CONVENTIONS OF HORROR GENRE:

Secluded Locations:

• Most horror films put their characters in locations where they cannot get any help, and help can't reach them. 
• These include abandoned towns, empty houses, forests, campsites and old amusement parks.

Examples of films:

• Alien - Space
• Parnormal Activity - House
• Blair Witch Project - Forest

Characters forget about danger/threat:

• Characters conveniently forget the danger/events that have happened. 
• Then they go out, expecting nothing to happen. 
• This is often when the antagonist attacks.

Examples of films:

• Jaws - tourist still go into the ocean
• The Happening - They think the attacks are over, a scream at the end signifies that it isn't

Jump scares and fake scares:

• Fake scares are scares in films which are not connected to a direct threat, and jump scares are where something/someone jumps out unexpectedy and scares the audience.

Films:

• Aliens vs Predators - penguin jumps out of nowhere
• Jaws - Head in the boat, shark jumping out to the boat
• The Shining 

Warnings go unheeded:

• This relies on part of human nature;the desire to go where we have been told not to go and do what we have been told not to do. 
  

Films:

• The Final Destination series - Characters don't pay attention to the warnings and prophecies from the protagonist(s).
• Jaws - Tourists ignore Cheif Brody's warning, leading to more deaths.

Technical Codes:

• Camera work is very expensive and not natural; high and low an angle connotes fear.
• POV shots are important because they allow the audience to see the world from the monsters eyes.
• Sometimes framework uses depth of field, makes it harder to see the monster creeping up.

Character Types:

• The main protagonist, often the ‘victim/hero’ of the movie.        
• The villain, often a monster, mutated freak, alien or serial killer – tend to have a trademark characteristic as to how they kill (e.g. weapons, and who they kill)
• The stupid/immoral teenagers that always get killed
• Creepy children
• Police officers (either good or bad)
• Many others: Ghosts, zombies, demons, psychopath, stalker, weirdo, werewolf, cheerleader etc…

Themes:

• Good vs Evil
• Depression
• Religion
• Childhood issues
• Revenge
• Supernatural
• Beyond death
• Science gone bad
•  Zombie Apocalypse 
• Nightmares
• Madness
• Insanity
• Lust
• Envy
• Suicide
• ‘self-consciousness’ – making you question what is real and not.

Special Effects Make-up:

• Prosthetic makeup (also called FX prosthesis) is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, moulding & casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects.

Props used:

• Machete
• Knife
• Axe
• Chainsaw
• Usually weapons that inflict a slow and painful death

Victims:

• The slut (promiscuous girl) gets punished for being sexually active
• A group of people, the audience can relate to

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT (PART B - REPRESENTATION)

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT - PART B - REPRESENTATION:

1. Who is the intended audience of the film.

The intended audience of the film are middle-aged women and gay men, as they enjoy the music featured in the film, such as Abba, Gloria Gaynor, etc.  The film helped bring out a positive portrayal of the LGBT individuals, that helped to introduce LGBT themes to a mainstream audience.  However, the film has also been criticized for perceived racist and sexist stereotyping.  As seen from the female being portrayed as a Filipino who is Bob's wife.

2. Select a character and make notes on how they are presented:

• Consider their physical characteristics and personality
• How are they represented in terms of gender?
• Are there stereotypes presented or challenged?
• Is the representation positive or negative or a balance of both?

Character : Adam

Actor: Guy Pearce

Physical characteristics and personality:

• Young
• Flamboyant
• Obnoxious
• Immature

How are they represented in terms of gender?

Male - Young, very happy, excited

Drag Queen - Wants to cause trouble, flamboyant

Are the stereotypes presented or challenged?

• Challenged as they are mocked in the film, where it is ultimately is personalized with the three individuals’ experiences in the outback. 
• For example, in one scene that stands out in my mind is when Adam is chased and beaten up by a group of men who represent the stereotypical outback masculinity. 
• I believe that the scene breaks down the stereotypes of drags queens and reveals them as individuals who go through struggles and face dire consequences for being true to themselves.

Is the representation positive or negative or a balance of both?

• Balance of both

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT (PART A - NARRATIVE)

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT - PART A - NARRATIVE:

Questions:

1. Is the narrative linear or non-linear? Is there any deviation from the structure?
2. Identify the 5 stages of the narrative based on Todorov’s theory
3. Are there any narrative strands in the film?
4. Which binary oppositions can you identify in the film.

Answers:

1. The narrative is non-linear, as it follows the journey of 3 drag queens but also has flashbacks which makes it non-linear.
2. 5 stages of the narrative:


•  A state of equilibrium. - Tick, Adam and Bernadette leave for a drag show in a bus.
• A disruption of that order by an event. - Bus has been vandalized with homophobic hates and they are stuck in the outback.
• A recognition of the disorder. - Bus breaks down and they meet a middle aged mechanic, Bob, and joins them on their journey.  Adam gets beaten up by a homophobic gang where he is saved by Bob and Bernadette.
• An attempt to fix the disorder. - Tick and Marion have a son, and Tick is nervous about exposing his son to his profession and tries to get to know his son.  Tick is surprised that his son already knows about it and fully supports his career.
• A new equilibrium - conclusion. - Tick, Adam, Bernadette climb Uluru in full drag costume. Tick and Adam head back to Sydney while Bernadette and Bob remains at the resort.
3. Multi strand, as it focuses on 3 drag queens instead of 1.  As well later in the film Bob, the mechanic is also added into the plot.
4. Good and Bad, Gay and Straight, Homosexual and Heterosexual