“HOW and WHY are they similar or different, paying close attention to ideas/theories about the ways genres repeat themselves and the wider contextual

The ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), is known as the "most influential film” of the slasher genre for a reason. The immense gore and torture give the film its prowess as the founder of the slasher films. The plot involves a group of friends on a road trip to visit the Hardesty family grave site in rural Texas. Their gas tank has run low and the group detours to the abandoned Hardesty house, where the friends are attacked by a family of cannibals, including the chainsaw-wielding Leather face. While the 2003 re-make is similar to the original but with added twists, the film involves a group of teenagers on the way to a concert, on the way they pick up a hitchhiker who is panicked and talks about a "really bad man" before shooting herself. They go to seek help from the sheriff before the group is all attacked by the menacing leather-face.

Both films have many similarities one is that the film itself is about teenagers, this makes the target audience identify with them as the primary audience is teenagers aged 18+. This idea of using teenagers is prominent in both the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ re-makes as this is the main thing by using teenagers it creates a sense of fear and the idea that there is no hope. Furthermore both tests also are also similar in the setting as both films are shot in rural Texas, in an abandoned house. This was done in order to represent that the teenagers are all alone, as they have no escape! Also the abandoned house is the main setting for all the killings and torture scenes, this is the house the Hardesty family grew up and where they had set their business of the slaughter house.

However they are different in the sense that the 2003 re-make has a women who is the hitchhiker, which is unlike the 1974 version as that one has a man being the hitchhiker, they are both crazed however the girl in the 2003 re-make kills herself by shooting herself in the head with a gun while the 1974 version the guy cuts himself with a knife. This was done in order to distinguish the fact of the ‘final girl’ scenario as the girl in the 2003 version just escaped from the grip of leather-face and is very distraught when the group is about to go back in. The ‘final girl’ idea is also in both the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ films, however the final girl in the 2003 version is killed when she shoots herself, but the new ‘final girl’ in Erin survives the whole ordeal.
In contrast the two films are similar in the way that they both have the serial killer in Leather-face the notorious killer is in all the re-makes as he is the person that makes the film.

His disturbed mind and cannibalistic style show the audience the menacing and uncontrollable killing instinct that he has. His un-capability to kill the ‘final girl’, sets in motion Tuchman’s theory that ‘women are being symbolically annihilated’ is hindered and changed as the ‘final girl’ survives therefore paving the way for the up-rise of women in cinema as the ‘final girl’ nowadays is common especially amongst slasher films. In addition they are similar as they both use the tool of the chainsaw this is done because it actually shows through the eyes of the killer how he slowly cuts pieces away from the body. This is the key weapon as it takes a very cold heart to kill someone in that manner.

On the other hand they different, as in the original ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974) one of the group members is in a wheelchair however in the re-make the uncle of Leather-face is in a wheel chair this was done in order to portray the vulnerability of man, as in the 1974 version the boy is crippled and is weak. However in the 2003 version the man is also crippled and weak but he is part of the killing family so it can be said that people won’t expect a man in a wheel chair to be any harm. This links with the binary opposition of feeble vs. strong, as the both men are weak but the teen in the 1974 version had enough strength to go look for his friends while the 2003 version showed that the man is weak but he has a strong nephew in Leather face.

All in all the films are similar in the sense that they have not changed anything that made ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ unique from other films. But it is different in the actual plot as the group in the 2003 version is going to a concert. Both films are highly entertaining and further make it clear how this film can be called the granddaddy of the slasher films.

Scream

Overview

Everyone wants a piece of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). That is, everyone wants her in pieces. In each film, a masked killer in a black robe stalks her -- first in her hometown, then in college and finally in Los Angeles.

Each time, the killer is revealed to be a different person, although all of the culprits have ties to each other and have a fondness for crank phone calls.All three films are director by Wes CravenScream (1996)Photo courtesy of PriceGrabberSidney has problems.

Her mother was just killed, a TV reporter named Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is writing a tell-all book about the murder, her boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich) is pressuring her to give up the whole virginity thing and to top it all off, she's being stalked by a homicidal maniac. She suspects that Billy is the culprit until he's stabbed in front of her after they FINALLY have sex. (They aren't around to hear their friends explain that having sex in a horror movie usually leads to death.) In the end, though, Billy is indeed the killer, but he had an accomplice, Stu (Matthew Lillard).

Billy also killed Sidney's mother for having an affair with his father. Sidney and Gale go all "girl power" and take out the psychopaths.Scream 2 (1997)Photo courtesy of

Price Grabber Sidney's enrolled in college and trying to put all of the murder and mayhem behind her. Unfortunately for her, Murder & Mayhem 101 is a prerequisite. Just as a movie based on the first film's murders, entitled Stab, is being released, a new set of murders begins around campus. Sidney is again the target, as her friends go down one by one. Again, her boyfriend, Derek (Jerry O'Connell), is a suspect, but this time, he gets stabbed and does indeed die.

