Essay on an Analysis of Horror Movies in general...the examples used are from "Nightmare on Elm Street 3", "Friday the 13th (Part 8)" and "Freddy VS Jason"

Essay by rossdesbiens666College, UndergraduateA-, April 2005

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Horror has been a long time one of the most popular categories of films in the movie industry. People liked to watch horror films to be afraid and to outdo their fears: "On a psychological level, the horror film dramatizes our nightmares, so that we can confront them" (Sigmund Freud, p.644). Gradually, because horror films became too repetitive and too numerous, people got used to watching them and were no longer terrified. Even if horror films do not scare us, why do we continue to watch them? The reason is very simple: horrors films became so unrealistic, so ridiculous and, in return, very funny to watch. Firstly, this essay will focus on how the serial killer (the bad guy) is ridiculous by his invulnerability, due to his power. Secondly, it will focus on how the characters are ludicrous, silly by their stupidity and on the setting which is over-exaggerated. To conclude, it will be shown how the female portrait is so demeaning, unrealistic and absurd.

Examples from horror films Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Friday the 13th (Part 8) and Freddy VS Jason will be used to prove these points.

First of all, the serial killer (bad guy) in horror films is most of the time very powerful, very strong and seems invulnerable to injuries from their victims. For example, in a scene from Friday the 13th (Part 8), a young black teenager tries to escape from Jason by going on the roof of a building. Of course Jason finds him and, seeing that he is trapped, the young boy decides to fight Jason with his fists. He incessantly punches Jason, yet the serial killer does not seem affected. Tired, the boy stops to hit and Jason punches his head causing it to fall off and fly through the air.