall make the film scarier. 

This brings me to my final point, which is that Psycho has a larger focus of suspense and tension rather the blood and gore. Through out the film only two people were killed in Psycho and even then the wasn't much emphasis on the blood pouring out of their body (plus the fact that it was shot in black of white) but rather the build up to their deaths and the use of high pitched music or the 'psycho strings'. This more apply to Marion's death or the 'shower scene' which is arguably the scariest scene in the film since the scene where Norman is talking to Marion in the parlour really helps to build  tension and suspense because it's mise-en-scene (the birds being symbolic since Marion's last name is 'Crane' and the way they are position as if they are watching Marion), Norman becoming more paranoid when Marion suggest that he should put his mother in a home, the use of low angle shots near Norman to make him seem like a more powerful an threatening figure etc.

It's because of these key elements that Psycho became such a hit and is regarded as such a great horror film. There are various other reasons why Psycho was such a influential horror (such as the time and dating setting in the beginning of the film and the various shots used in the shower scene) but it's these elements in particular that are the main reason for Psycho's reputation and the reason why many horror film after psycho used a lot it's ideas and conventions (e.g. a human killer and a bigger emphasis on tension and suspense).   

Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 interpretation differences

Vampires are easily one of the most recognisable and interesting horror icons ever created. This mainly due to the fact that there is a lot more to explore with vampires since they have human characterises and are often seen as rather beautiful creatures compared to other horror icons like the wolf man and Frankenstein. Where it be there presences, powers, scenery they associated them selves with etc, vampires are key movie monster and have been adapted into various different interpretations such as: nosferatu, let me in, van helsing and urgh… twilight. Arguably the most famous vampire tale and character is the story of count Dracula (written by Bram stoker). The story of the Dracula has been used influence various vampire films and the count is a very interesting character and has a sense of class and sophistication to him. The story of Dracula had been adapted in to film various times and the role of Dracula has been played by various different actors (e.g. Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee etc) and Dracula himself has been seen in various different ways, but Bram stokers Dracula (directed by Francis Ford Coppola) has a very unique take on the count and is very different to the traditional look on Dracula.  

The first major difference about this film is that Dracula is given a back story into who he was and why he became a vampire, this helps to establish Dracula as a much more deep and meaningful character instead of just the typical vampire which helps the audience to connect with him more since he only became a vampire because he lost his wife. Skip to present day and we see that Draculas first appearance is vastly different to his traditional look of a cape and a suit, this Dracula has a long red gown, looks rather old and has an odd hair style, he also speaks in a much more slow and creepy manor which reflect how much the curse has effected him and how time has also effected him. When Dracula moves over seas into London his appearance is radically different since he is tall, strapping, handsome and very classy (which caters towards the more traditional look of Dracula, he also has much more human features which makes him look like and every day person and helps him to blend in with the environment.

The reason for this change is done incredibly well because while at his castle his notices that a picture of Jonathan’s wife looks very similar to his wife and because of this Dracula begins to have an emotional attachment to her. When ever Dracula and Maria are together he takes the more elegant form of himself where as when they are apart he looks more like the old decaying version, this is a very strong contrast because it shows how Dracula is filled with life when he is around Maria, because of this Dracula comes off as being a tortured soul instead of monster. He also acts differently around Maria since he won't hesitate to bite any random strange but he struggles against his vampire instinct to bite Maria since he doesn’t want to subject her to the cursed life he follow and this really helps to further segment Dracula as not a monster but merely trapped in an endless cycle of pain and suffering.  

Propp's character theory and how it relates to horror

There have been many different theories that have been applied the idea of films and story telling which help to break down a narrative structure so that it is easy to identify the characters and typical story lines associated with film in general. One of the most well know theory's is Vladimir Propp's character theory which consists of breaking down character into specific groups based on certain characteristics that are present with in folk tales which is what Propp used as his basis for this study. This theory is used to help identify typical characters within a story which helps to construct the narrative and drive the story. The characters are broken down into eight groups: the hero (the character who generally leads the narrative since the story told is about them and their quest for something e.g. 'TRON'), the villain (fights against the hero and makes the audience favour the hero e.g. Darth Vader), the donor (gives the hero some sort advice or weapon to help him complete the quest e.g. yoda), the helper (supports the hero and appears in the critical moments e.g. robin), the princess (what the hero fights for and is not often seen through the narrative e.g. Disney princesses), the princesses' father (the one who sets the hero out his quest for the princess e.g. king Harold), the dispatcher (similar to the princesses father since they are responsible forgiving the hero his/her mission e.g. obi-wan) and the false hero (the one who pretends to be the hero in order to gain a reward e.g. prince charming).    


In terms of horror films this theory doesn't really fit together with the overall narrative and characters established in horror films. For instance the main purpose of a horror film isn't to try and get some sort of prize it's more about trying to survive and because of this character like the princess, the donor, the helper, the princesses father, the dispatcher, the false hero aren't often present with in horror films and even the hero character isn't often an actual hero but it's more of a case of the being the survivor at the end of the films despite often defeating the killer. The villain is the only character that is consistently present within horror films since there is always some sort of murderer or monster that kills off each character such as: Jason vorhees, Freddy Kruger, the classic movie monsters, jigsaw etc, and this character is often the character who is the most interesting and unique character since most of the other characters within horror films are simply stock characters who have one main personality trait (often with teenage character like: the nerd, the quite one, the jock, and the whore etc) and who's only purpose is to be killed in the film. Because of these reason Vladimir's character theory doesn't relate well with horror films since they character are based on fairy tales with typical character types and stories of good vs. evil where as horror films are mainly about survival against the villain.  

Horror Movies: Themes and Iconography

Something that is consistent through out horror movies is the use of iconography and the themes they portray. This is often used to help audiences to identify the genre and know what to generally expect from these films (every movie genre uses theses conventions such as actions movies having guns, swords and are often about war or revenge). They are also used as the building block for horror films since they help to construct main purpose/story (themes) and also often the type of killer (iconography). 

The iconography used within horror films consists of: weapons (like Freddy’s fingers, knifes or chainsaws), scary titles (e.g. 'Psycho' or the Texas 'chainsaw' massacre), tag lines (e.g. Halloween with "the night HE came home!"), dark imagery or lack of colour (often used in posters) etc. Themes also play a big part in horror films since they are used over and over again but are used differently. Examples of these themes are: fear of the unknown (e.g. what the killer is like in alien), death, suspense (waiting for something to happen), isolation ( being in a deserted location with no contact to the outside world), entrapment, unease, uncertainty, lack of morals (characters become more sacred and more savage) etc.

Starting a new project

In this brand new project I will be analysing the horror genre and it's conventions which will eventually lead to the creation of my very own horror movie trailer. Now the horror genre and I have an odd history together. For one thing I've never really brought into the genre since I always thought that the idea of watching a movie which consists of 90 minutes of pointless dialogue, bad acting and the occasional death seemed rather pointless. Now I will admit that's mainly due to the fact that I haven't watched many horror films through out my life (mainly due to the fact that I was too young to see them) which is probably why I have such a negative attitude towards this genre, plus the fact that the horror movies that I have watched are mostly rubbish (though I will admit that I have seen some pretty damn good horror films like Alien, Dracula and Jaws). However I'm rather excited about studying horror films this year since it will increase my knowledge about films in general and introduce me some of the more popular horror films that I have missed out on like: a nightmare on elm street, Halloween, the Texas chainsaw massacre etc.