Journal Article Analysis:  Terror in Horror Genres: The Global Media and the Millennial Zombie

Terror in Horror Genres: The Global Media and the Millennial Zombie, describes the evolution and the revolution of the zombie in horror films.  Popular culture has changed as a result of the global media attention from the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.  Thus causing the world’s fears and anxieties about terrorist, violence, and epidemics to be displayed and presented through zombie films.  Zombie horror films before 2001, did not represent any real global, political or social tensions of society as the zombies could be seen as comical.  As zombie films evolved the political and social tensions of society were present.  This evolution shows that the way society interprets political and social tensions, such as terrorism and disease, has intensified due to global media changes.  The increase of the use of the media, through the Internet, has made political and social tensions more known to the public, and horror films have intensified by using these topics to scare the audience.  These films are related to real global issues such as, climate control, terrorism, political revolutions, inadequate governments, use of mass destruction weapons, viral epidemics and pandemics.  The zombie outbreak and the panic that takes place in the film represents how society reacts to a crisis.  The outbreak is typically quick and unavoidable with a lot of media attention.  Zombies went from being slow moving and melodramatic creatures to ones that are more alive: jumping, running, screaming and biting their victims. 

Terror in Horror Genres: The Global Media and the Millennial Zombie, was written for the general audience as an example of popular culture with the use of the global media and how it has effected and evolved the horror genre.  This article is well prepared, organized and written allowing the ideas to be presented clearly.  The article is displayed with subcategories that explain the topic in detail, along with examples of movies that demonstrate the theory.  The article displays a conclusion section that summarizes the main points of the article.  The vocabulary used in the article is general terminology that is easily understood and is not written over the readers’ head.

Yes, I agree with, Terror in Horror Genres: The Global Media and the Millennial Zombie, article because there is a dramatic change in how zombie films were presented from the 1980’s to when the films began to change in 2001.  Zombie films began with supernatural themes of fear, such as voodoo to scare the audience with.  Then, the films progressed to such themes as wartime, depression, and the empowerment of women.  And finally, zombie films now represent global issues that society as a whole fears, such as terrorism and violence.  When the 9/11 attacks occurred, society for the first time in the United States felt weak and vulnerable, and this is the exact theme horror films use to scare the audience with, as horror films are designed to frighten the audience.  Zombie films will always be non-fiction, however, the plot used is with real issues that society fears, understands and relates to making the horror film feel like it could really happen.  I think this article is a good read on an interesting topic, however, I do not feel that it is important to read.  The topic itself is opinion based, and does not teach the reader any real knowledge.   

             

References

Birch-Bailey, N. (2012). Terror in horror genres: the global media and the millennial zombie. The Journal of popular culture, 45(6). Retrieved from Franklin University database.

Analysis V:  Horror Films

Stereotypes of horror films are predictable situations or characters that are presented to the audience.  Rituals in horror films are a set of actions that are reoccurring or specific in nature, that serves a purpose to the movie. 

Horror films display both positive and negative heroes.  In many, horror films the catholic priest are looked to as a hero when help is needed in demonic situations. The priest is able to cast out demons and evil spirits returning the home back to normal.  The priest shows bravery, determination, courage and dedication to resolving the problem. This type of hero is displayed in such films as the Exorcist, The Omen, The Exorcist of Emily Rose, The Rite, and The Amityville Horror.  A negative hero would be a leader of cults, vampires, werewolves, and murderers.  These heroes possess the same attributes that a hero portrays but uses them for evil purposes.  This type of hero is displayed in horror films such as:  Sinister, Twilight, Chainsaw Massacre, and Saw.

Popular culture formula is the tendencies of different stories or situation to turn out a certain way based on what it is about.  According to Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005, “In effect, the romance, crime novel, adventure novel, and all others are like western; only the names, characters and atmosphere are different.” 

