LB - Horror Opening Analysis - Women In Black

Women In Black (Watkins, 2012)

Genre

• The film is a paranormal horror. This is clear as the dolls and manikins placed around the table, along with the antagonist, which we briefly see pictured at the end, these are all conventions of a paranormal horror. The girls also look directly at the antagonist, but we only become aware of this once they all jump from the window. These conventions are shared with films such as Annabelle (Leonetti, 2014) and Incidious (Wan, 2010).

Film Language -
CAMERA-

• The close up shots of the the dolls as the children play with them helps to add an lifeless to the sequence, as the camera is focused on the stillness of the dolls, which could be foreshadowing the later death of the young girls themselves. The close ups of the porcelain tea pot pouring the pretend liquid into cup; is used to identify to the audience that the girls are role playing. 

• The establishing shot of the girls playing with their toys shows the audience that the scene is set in an attic, which is a common setting for a horror such as in Sinister (Derrickson, 2012).
  
• The long shot of the girls simultaneously turning their heads to look down the camera then turns the shot into a POV shot of someone looking down at the children. This is a very interesting shot as we have idea who or what this unknown matter is, thus creating mystery and tension in the scene.
  
• The zoom towards the window resembles an the girls attraction the window and focuses the audience on the prop.
• Lastly the medium close up of the young girls walking towards the window helps show the audience their emotionless and serious facial expressions which seems controlled almost, this directly contracts from the close ups of their warm happy smiles earlier.
  

EDITING

• Minimal editing is used in the sequence. There is no title sequence, no credits used and no unusual cuts. The sequence is film with continuity editing. This method of simplistic editing is used so the audience are not distracted from the events of sequence and make the opening scene more intense.

MISE-EN-SCENE

• From the furniture in the attic it is clear that the scene is set in the Victorian era. The costume of the girls is also used to resemble the Victoria era.
  
• The colour of the girl's dresses are all pastel colours used in many horror films to symbolize purity,victim and innocence. They are also not bright stand-out colours, meaning they don't distract the audience's attention.
• The director deliberately used porcelain dolls as metaphor for the young girls, to suggest that they are extremely fragile, this is an excellent use of props.
• The set is lit by natural lighting to symbolize purity again.
• As the girls move towards the window the obvious lack of respect for their toys is an direct opposite from earlier when they where carefully playing with them. This sudden change of personality is used to highlight the paranormal presence in the room.

SOUND

• The non-diegetic sound of the music box gives a clam yet spooky feel to the scene. it is used to take the innocence away from the tea party and replace it with tension.
• The diegetic sound of the porcelain smashing and breaking underfoot of the girls is left in to unsettle the audience.
• Lastly the non-diegetic music drops out as the girls jump from the windows. Then we only hear the scream of a women which iconic for horror movies!

Narrative - 

• The opening sequence is short so it doesn't give the plot very long to develop, however in the scene we see the stock characters, in this case the three young girls, having a tea party when suddenly they dismiss what they are doing after all seeing something, walk to the window and jump. The plot leaves the audience on a cliff hanger. From the antagonist that is briefly seen at the end of the opening sequence we can see this is a paranormal horror.

Representation & Ideology -

• The young girls are used here to show how evil prays on the weak and vulnerable. They film may be identified how younger people can be controlled by the evil of the world.

Media Audiences -

• The target audience for most horrors is 15-24 year olds, however the film was targeted at people younger than 15, as the film was made a PG-13 (according to IMDB). The film can be read as a metaphor for how society prays of the weak and vulnerable or how the media prays on the weak and vulnerable. However from my viewpoint as a British teenager my reading of this is just that there is an evil present which needs to be removed from the earth.

Institutional Context -

• The film does not star many big names apart from the protagonist who is played by Daniel Radcliffe. Daniel Radcliffe is very significant in the film as his name was a major factor in the success of film. Audiences where drawn to film as this was Radcliffe's first major film after the Harry Potter Series.
• The Woman In Black was produced by Cross Creek Films and Hammer Film Productions, both independent production companies. This is evident in the film as the film had only one A-lister.

