Researching Thriller and Horror films

PART A.

1a. What is a thriller?
A suspenseful adventure or dramatically intense story or movie that is usually fast-paced with bouts of action, where the Hero must thwart the Villain's plan.
Thrillers often take place in settings such as cities, deserts, polar regions, or high seas. The Heroes in most thrillers are frequently men accustomed to danger: law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, seamen or aviators. However, they may also be ordinary citizens drawn into danger by accident. While such heroes have traditionally been men, female heroes have become increasingly common. Thrillers are usually scary, an ominous or monstrous element has become common to heighten tension.
Thriller Conventions:
A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).
A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.
A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.
Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
Themes of identity.
Themes of mirroring.
Themes of voyeurism.
Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.
There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril.
Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.

1b. What kind of effect does a thriller have on the viewers?
They are supposed to feel thrilled/scared.

2. Four Thriller or horror film within the last 3 years. Plot, Hero, Villain.
. Drag Me To Hell-
Plot- A loan officer ordered to evict a old lady from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. She visits a seer to try and save her soul but evil forces drive her to breaking point.
Hero- Christine Brown (main character) typical cookie cutter all American, preppy, pretty.
Villain- Sylvia Ganush (witch) old, foreign, ugly.

. Sorority Row-
Plot- A group of sorority sisters try to cover p the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked by a serial killer.
Hero- Jessica (sorority sister) typical American teen, pretty, smart, popular.
Villain- Garrett (slasher) class loser, unpopular.

. Final Destination 3D
Plot- After a teens premonition of a deadly race car crash helps save the lives of his peers and now Death set out to collect those who evaded their end.
Hero- Nick O'Bannon (psychic) college jock, popular, handsome.
Villain- no one (DEATH)

3. What do these films have in common?
These three films all have different plots,the basic ingredients for a horror/thriller are The Villain who has been wronged in life somehow and their quest to avenge this wrong doing or their revenge on the person who caused it. The Hero, usually a young teen, sets out to either solve a situation that's already happened or they are tyring to prevent something happening.

4. What are the different sub-genres within the Thriller category?
These types of films are called hybrids, where they take a basic genre and intermingle it with another genre.
For example:
Action thriller: In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place, i.e. James Bond.

Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes, i.e. The Da Vinci Code.

Crime thriller: These films often focus on the criminal rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasise action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients, i.e. The Godfather.

Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., i.e. Pandorum.

Erotic thriller: In which it consists of erotica and thriller, i.e. Dangerous Liaisons.

Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/nurses working to solve an expanding medical problem, i.e. I Am Legend.

Spy thriller: In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government, i.e. Mission Impossible.

Techno thriller: A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot, i.e. The Manchurian Candidate.

PART B.

1a. Who are the target audience for these films?
Main Target Audience:
18-25 years old
People who like Thriller films, Male and Female

Secondary Target Audience:
18 and Under (Younger Audience)
25 and Over (Older Audience)

1b. How do you know who they're targeted at?
Films with female protagonists and gory violence, will attract both male and female audiences for different reasons,males because of the violence and females because of the 'sisterhood' chick flick connotations. Sorority Row is rated 18 because of its violence but aims to attract younger audiences who are willing to pretend to be older than they really are. Whereas films with male protagonists will attract male veiwers because they is that subliminal craving to emulate the hero's character, i.e. young men wwould love to be James Bond because of his sex appeal to women, his cool job, his luxurious lifestyle. This all depends of the way the film is marketed e.g. word of mouth, advertising etc.