Treatment: trailer

Treatment written Todd C. Green

The scene starts with a man arriving at a police investigation, seeing the scene he runs in with the officers trying to stop him until he freezes at the sight of a body of a man covered in blood. (Lots of slow-motion and crying)




We then see the man in a room being talked to by an officer about the death revealing the victim was his brother. The officer talks to the man questioning him about who could be responsible saying they'll find and arrest them.




The scene changes to the ending of a funeral with the man standing in the rain staring at the grave. Then we change to the man at home some friends chatting with him trying to cheer him up saying, "cheer up man or you might go crazy" 


The man sleeping twist and turns in his bed haunted by nightmares then he is shocked awake. As he tries to calm himself he hears a noise and goes to look in the dark. He finds things knocked over in the living room he looks around shouting for whoever is there to come out, when suddenly he is pushed into a chair and a hand is around his throat.

We then see the brother speaking to the man holding him by the throat "I'm stuck to you brother just like we always were. I want your help little brother, I can't do anything to anyone else..." The brother leans in with a menacing smile and says "...But YOU can."  

The scene goes through multiple people the brother voice saying, "I know who is behind my murder but like I said I can't do anything to them. But together we are going to get some justice".

Next we see the man talking to his friend from before feeling confused and worried asks him for help trying to prove whom he is told was the killer is right. Saying "I'm worried that my brother won't be the only person that this guys gonna kill you gotta help me.".

The scene changes to the man and a woman running down a darkened corridor looking behind them both of them covered in dirt and some blood.

The scene changes to an interrogation chamber with the Detective from before shouting at the man and hitting the table whilst another watches through the two way mirror. "The only thing linking these murders is YOU and that gives me a few ideas about what is going on so either you know something you aren't telling us."

Finally the scene changes to a woman in the dark breathing heavily looking side to side when suddenly a hand reaches around and grabs her mouth and pulls her into the shadows as her eyes widen in terror.

Structuralism vs Post-Modernism: 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead

Over time the design for movies has changed, when film first started out everything was new and everything was different. All the genres we love today were just beginning so they could do whatever they wanted. Originally horror movies were just visual versions of famous stories like Dracula and Frankenstein. When those ran out new things had to be created eventually people had a way of making and designing movies this was structuralism, but it wouldn't stop there. As time went on this format started to just turn out copies and sequels of the highest rated films and people got bored of seeing the same thing over and over again. Things changed too many different thing until eventually it arrived at the more current modernism and post modernism. The thing that is the biggest difference between the two movements of structuralism and post-modernism is the fact that post-modernism knows it’s a movie and uses this knowledge to sometimes make fun of the fact it is. The best way to show the difference is in two films of the same sub-genre from the different movements. Two of the best for this are “28 days later” and “Shaun of the dead”.

The first way to see the difference in structure between the two films is in the story design and plot. “28 days later” and “Shaun of the dead” are two zombie movies set in Britain and follows the actions of a small group of survivors. The difference between the two movements is shown in the tone of the films, In “28 days later” this is a big thing and the zombies are noticed and seen as a problem for the protagonist from the get go, where as in “Shaun of the dead” the character of Shaun doesn't notice the zombies or the things around him, because he lives in a place where a car with a broken window is more common or a homeless person asking for money, which is what he believes what one of the zombies is when it shuffles up to him. That is a perfect example of the difference between the movements Structuralism is much more serious about what is happening in their stories, Post-modernism is not as serious about their stories and adds more to them in a slight comedic fashion. The scene from “Shaun of the dead” I mentioned is an example of this, it makes a joke about what is seen in the zombie movies about after the outbreak, and life in suburban areas in the fact that Shaun doesn't pay attention to anything but his own actions not what is around him. The best way to describe these little half jokes is as inside jokes, even the name "Shaun of the dead" is a reference to another zombie film and one of the most famous "Dawn of the Dead". (Another famous example of these jokes is modern MARVEL movies as fans of the comics will see references to the comics and characters).