TW: Analysing an opening sequence in detail - House of 1000 Corpses (Zombie, 2002)

Genre

• House of 1000 Corpses (Zombie, 2002) is a 'slasher' film, which is automatically revealed in the opening scene by the POV shot revealing the antagonist killer, and portraying him a number of ways in a short amount of time. Moreover, the use of montage editing highlights the sheer scale of murder the antagonist is likely to be responsible for - further reinforcing conventions of a 'slasher' horror, whereby a psychopathic killer stalks and murders a number of victims in a graphically violent manner. This graphic violence is also highlighted in the opening sequence, and this is similar to a number of 'slasher' films in this respect. Slasher classic - 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven, 1984) also presents the 'graphic violence' convention in the opening scene, but through props - such as rusty scissors. The portrayal of the antagonist's fearful characteristics is a common feature of 'slasher' films. 
• One audience expectation of a horror text is death, and this is extremely prevalent in the opening scene - the use of editing; through using a blackout reveals the death of the character we are automatically positioned with, which also satisfies another audience expectation - fear. Being positioned with a character through a POV shot, who is then killed - causes the viewer to be nervous, and fearful. Another generic expectation of horror is features of extremism - which make the film stand out, the bodily horror which accompanies the title sequence satisfies this.
• This text does not challenge horror characteristics - the music is typical of horror, the evil laugh (non-diegetic sound), and the immediate murder - are all horror characteristics which are satisfied early on. They inform the viewer of the nature of the film automatically. The costume is also a typical convention of horror - as clowns are depicted as scary from a very young age in our society, and a lot of horror films play on this long-lasting anxiety.

Film Language

Sound             Dialogue - the use of profanity has ruthless, domineering connotations. The antagonist – ‘clown’ is angered that his murder has got ‘blood all over my best clown suit, this is revealed by the clown using profanity and referring to him as a ‘god damn motherfucker.’  This is not the only use of profanity, as before the screen goes blank after the gunshots, he says ‘And most of all, fuck you.’ This all reveals the ruthless and insane nature of the antagonist, and as it is established early on in the film – creates a sense of fear in the viewer.             The soundtrack which covers the opening sequence is also important – and the song was made by the director himself. It reflects the genre of the film, a ‘slasher horror’ – as the soundtrack has a psychopathic tone, whereby the singer screams a lot. This anchors the images as they have a direct correlation.         The scream at the end of the first cut – which fades out, is a classic feature of horror films – and goes further to emphasise the psychopathic nature of the antagonist in this film.

Editing The use of montage editing in the title sequence also implies there is a huge range of ghastly acts committed by the antagonists in this film Screen time is an important factor in establishing the key characters of the film early on - before the title sequence; the antagonist clown receives the most screen time, and is portrayed as a main character due to his central position on screen. Title sequence: The title sequence reveals the cast members, but the varying frequency that the cast names appear on screen create an unnerving mood - due to the lack of regularity. This construction is further enhanced by the jumpy cuts.  During the sequence where the song plays, the cuts are very jumpy – which creates an edgy nature to the film, and makes the viewer feel uncomfortable.  The titles are in the centre of the screen, and their colour and typeface is typical of horror films, as it is red and in distinct, capitalised lettering. The film title is the second title after the director's name, and appears at the beginning of the title sequence, it is also in a larger font - which makes it stand out.   Post production techniques: The use of the blackout, whereby the screen gets dimmer after every gunshot - constructs verisimilitude, which therefore makes the sequence scarier.

Mise-en-scene Non-verbal communication - Initial non-verbal communication is essential in revealing the nature of the characters in the film, and the grinning, eager looks upon the two antagonists from the POV shot reveals their insanity, and also contributes to the ‘slasher’ genre – whereby a psychopathic killer goes on a series of killings. The brutal nature of the killer, revealed by the prop – the gun, whereby he shoots three times – also has connotations of extremism and creates fear in the viewer.