I think the theory that related to horror films the most was stereotypes and rituals, because these are both present in horror films.  The stereotypes and rituals were the most interesting to learn about from the analysis because once you figured out the stereotypes, you could see more stereotypes being played out in the movies. 

The insights gained from the analyses of horror films are being able to enjoy each film independently, being able to identify how the films are all similar in comparison, heroes are all around us, celebrities are not heroes, and all horror films are the same, only names, characters and sceneries change.

References

Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture. Madison, WI.

Analysis IV:  Formulas

Popular culture formula is the tendencies of different stories or situation to turn out a certain way based on what it is about.  An example would be love stories, although the story may be different, the couple lives happily ever after.  (Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005).    According to Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005, “In effect, the romance, crime novel, adventure novel, and all others are like western; only the names, characters and atmosphere are different.” 

Popular culture formula can be applied to horror movies because the audience watches the films for excitement, entertainment and for the thrill of the intense situations or scenes.  Horror films can be predictable as well.  According to Case Study 3 n.d., “Horror is the stuff of legend and the basis for all our nightmares. The well-worn cliché of a group of people sitting around a campfire and telling ghost stories is possibly rooted in ancient practices. Perhaps this is why the opening scene from many a film or television series begins with someone starting to tell a story, often at night, whilstsitting around the ubiquitous campfire. An audience will recognize this as one of the first signals that we are about to be told something frightening.”  Horror films have constantly been reinvented and the following elements can all be found in horror films:  the monster, the gothic, the devil incarnate, aliens, the horror character, and the horror comedy.  (Case Study 3, n.d.).  It is generalized, that horror films are all going to end on a bad note, that someone is going to die, get hurt or be lost, and that the “monster” will never really be dead.  There is always a scene where the walking bad guy is chasing the running good guy, the good guy falls down and the bad guy is able to catch him.

The insights gained from applying formula to horror films is that even though the story is different, all horror films are the same.  Only names, characters and sceneries change.

References

Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture. Madison, WI.

Case study 3:  the horror genre. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415448239/downloads/horror.pdf.

Analysis III:  Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

According to Dictionary.com 2013, “A hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities, and a celebrity is a famous or well-known person.”  Yes, a hero is different from a celebrity, as a hero is known for being heroic and a celebrity is known for being famous. However, some heroes can become celebrities and some celebrities can be heroic but in general the two are completely different. (Deyoung, K. 2011).  According to Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005, “Heroes and heroines come in many faces and guises.  Just as every impulse and challenge needs its heroes, so every field of endeavor must have some leaders.  We have heroes and heroines of families, small groups, cults and children, in politics, finance, sports of every description, and religions, among environmentalists, gardeners, hairdressers, and fashion designers, and so on.  Even amount outlaws, murders, and terrorists, perhaps especially amount those fringe groups”.  Yes, a hero is different from a celebrity, as a hero is known for being heroic and a celebrity is known for being famous. However, some heroes can become celebrities and some celebrities can be heroic but in general the two are completely different.  The cult of a celebrity is when people look to celebrities and mistake them for heroes because of their fame and fortune.  (Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005).

Horror films display both positive and negative heroes.  In many, horror films the catholic priest are looked to as a hero when help is needed in demonic situations. The priest is able to cast out demons and evil spirits returning the home back to normal.  The priest shows bravery, determination, courage and dedication to resolving the problem. This type of hero is displayed in such films as the Exorcist, The Omen, The Exorcist of Emily Rose, The Rite, and The Amityville Horror.  A negative hero would be a leader of cults, vampires, werewolves, and murderers.  These heroes possess the same attributes that a hero portrays but uses them for evil purposes.  This type of hero is displayed in horror films such as:  Sinister, Twilight, Chainsaw Massacre, and Saw.

            The insights gained from applying heroes and the cult of the celebrity theories are that heroes, either good or bad, are all around us, and that celebrities are not heroes.  When watching horror films both positive and negative heroes are thrilling to watch.

References

Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture. Madison, WI.