Further differences between the movements are in the use of sound and music. In "28 Days Later" the main song is used in a very dramatic scene and the music itself is a very dramatic and slow piece that sounds similar to a funeral death march for the most part. In a scene of "Shaun of the dead", that is a part of the equivalent scene the music is very different and for a different purpose, in the scene the song "Don't stop me now" by Queen is played. The use of music shows the difference between the films very effectively, in "28 Days Later" the music is non-diegetic and used to build tension and for drama, in "Shaun of the dead" the music is diegetic and the characters perform actions in time to the song, such as hitting a zombie to the beat or flipping switches, this is to make fun of music in films and their use. This is a great show of the difference in movements as "Shaun of the dead" shows the usual dramatic structure of structuralism by changing famous parts in them like the music. For example the main theme for "Shaun of the dead" is very different to that of "28 Days Later" as it is much more upbeat and jolly using electronic noises as opposed to the piano, violins and guitar from "28 Days Later". Then there are the sounds used in the film many times throughout "Shaun of the dead" when characters do certain actions there are sound effects added to the actions like when Shaun throws two others some weapons to use there is a swooping noise. Such effects aren't used in "28 Days Later", but the use is still for a joke about the sound effects added in films.

Next to show the difference between the movements is the difference in characters. In "28 Days Later" there are a number of characters some of which have parallels in "Shaun of the dead" those would be the characters of Jim, Selena, Mark and Frank. These four are most of the heroes of the story more specifically Jim being the lead. In the story Jim wakes up 28 days (hence the name) after the outbreak and learns how to survive in this new environment. His parallel in "Shaun of the dead" is Shaun who has a very similar role of waking up after the outbreak and figuring out how to survive, but the difference is that where Jim runs from the zombies Shaun, for the most part, fights them. However his methods are what truly show the difference, as he fights them by throwing mugs and records as well as using a swing ball like a flail, the best part that shows this is when during the "Don't stop me now" fight scene there is a moment where Shaun flips his around legs to stand back up an action like this is never really seen in real life but in movies, showing again that this knows it is a movie. Selena has a parallel in Liz both are the female lead and romantic interest of the male lead both are capable fighters and both survive until the end of the stories. Frank and Mark are similar in a small way as both are friends with other members of the group of survivors and they have three parallels in "Shaun of the dead" being Shaun’s step father, his mother and his best friend Ed; the last one is because they like Frank are friends to the male lead (Ed being friends prior to the outbreak) and help him but like all the others on the list get infected and have to be put down, except for Ed. This shows the similarities between the films but also differences, in the structuralist "28 Days Later" when a character is turned they are killed almost straight after with almost no emotional effect except for Frank, because he is Hannah’s father. However in "Shaun of the dead" Shaun's step father is killed almost straight after being infected after giving a speech that Shaun (who doesn't like him) doesn't really care for, referencing the emotional speeches dying characters usually give in movies, Shaun's mothers death is hard for him and causes group in fighting something that isn't as big an issue in "28 Days Later". However the biggest difference is what happens with Ed after he is infected as he unlike all the others is kept "alive" and lives chained to the wall of Shaun's shed, this is a great way of showing the difference in the movements as this wasn't the kind of ending you would see in a structuralist film as before either one of a few things would happen: everyone dies, there is one or two survivors or all the zombies are killed, but in "Shaun of the dead" the zombies are kept alive as they actually follow patterns from when they were alive so are almost kept as pets. That ending is a great example of post-modern style as it is different to what you might of expected but also makes a joke about how people do the same things over and over like zombies, this is even mentioned at the beginning of the trailer for the film.

Overall there are many things that have changed between the two movements and whilst there are some similarities these are either because that is the best way of writing such a story or a joke is being made. It is the use of the little jokes I mentioned the, sound work or the character arcs that can be the best way of showing just how different they are.