Camera Distances: the camera is close to the two antagonists, which creates ‘shallow space’ – this makes the viewer feel closer to the antagonist, and therefore incites fear in the audience. Movement: During the title sequence - the camera is not in a fixed position, and therefore shudders and jolts around, this makes the viewer nervous, and creates a rustic feel to the opening sequence. Angle: A POV shot is used in the first shot of the film, which automatically places the audience’s affiliation with the character subjected to the ‘clown’, and therefore insinuates a feeling of fear and trepidation in the viewer, as the POV shot places the viewer in the action.

Narrative

• The plot doesn't develop much during the opening sequence - the antagonist is shown to murder the protagonist character which the audience is positioned with due to the POV shot, the stock main antagonist character (portrayed due to his costume), laughs devilishly; before the title sequence begins. The title sequence is essentially a series of disturbing clips montaged into one another over the song.
• The POV shot is vital in this opening sequence. Importantly; the audience is positioned in the persona of the protagonist character, rather than a view which would be less engaging.
• The dominant theme throughout the opening sequence is bodily horror, which is prevalent in the title sequence. This is important as it is a theme which is continued throughout the film, and therefore highlights the fact that - opening sequence's establish the film's main themes early.
• In the opening sequence - Zombie adopts a technique often used by Alfred Hitchcock - using humour to create tension. This is achieved through the dialogue - 'God damn motherfucker got blood all over my best clown suit.' This dialogue is not only humorous, but it also portrays an utterly insane and irregular nature to the antagonist character - and therefore creates tension, as this strikes fear and anticipation into the audience. 

Representation and Ideology

A patriarchal society



Sexually promiscuous representation of women

• One social group which is represented in this opening sequence is women. Women are presented as objects of male domination in the opening sequence, which is a continuous underlying theme throughout the film. The title sequence reveals this representation of females - promiscuous scenes of sexual bodily horror contaminate the title sequence, whereby women are seen chained up. This objectifies women as subject to male desires. Moreover - only men are pictured in dominant iconography in the opening sequence; for example - two men are seen in white waistcoats - an example of iconography which implies power and status. This reinforces the residual ideology of a patriarchal society. 

Media Audiences

• The target audience for House of 1000 Corpses is post-18 year old, horror fans. This can be inferred due to the sexual nudity, profanity, and graphic horror already established in the opening scene! Moreover - the director; a well known horror director, reinforces this target audience. 
• Due to this - there could be an oppositional audience reading of the text - whereby some viewers would slate Zombie for the extreme nature of the film; rather than recognising the conventions of horror and fear included in the film - which could be a negotiated reading, as the dominant reading is probably that the film is extremely graphic - but also a well directed, engaging text. 
• Indeed - some have critiqued the 'sickening' nature of the film. (Clint Morris.)
• Personally - as a male, British teenager; the text immediately shocked me, due to its extreme graphic nature. As a teenager - I have not seen a huge number of body horror films; and therefore found this film shocking and slightly sickening. Moreover, as a male; this made the experience more sickening - as I felt that the patriarchal representation portrayed 'males' in the bad light of the binary opposition - masculinity / femininity. I found the text particularly damning towards females; which therefore presented males in a negative light - and as domineering. 

Institutional Context

• House of 1000 Corpses (Zombie, 2002) is an 'industrial' film, produced by Universal Studios and Lionsgate, however - there is a lack of A-listers in the film, the only recognizable actor being Sid Haig. This is significant as it reveals where the majority of the $7 million budget went - into post-production editing. This is useful as it reveals the dependency 'slasher' films have upon special effects. 
• If anything; the industrial nature of the film is not highlighted through the opening sequence, as the opening sequence aims to bring a rustic, imperfect feel to the film. My original interpretation of the film being an independent film is due to the 'library' shots throughout the title sequence - where a number of pre-existing shots are put together in a montage.
• However - the title sequence is a way to establish the 'industrial' nature of the film, as it reveals that director - Zombie, and actor - Haig, are both part of the cast. This makes the film more valued; as horror fans may see House of 1000 Corpses because of this partnership; also present in 'The Devil's Rejects' (Zombie, 2005.)

