Halloween (1978)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ke9IPTIJQ

How does the start exemplify common technical code convention of the horror genre? • The start of the film ‘Halloween’ presents many of the typical

technical code conventions of the horror genre that the audience would expect to see. In the first sequences of the film, the Halloween soundtrack is played and it continues to do so throughout the entirety of the film. The soundtrack shows typical conventions of the horror genre as it gives extra suspense to the scene and is a signifier to the audience that something bad is going to happen. In the beginning of the film, it is set at night time, so therefore the lighting is really dull and dark creating extra fear for the audience and moreover fitting in with the technical code conventions of the horror genre. The opening sequences also have many clever camera techniques. Many close ups are shown, for example, when Michael takes the knife out of the draw and when he is stabbing his sister. These scenes in particular are particularly effective with close up shots as it gives a better view of what is going to happen. The close up of the knife being taken out of the draw adds to the suspense and the fear for the audience and it is foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen. The close up also allows the audience to see how sharp the knife is, adding to the brutality.

How does the setting fit with the horror genre?• The setting of the film is mainly based in a quiet,

almost too quiet, town which people would expect to be safe. The murders in the film take place in a normal town, in the character’s own homes. This adds to the fear for the audience as it gives the film a sense of realism. The Myer’s house in specific fits in with the horror genre as when the doctor goes inside to look around the windows are bordered up, paint is peeling off wall, making the house feel creepy and very derelict. Also the fact that the film is set on Halloween automatically establishes the theme of horror. The simple things in the setting such as the jack o lanterns and the Halloween decorations adds to the realism of the film. Although most of the scenes takes part in the town of Haddonfield, one scene Is set at a psychiatric hospital. Mental hospitals are looked upon as scary as they are often very isolated and away from main towns and cities. Also, people in mental hospitals tend to have no awareness of what they are doing and they can potentially do anything to anyone.

What iconography of innocence do we hear or see early on?

• Except from the murder that happened 15 years ago, Haddonfield, in Illinois tends to be a very ordinary town. There are a lot of children in the early sequences of the film, and children are often looked upon as innocent as they have no responsibilities and generally don’t cause any harm to others. When you are a child, you are at your ‘purest’ you don’t push boundaries like teenagers, you do what other people tell you to do. Children’s minds are innocent, as they don’t think the same way as what adults do. However, an exception of this is the 6-year-old Michael who has a very disturbed mind and it unknown to the audience how he got that way. Laurie, Annie and Lynda are characters who represent the idea of innocence. They are being very stereotypical teenagers who are talking about boys, school and the dance coming up and not saying anything that would offend or disrespect others, except from a bit of teasing which is what you would expect from a group of teenagers anyway. Also the children singing near the beginning of the film are just happy to be in that moment and enjoying Halloween and dressing up like most people do.

What was the main industry impact of Halloween?• The film itself was a low budget but very successful film. Instead of

filming in studios it was filmed in an actual real life town, adding to the realism of the film. There were no big stars in the movie and not a lot of gore or special effects, cutting the price of the making of the film right down. • The makings of Halloween: https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJwqy4OzFU

Name some slasher films which followed on from Halloween?

• There were many slasher films which followed on from Halloween. Some of the main ones followed from 1979. Friday the 13th (Sean S Cunningham), Prom Night, Terror Train. From 1980 there was Bloody Valentine (George Mihalka), Night School (Ken Hughes), The Burning (Tony Maylam). From 1981, Friday the 13th Part 2 (Steve Miner), Graduation day (Herb Freed), Happy Birthday to me (J Lee Thompson), Hell Night (Tom DeSimone), The Slayer (JS Cardone), The Prowler (Joseph Zito) and so on. Most took their model from Friday the 13th rather than Halloween due to there being more gore and graphic murders.

• Friday the 13th trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqqej9T2gqI

• Prom Night trailer: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPq9sgKDE8w

What are the four plot rules of the slasher film sub-genre which Halloween began?

• A traumatic event in the past creates a psychopathic killer • The killer returns to the site of the event,

usually on a specific date in the present (e.g. Halloween and Friday the 13th) • The killer stalks and graphically kills a

group of people, usually teenagers of both sexes, usually with some sort of blade or axe etc. • The ‘Final girl’ survives, usually boyish, to

thwart the killer, although the killer is never properly killed.

Give three ways in which Laurie is androgynous.

• In comparison to Annie and Lynda, Laurie would be seen as androgynous as she has physical characteristics of both sexes. She doesn’t really care a lot for her appearance, and doesn’t bother with doing her makeup or styling her hair unlike the other girls who are particularly girly which make the contrast between them and Laurie even more distinguishable. She also has a fairly deep voice which physically makes her more masculine as well as wearing more manly clothes.

What does the extract mean by “a reactionary sexual agenda”? • In Halloween Laurie survives basically because she is a virgin.

While the other sexualised victims- Judith, Lynda and Bob and Annie die. The non-virgins actually appear to be having sex in the scene automatically making them victims. • Annie’s death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtL_AZA3q0Q

How does the director, John Carpenter, counter the suggestion that Halloween had a reactionary sexual agenda?• It wasn’t his intention. The main reason why teenagers die in horror

films is because they are not paying attention. They are distracted by their lovers and don’t notice anything out of the ordinary, and because Laurie has no distractions and less on her mind, is the only one who notices Michael.

Why does Mike Myers kill his sister?

• Michael Myers killed his sister because he is seen as evil. In the film, Dr Loomis comments on this and says himself that he believes that Michael is evil. This is the reason why he doesn’t want Michael to escape from the mental hospital.