Pitch

Haunted by the ghost of his dead brother a man look to kill the person responsible and anyone who gets in his way. But the killer might be closer than he thinks.

Feminism in Horror movies: V/H/S 2

The horror movie I watched is the 2013 horror anthology V/H/S 2. I chose this film for it's unique style as it is a single film made from short "fond footage" films by many different directors each with a different story and sub-genre to them (one being Sci-Fi, one occult and another one about zombies), with the over-arching story explaining these videos.

In the first 2 and a half minutes there are three female characters two of these are side characters; one is a cleaning lady at a motel and the other is a woman a guy is cheating on his wife with. I mention these characters because one shows a job many women are linked to (cleaning) and the other is a good-looking person more or less showing the "Male view" idea of ... . The third female character, named Ayesha, and first (English) speaking one is one of the two characters for the over-arching story. She is played by Kelsy Abbott and is the girlfriend and partner of private investigator Larry. In the short time we get before the first of the other clips start we get to know these two a little, Ayesha is an average girl you'd meet anywhere she is equal in role in her's and Larry's work as PI's. At 7:50 she puts in the first clip and we start looking at this her not noticing the guy in the door behind her.

In the first of the clips there are 2 female characters one is the ghost of a young girl and the other a girl who tries to help the protagonist of this clip Herman. The young ghost scares the protagonist a few times throughout the clip but that's all we see of her. Soon after we meet the second girl Clarissa, she is someone with more experience with the ghosts so tries to help Herman. She has a rocker look with red hair and a dark shirt, jacket, bag and jeans she follows the ideas you might have with someone with such an appearance she takes charge but is also a bit moody at times. She tries to help Herman by distracting him away from another ghost by having sex with him and it seems to work but later not long after is drowned by the ghosts in the pool. At the end of the clip the film then joins back with Ayesha watching the tape she briefly chats with Larry before starting the next tape.

The first female character in this is not one we see but hear, she is the girlfriend of our camera man and calls him on his mobile at the very beginning of the clip, they have a short conversation with "couple-y" banter about how he rides his bike more than he rides he but then they finish and the biker rides off. There are two other women in this clip one is a victim from a zombie attack asking the biker for help before she starts reacting to the infection and soon attacks the biker as he tries to help her, infecting him before he kills her. The next is someone who tries to help the biker but he attacks after becoming a zombie himself and later returns as another zombie. Both of these women fill a damsel in distress role after being attacked they scream and run off looking for help but the biker does the same after he is attacked so that isn't an issue. the only others are the female members of a birthday party who run off after being attacked,escaping by car. Before the end the biker gets another call from his girlfriend saying she loves him. Soon after the clip ends and we rejoin Ayesha who doesn't respond to Larry at first and is having a nose bleed Larry goes to get her some medicine and she watches another tape not seeing the guy from before crawling through the door to her right.

The next clip is a sort of documentary about an Indonesian cult and there are a number of women in this tape. One, Lena, is the producer of the documentary (and fiancée of the director; whilst also cheating on him with another member; and is pregnant with that man's child). The other women are all very similar as they are all indoctrinated members of the cult, the members reaching from young children to their parents each wearing very similar white outfits. During this clip the cultists commit mass suicide and kill the director and camera man leaving only Lena and the man she cheated with alive. The cult leader's wives then take Lena to give birth to their idol all of them dying in the process. Not long after we have the last bridge where Larry finds Ayesha dead in front of the screens and then starts the last video.

The last clip begins and after sometime we meet the last female character Jen a teenage girl looking after her younger brothers. For the short time we see before the moment of disequilibrium she seems normal hanging out with her friends and boyfriend and being annoyed by her brothers. There is a short moment where she and her boyfriend are making out and are about to have sex when her brothers and their friends come in and cause havoc. After the moment of disequilibrium and her brothers getting taken she instantly becomes very worried for them and tries to help and save them, performing CPR on one when he isn't breathing though she didn't know how to straight away. They run but soon one of them is caught and she gets very worried for the lot of them. She tries to lead her remaining brother to safety but doing so gets her caught. After a few more minutes of action the video ends and we return to Larry and that is more or less the end.