Blogger on website 'bloody-disgusting.com' claims - 'If ever there was an opening sequence that perfectly set up what the rest of the film was to bring, House of 1,000 Corpses nailed it.' This is the main reason that I choose this opening sequence - not only does it highlight the necessity to reveal the nature of the characters as early as possible, it also displays themes which are prevalent throughout. These are two main features which I will ensure are considered during the production of our own opening sequence.

Group: Preliminary Task - 'Hidden'

Evaluation

• Match on action - we managed to execute this shot through the entrance of the two characters in a door in the first shot, and then the characters further down the hallway in the second shot. We have recognised the value of this shot, as it could be used to cut down time; and cuts out a useless shot - of us walking a few meters down the hall. This is also an example of continuity.
• 180-rule - our dialogue exemplifies the usage of a 180-rule, as both the over the shoulder shots reflect the rule of 180. This rule enables continuity, as the two characters are always positioned in the same way.
• Shot/reverse shot -  this allowed us to reveal the nature of the relationship between the two characters, and their hostility towards one another.

Group: Wilderness Woods Film Short

Outlining the process we undertook in Adobe Premiere Elements 9.0.

• Ghosting - to ensure the audience has a visceral experience, and prompt audience engagement - one POV shot has the editing effect - 'Ghosting' - which causes a smearing or blurring visual effect.

• Trim and split clips - to begin with our rushes lasted over 6 minutes, after organising the clips by dragging and dropping onto the timeline - we compressed our footage by trimming the clips; resulting  in a smaller length film.
• Text function - we used the text function to overlay the visuals and insert a title. We also considered colour and font - and chose 'Minion Pro Italics' and a dark red colour to achieve visibility, red is also an example of Horror iconography.
• Blackout - in order to leave the impression upon the audience that the antagonist has passed out; we used a blackout. We recognise the valuable nature of this technique, as it can also reveal a passing in time.
• Continuity - in order to achieve continuity in our shots, we trimmed two clips and placed them together, so that the action began in one camera angle, and was completed in another - this achieved coherency. This is a motivated cut. An example of this is Jack's reaction at 2:31 to 2:33, when his head turns.

 





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• Transition - we used a transition from a 180 pan into another 180 pan; this created a 360 pan, where one character had disappeared in the second half. This gives the implication to the audience that time has passed.

 

Group: Concept Development Update

The utility of the POV shot

• We have decided not to submerge ourselves in the 'Zombie' genre, as our production would be too reliable on post-filmic and pro-filmic effects, and therefore we feel the production would not be effective - as we have such a low budget.
• From our trip to Wilderness Woods; we know have a good knowledge of the usefulness of certain shots, especially the POV shot in Horror. This is because it enables us to cause audience engagement. We have also remarked on the usefulness of a 360 pan for showing a passing in time, which we realised may be difficult to achieve.
• Although the woods are an example of a stock location which prompts many stock situations - we would like to film our production in an area where we can control lighting. This is partly because we have recognised the utility of effective lighting from - Luca's Paranormal Horror Mood Board.

'Final Girl'

The Woods - a good location?

• In terms of sub-genre, we are more comfortable with the psychological sub-genre due to our Location Recce, and from the research on Slasher revealing many conventions such as 'final girl', and the presence of a moral story - we feel a Slasher production would also be interesting, as a wide range of Horror conventions could be shown. 

• However; we are undecided on the sub-genre we want to pursue; even considering a roadshow horror, as it would allow us to film at a series of locations - enabling us to film at many stock locations, such as graveyards. 