Deyoung, K. (2011, October 12). Heroes and celebrities. TGC the gospel coalition. Retrieved April 22, 2013 from http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/10/12/heroes-and-celebrities/.      

Dictionary.com. (2013). Retrieved April 22, 2013 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero?s=t&path=/.

Analysis III:  Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

According to Dictionary.com 2013, “A hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities, and a celebrity is a famous or well-known person.”  Yes, a hero is different from a celebrity, as a hero is known for being heroic and a celebrity is known for being famous. However, some heroes can become celebrities and some celebrities can be heroic but in general the two are completely different. (Deyoung, K. 2011).  According to Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005, “Heroes and heroines come in many faces and guises.  Just as every impulse and challenge needs its heroes, so every field of endeavor must have some leaders.  We have heroes and heroines of families, small groups, cults and children, in politics, finance, sports of every description, and religions, among environmentalists, gardeners, hairdressers, and fashion designers, and so on.  Even amount outlaws, murders, and terrorists, perhaps especially amount those fringe groups”.  Yes, a hero is different from a celebrity, as a hero is known for being heroic and a celebrity is known for being famous. However, some heroes can become celebrities and some celebrities can be heroic but in general the two are completely different.  The cult of a celebrity is when people look to celebrities and mistake them for heroes because of their fame and fortune.  (Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. 2005).

Horror films display both positive and negative heroes.  In many, horror films the catholic priest are looked to as a hero when help is needed in demonic situations. The priest is able to cast out demons and evil spirits returning the home back to normal.  The priest shows bravery, determination, courage and dedication to resolving the problem. This type of hero is displayed in such films as the Exorcist, The Omen, The Exorcist of Emily Rose, The Rite, and The Amityville Horror.  A negative hero would be a leader of cults, vampires, werewolves, and murderers.  These heroes possess the same attributes that a hero portrays but uses them for evil purposes.  This type of hero is displayed in horror films such as:  Sinister, Twilight, Chainsaw Massacre, and Saw.

            The insights gained from applying heroes and the cult of the celebrity theories are that heroes, either good or bad, are all around us, and that celebrities are not heroes.  When watching horror films both positive and negative heroes are thrilling to watch.

References

Browne, P. & Browne, R.B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture. Madison, WI.

Deyoung, K. (2011, October 12). Heroes and celebrities. TGC the gospel coalition. Retrieved April 22, 2013 from http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/10/12/heroes-and-celebrities/.      

Dictionary.com. (2013). Retrieved April 22, 2013 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero?s=t&path=/.

Analysis II:  Stereotypes and Rituals of Horror Films

Stereotypes of horror films are predictable situations or characters that are presented to the audience.  Rituals in horror films are a set of actions that are reoccurring or specific in nature, that serves a purpose to the movie.  There are several stereotypes and rituals in horror films.

The main stereotypes in horror films are the scenes, the characters’ actions and the characters themselves.  The scenes that are stereotypic are:  the woman in the shower, the romance, the telephone does not work, and the car will not start scenes.  The stereotypic actions of the characters are:  the good guy is running away from the “walking” bad guy, the individual is constantly falling down, and the individual is dropping objects of importance, such as the car or house keys.  The following characters are stereotypes in horror films: the catholic priest; the black man, who usually dies first; the non-believer, who usually dies second; the couple having sex, who typically die together enjoying the moment; the dumb blonde, who escapes death several times but the audience can not wait till she dies; the jock, who loves the blonde and once she dies has nothing to live for, so therefore his death is suicidal; the old man that has a traumatic story that relates to the horror situation; the girl that never wants to “leave” an area and once the group leaves her behind she is killed; the sexy rude woman;  the redneck, who is not afraid to kill and kill with whatever item is available; and the loner who is typically the survivor of the group.  Characters, such as vampires and zombies, are always stereotyped.   For example vampires do not like light and drink blood, and zombies are mindless creatures.  (Colebank, J. 2011).             