I chose this movie because of how different it is in format compared to other horror films. It has a vast selection of female characters each different and acting and processing the events they face differently. You have some who are scared and frightened like Jen and you have more stoic characters like Clarissa, you have more dignified roles like the Girlfriend in the ride in the park video to the kind that show the "male view" idea I mentioned earlier. This movie is a great example of the different kinds of roles, actions and characters women play in films each one is similar but different and this is apparent and whilst there are some scenes people might find sexist or wrong they are still there just like in many other horror films.

Trailer Analysis

How does Halloween follow the codes and conventions of the Slasher-horror sub-genre?

How does Halloween follow the codes and conventions of the Slasher-horror sub-genre?

The trailer for the original Halloween movie is a perfect example of the codes and conventions of slasher movies. This is because the movie itself is seen as being the first major example of the genre, creating many of the codes and conventions in the process.

Firstly is the characters we see in the trailer the main ones who speak in the trailer are the female lead, the old guy who knows what is happening and of course the killer. These 3 characters are something present in most slasher trailers and they follow, what would become, the usual pattern the old guy who knows what is going in is a psychologist who treated the killer so he knows how he thinks and his personality, this is a version of this character which is often seen in movies and trailers to give a little bit of information about the killer, the other being a local in movies where the victims are new to the area like in Friday the13th’s original trailer there was the old “crazy” guy with his bike warning them. The other characters also follow the usual conventions of horror trailers the female lead is a blonde haired teenager who works as a babysitter who lives in the suburbs and we only see her running from the killer and looking for help. Finally there is the killer and this trailer shows the killer of well by barely showing him. In the trailer the killer is constantly hidden in shadows and wears a mask and wearing a jumpsuit and wielding a knife (a design that would become even more popular with the Friday the 13^th films and a few others) we don’t know who he is or why he is doing it just that he is strong, tall, insane and unrelenting, these character traits are what would become the basis for most if not all slasher movie killers . The only other characters in the trailer are the other victims who we only see briefly and mostly just before they are killed, thus making us want to know who these people are.

Next is the setting for the film, as I mentioned the film we can see from a few scenes is a suburban town in America which is the setting for a majority of other slashers such as Scream and Nightmare on Elm street another being an old camp in the woods. We also see many the usual locations used for kills and chases in horror trailers such as the kitchen and staircase, usually in horror movies these two locations are some of the more commonly used like in the original Scream.

This movie also follows a number of other conventions such as music. This trailer is one of the best known for the use of what would become the franchises theme song with similar use of music being used many time in the future by other horror films, this one is of note because it creates a great amount of tension and fear because of its repeating piano chord and what I believe is cello backing eventually becoming one of the most iconic horror theme songs.

 The props and costumes also follow convention. As I said the killer is wearing a mask and a full body jumpsuit, similar designs would be used for years with little variation (such as Scream’s “Ghost-face” killer who has a full body black cloak like outfit instead). The mask is also an important feature as even though we know who he is we don’t really know what he looks like, he could be anyone and anyone could become him is the idea of these killers, these are people who have snapped and just enjoy killing everyone the mask allows that element on anonymity. The final prop that is one of the major conventions of the Slasher-horror genre is the killers weapon, the knife a simple well known weapon that anyone could use and is thus the number one most often seen weapons used by killers in slasher films with only slight variation such as Jason Voorhees’ machete knife in the Friday the 13^th franchise.

This movie is a great example of codes and conventions used in most slasher-horror films as like I said in the beginning this movie is seen as being the first of the modern day slasher genre and creating or using these codes and conventions. The only things that you might see in more modern slashers that is different in the ways of code and conventions are things that have changed or been created since then and those are very few.

By Todd Green