LB - Independent Horror Film | Production & Distribution

Paranormal Activity (Peli ,2007)

 

Production

• Peli chose to shoot the picture with a home prosumer video camera, which was always on a tripod or something similar. This creating a higher degree of plausibility and allowed the audience to become more invested in the story and the characters
• No real script was used,  instead, the actors were given outlines of the story and situations to improvise, a technique known as retro-scripting also used in the making of The Blair Witch Project (Sanchez, 1999) and Monsters (Edwards, 2010).
• Production companies involved were Solana Films and Blumhouse Productions.
• Peli was in talks with Dreamworks to remake the film with a bigger budget before release, however  during the test screening people left the screening because the film was so scary, so he turned down the deal.

Distribution

• Paranormal Activity premiered at Screamfest Horror Film Festival in North America on October 14, 2007
• For the sequel of the first film, made after Paramount acquired the film, had screenings on September 25, 2009, in thirteen college towns across the United States. On his website, director Oren Peli invited internet users to demand where the film went next by voting on eventful.com. This was the first time a major motion picture studio used the service to virally market a film.

LB - Analysis of Horror Film Opening - Ghost Ship (Beck, 2002)

The opening is set in the ballroom of a large ship. Everyone is dressed well and upper class.We are positioned with a young girl, who is the only person of her age at the party, and she sits solitary in the corner. A lady sings on stage dressed in a red dress, her voice is peaceful a peaceful atmosphere. Other than this, the sea is calm and so is the weather, again making us feel relaxed, however there are dark clouds in the distance, symbolising dark and troublesome times ahead. The typography used for the titles is also not what would be expected from a horror. It is scriptive and almost decorative in light pink, giving the impression of a romance genre. The young seems almost oblivious to the adults in the room, this could be connected to the ideology that children are not at the same importance as adults. Then a older man offers the the young girl a dance and her facial expressions change and shes smiling. Suddenly someone pulls a lever, which is a common use of prop in horror films, to signify that something bad is being unleashed. Suddenly a wire cuts through everyone in the crowd, leaving only the young girl alive. There is a great bit where the camera pans and you can see everyone standing in silence, just before their bodies halve and collapse. The sound of the wire cutting through everyone is very loud and cuts through the other sounds of the scene, almost like a oral metaphor. Then there is medium close up of the older man who was dancing with young girl, and along with profilmic effects we can see his head cut in two. The room is dark and silence to intense the drama. The opening scene finally ends in the young girl's scream, which is a iconic horror sound.

Group: Production Log - Wilderness Woods

What did we learn from our filming experience?

• We learnt the utility of planning our shots, camera angles, and what happens in each scene - prior to filming. This allowed us to systematically go through the scenes one by one, following precise instructions already written - so that we ensured we had a complete range of camera angles. This system of planning our sequence also meant that we have an exact order of events - which will make editing easier, as we can arrange the clips (often filmed in a different order), in the right place.
• This experience has given us a sound knowledge of how to set up equipment including the tracks for the tracking shot, and how to fix the camera on to the Cam-Frame.

How has it influenced ideas for our production?

• Our Wilderness Woods production, being a psychological horror, is heavy reliant on special editing effects - we have now realised how time consuming detailed editing takes - so we may have to avoid attempting to film a psychological horror for our production, and concentrate on creating a commendable production through camera angles, iconic mis-en-scene, and sound.
• This experience has provided us with the knowledge of the necessity of effective time management - to ensure that all parts of the production are complete. For example - we split the day into three equal segments to ensure we put equal effort into the start, middle, and end of the short film.

Which techniques worked?

• The Cam-Frame proved a useful device for creating a steady, smooth camera flow when using a POV shot. This means that a useful camera shot can be used effectively. A POV shot was useful as we were able to show what the protagonist was experiencing - in this case; events different from reality because of the mushroom he ate in the forest.
• Our decision to use two 360 pan's one after another, we have agreed on, was effective - as it sufficiently revealed the passing of time, whereby during the first pan there are two characters, and the second pan the protagonist is left alone to the horrors of the forest.