The main ritual displayed in horror films is the use of the Catholic priest and religion to attack and protect against demons.  This ritual is presented in films such as:  The Omen, The Exorcist and the Exorcist of Emily Rose.  A ritual is always displayed in a horror film sequel, such as Nightmare on Elm Street when Freddie Kruger visits his victims in their dreams.  Another ritual in horror films is the chase; each film is different however the bad guy chasing the good guy is always present.  (Colebank, J. 2011).

The insights gained from being aware of the stereotypes and rituals of horror films are being able to enjoy each film independently and also being able to identify how the films are all similar in comparison.

             

 References

Colebank, J. (2011, October 4). Welcome to the realm of horror news.net your online horror show. Retrieved April 15, 2013 from http://horrornews.net/.

  

Analysis 1: Horror Films

            Horror films attempt to scare, frighten, excite and disgust the audience, and the level of scare changes over time, culture, and person.  According to Wilson, K. 2011, “As long as there have been stories, there have been stories about the Other, the unrealities we might categories today as speculative fiction. Early creation myths in all cultures are populated by demons and darkness, and early Abrahamic and Egyptian mythology resounds with tales of a world beyond the physical, a realm of the spirits, to be revered and feared. Classical mythology is replete with monsters - Cereberus, the Minotaur, Medusa, the Hydra, the Sirens, Cyclops, Scylla and Charybdis to name but a few- and heroes must navigate safely through the land of the dead on frequent occasions. Ancestor worship and the veneration of the dead begin with the Zhou dynasty in China, 1500 years BC. The modern horror genre as we know it is only around 200 years old (it begins to have form and conventions towards the end of the eighteenth century) but it has distinguished antecedents. Every culture has a set of stories dealing with the unknown and unexplained, tales that chill, provoke and keep the listener wondering "what if..?" Horror films are the present-day version of the epic poems and ballads told round the fires of our ancestors.” The pop culture topic horror films have many different types of beliefs and myths:  films were created from ancient myths, there are myths about the movies that were filmed, and there are myths about people that watch scary movies.   Examples of movies inspired by myths are: The Chainsaw Texas Masacre, The Blair Witch Project, Amityville Horror, and Candy Man.  Examples of myths about filmed movies are:  the tragic deaths from the “poltergeist curse” – where the cast mysteriously died, the use of really scaring the actors in the movies the Shining, and the Exorcist so that there scenes looked more real.    Example of myths about people that like scary movies:  that they are negative, violent, cult-like and worship Satan.  (Reelz About Movies, n.d.).

            There are several categories of horror films, such as: zombies, vampires, werewolves, virus, cannibal, hell, demons, ghost, torture, and serial killers.  There are numerous icons to horror movies such as:  Freddie Kruger, Jason Voorhees, Hannibal Lector, Michael Meyers, Jigsaw, Leather Face and Chucky to name a few.  Some of the great horror films made are:  The Shining, Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, Nightmare of Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13^th, Chainsaw Mascara, Saw, Bates Motel, Final Destination, and Silence of the Lambs. (Free Horror Movie 2011).

I love the thrill of scary movies and I have no desire to be violent, cult-like or worship Satan.  I really enjoy horror movies that are based on ideas that could really happen.  I really like supernatural films that are inspired by true events and are based on actual myths about ghost and demons.  I think it is amazing how many films have been created from the mythology that surrounds horror.   I think horror films are pushing the envelope and that as time goes on, it is harder to scare the audience as the level of scare has intensified.

References

Free horror movie. (2011). Retrieved April 13, 2013 from http://www.free-horror-movies.com/moviesgenere/icons.htm.

Reelz about movies. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2013 from http://www.reelz.com/movie-news/12174/hollywoods-scariest-rumors-myths-and-legends/.

Wilson, K. (2011).  Horror film history – roots of the horror genre. Retrieved April 13, 2013 from  http://www.horrorfilmhistory.com/index.php?pageID=early.