Explain why some techniques didn't work?

• We found the tracking shot difficult to execute, mainly due to the bumpy terrain meaning the camera had to be pushed very slowly, meaning this camera movement was ineffective in producing the desired effect - of following the two actors. We can learn from this, however, and when we use a tracking shot for our final production we will ensure the terrain is flat.

LB:Paranormal Horror Mood Board

Paranormal Horror

It is conventional to use backing lighting in scenes where the demon will not be exposed, we are pictured with only see the silhouette that has been created. Profile lighting is also used to make a character appear sinister; it indicates to audiences that the person is dangerous and cannot be trusted. Under lighting (lighting that comes from a light source below) is used in scenes of desperation, during blackouts of light, characters resort to torches, lanterns and candles to help them see, and this is usually an ideal opportunity for the demon to positioned behind the protagonist as if creeping on them. There are examples in the mood board.

The main protagonists appear to be ‘normal’ people, who live their live the same everyday life as most of the audience. Conventionally female, as this fits the ideology that they are harmless, caring and loving beings. Paranormal Horrors differ to slashers because, the main characters are not being punished by experiencing the horror and in most cases have done nothing wrong to deserve the visit from the spirit.

The costume in Paranormal Horrors is generally simplistic for both demon and protagonists as this helps to keep the audiences concentration on the cation in the scene, so they do not miss the sometimes subtle paranormal activities and make sure they do not miss any particularly scary/shocking moments.

LB: Media Research Questions | Reading Source 2 Questions

   1.   Horror is a genre that aims to create a sense of fear, panic, alarm, and dread for the audience. These films are often unsettling and rely on scaring the audience through a portrayal of their worst fears and nightmares. Traditionally, Horror films incorporate a large amount of violence and gore into the plot. Horrors are used to subconsciously highlight anxieties and concerns of the contemporary culture.

   2.   Like I said the study of horror monsters can give insights into the anxieties and concerns of the contemporary culture. Of course, not all people have the same worries at any given time, but it is possible to identify general cultural and contextual trends through the monsters created for horror texts.   

   3.   Nosferatu (Murnau, 1922) created in Germany shortly after WW1.  The vampire is an ‘invader’; he comes   from ‘elsewhere’ and brings a disease over the local community. His method of attack involves penetration and the exchange of bodily fluids. This can be read as a sexual metaphor however usually the outcome of a vampire attack is death or infection. Poverty and  disease was rife and in 1918 in Germany where hundreds of thousands of people died during a flu pandemic.

   4.   Due to the amount of access we have to technology and media, as a culture, we are becoming desensitized. For an example, if you were in room where everyone is constantly arguing and shouting, overtime you will become less sensitive to the environment. The monsters of Eden Lake (Watkins, 2008); and the monsters in Funny Games (Haneke, 2008) and The Strangers (Bertino , 2008) are disconcertingly emotionally removed. These monsters appear to be the culmination of a desensitised culture which has chosen to seek entertainment through the terrorisation of others. In other words the monsters are looking for a stimulus and a physical reaction but no emotional reaction. Unlike those of previous eras, these monsters are not invaders or creations of science or poor parenting; they are selfish, nihilistic creations of the culture itself.

   5.   The genre has the ability to adapt to allow it to tap into each generation’s ideologies and concerns and its metaphorical approach can be used to deal with ideas and issues that appeal to a range of audience groups. Other  genres such as Westerns may not be able to speak to modern audiences in   the way they used to but horror continues to provide a cultural catharsis over 100 years. For example the recent Purge (DeMonaco, 2013) film gives audience an over emphasised way of dealing with crime rates in nation

TW: Institutional Context - case study of the production and distribution of independent horror films

Independent Horror film production case study - Wolf Creek (McLean, 2005)

Independent Horror film distribution case study - Red State (Smith, 2011)

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TW: Conventions of Roadtrip Horror genre - Moodboard

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From this moodboard, it is clear that some conventions of Roadtrip Horror are -

• Low key lighting - creates an ominous feel, and creates tension due to a feeling of insecurity caused by darkness
• Conventional establishing shot - of the members of the roadtrip, content in the car
• Non-verbal communication - a look of dismay as the protagonist looks behind the car is common
• Long - shot - establishes the severity of the situation the characters are in, and usually shows the barren landscape where it is set
• A variety of locations - is inevitable on a road trip, and this allows the director and cinematographer to explore a range of 'scare techniques' and red herrings. 

TW: Horror Movie research - What Slasher films tell us about gender politics and girl power

 

The re positioning of women in Slasher Horror

Pre-1970's; women were presented as the weakest characters in the Horror genre - whereby they faced a menacing threat, and were saved by an archetypal masculine hero. However, when directors such as Wes Craven responded to the growing Feminist movement of the early 1970's; a trend began of the appearance of 'new women' in horror - women who were not only portrayed as capable of self-defense, but strong and determined characters - who replaced the male heroic role pre-1970's

The conventions of 'stalk and slash' horror

According to Mark Whitehead, who wrote a book detailing the conventions of 'stalk and slash' films - the genre is very formulaic - normally involving a group of mixed-sex teenagers going out for a night, before one-by-one they are brutally murdered - leaving just one protagonist to fight off the antagonist character, who is revealed at the end.

Slasher's original audience

The original audience for slasher horror films detailed male 12-29 year olds, largely due to these films containing scenes of sexual nudity, as well as graphic horror scenes. The increasingly popular nature of Slasher films lead to script-writers requiring new ways to kill off teenagers, such as in 'Slumberparty Massacre 2' (Bernard, 1987) - when one victim is killed with a guitar drill.

The significance of Slasher films

Slasher films were significant not least because of their deep moral tales - revealed by the fact that these killings take place due to trespassing, or vengeance for an earlier perpetration or a group that the victims represent. Generally, the murderers are brandishing punishments for immoral actions by the teenagers' that therefore dishonour their parents. Moreover, Slasher has created long-lasting icons - such as Freddy Krueger from The Nightmare on Elm Street, and has therefore established the usage of a sustained narrative in horror film franchises.

The Concept of 'The Final Girl.'

Terror Train featured a 'Final Girl'
called Alana.

Carol J. Clover coined the term 'The Final Girl' to describe the sole female survivor of numerous Slasher films, describing that The Final Girl embodied difference and drew a juxtaposition with her fellow comrades - due to higher levels of intellect, being more morally pure, and more aware. Inevitably, this is the reason why 'The Final Girl' lives up to her name. Although often distanced from the group due to her superior status, she is initially portrayed as 'powerless' as her friends seem empowered by the acts of adult life like sexual intercourse and alcohol, but as the film continues - and murders ensue; this powerless representation is replaced by a strong-minded and decisive figure, who sets about avenging her friends in the most satisfying way possible.

For Clover, this extreme case of character development is directly related to gender - there is a shift from a weak, passive female, to a strong, aggressive - increasingly masculine character. To further emphasise this - the Final Girl will often avenge with a phallic object, making the character even more masculine. Lastly, in films such as 'Terror Train' (Spottiswoode, 1980), and 'Scream' (Craven, 1996) - the Final Girl is given an androgynous name - such as Alana and Sidney respectively.

Furthermore, the extreme violence which surrounds the Final Girl at the end of the film further reinforces the fulfilment of a masculine stereotype, for example - in 'Hell Night' (DeSimone, 1981) - The Final Girl decapitates a killer with a machete.

All this suggests that there is an underlying gender stereotype in Slasher Horror films - whereby only a character who possesses masculine traits will be able to emerge triumphant.