The killer is in fact her old boyfriend's mother (Laurie Metcalf), who again has an accomplice: Derek's friend Mickey (Timothy Olyphant). Sidney gets the better of them, though, with the help of Cotton Weary (Liev Schrieber), the man wrongfully accused of Sidney's mother's death. Awkward.Scream 3 (1999)Photo courtesy of PriceGrabberSidney lives a secluded life, seeing as every friend she's ever had is dead. She's drawn back into the limelight, though, when Cotton Weary is killed in Los Angeles. She's brought to Hollywood, where the third Stab movie is being filmed, by police officers who want her help solving the crime.

Soon, the Stab actors are systematically disposed of by the masked killer, blurring the line between movie and "reality." This time, the killer is Sidney's half brother, Roman (Scott Foley). He actually orchestrated the other two films' killings by manipulating Billy and his mom. As expected, he pays for his evil ways with a bullet to the head, courtesy of Dewey (David Arquette), one of the few characters to survive all three films.A fourth is scheduled to be on the way for the comming years and it is argued that scream revitalized the slasher genre in the mid 90s by using a standard concept with a tongue-in-cheek approach that successfully combined straightforward scares with dialogue that satirized slasher film conventions. Postmodernism literally means 'after the modernist movement'.

While "modern" itself refers to something "related to the present", the movement of modernism and the following reaction of postmodernism are defined by a set of perspectivesPastiche is a work of art that mixes styles or copies the style of another artistIrony is a mode of expression that calls attention to the character's knowledge and that of the audience.Intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. It can refer to an author’s borrowing and transformation of a prior text or to a reader’s referencing of one text in reading another.

Is Hancock a typical representation of a superhero ? (HaRmZzZzZz 2nd DraaaaaaFFtt)

Word Count: 3,530

"There are heroes... there are superheroes... and then there's Hancock"
Is 'Hancock' a typical representation of a superhero?

There is a clear separation between a hero and a superhero; a hero is someone that saves people but without any superpowers these heroes could be anyone heroes can be people police officers, fire men, doctors, surgeons, bystanders anyone that has the chance to save someone’s life. "The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being honest but afraid like everybody else." [[1]]. While a superhero is someone that has superpowers and can create hope. Representation has a clear connection with genre and as Collins once described genre as “multi-faced and complex’ [[2]]'. Further Wales notes, that genre itself is “an intertextual concept” [[3]], showing that genre links in with a lot of other forms of media not just genre on its own. Additionally, a superhero is someone with immense power. “To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it” [[4]]. Basically anyone can be a hero but to be a superhero, you need to have superhuman abilities that can save more than just one single life.

'Hancock' is a 2008 blockbuster, made by the ever impressive Sony Entertainment along side Columbia pictures; the film details a superheroes’ trouble in life, and exemplify a man’s struggle to be liked; this implies stereotypes of men's ego as well as the representations men are given with the patriarchal division between men and women. Further with other texts which portray superheroes in a "macho" light, it can be said that all superheroes are 'typical' as they conform to the stereotype of indestructible, unbeatable version of "man", "the film is a different take on the superhero genre and representation with an interesting, off-beat twist" [[5]]. More so 'Hancock' is seen as a person who does not care what other people think of him, however he still tries to help even though his good intentions lead to bad outcomes, therefore this displays the typical superhero, always trying to help. 'Hancock' further emphasises the patriotic side of himself with the eagle (bird of America) on his chest. Further with this feeling of patriotism it will course through the American nation, as with the recent issues concerning America they need the reassurance as American society is at a fragile state with the emergence of terrorists. So it can be said that "'Hancock' creates a quintessentially American hero: flawed, frayed, but always sacrificing for the sake of others" [[6]], which at the end is what a typical representation of a superhero should do.

Firstly with an overview and general glance over the superhero genre, it can be said that all superheroes are seen as the “saviors”, as a masculine entity controls the superhero genre, which further emphasis’s the suppression of matriarchal and additionally reinforces the sheer dominance of the patriarchal society with men on top. “For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men: for thou art a God of the afflicted, an helper of the oppressed, an upholder of the weak, a protector of the forlorn, a savior of them that are without hope. [[7]]” This quote portrays how ‘strong men’ look towards God for hope, however in modern days it seen that superheroes are the “saviors” the “upholders of the weak” “the helper of the oppressed”, so it can be said that superheroes are represented as ‘God’, thus suggesting how ‘Hancock’ fits in to the role of a typical superhero as: “I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman” [[8]] this further representing how people do not look towards God for help and salvation but towards superheroes, therefore showing how ‘Hancock’ does not fit in to this typical representation at the beginning as he is reckless, destructive and an alcoholic.

However ‘Hancock’ is seen as this “saviour” and conforms to this typical representation of a superhero, as he does the stereotype scenario ‘save the day beat the baddy’. This scenario can be seen through other male orientated films connecting with the superhero genre, such as ‘Superman’ and ‘Spiderman’; the film ‘Superman’ alone epitomises the stereotype and typical representation of a superhero. Additionally the film itself is very male and further patriarchy, as ‘Hancock’ represents the idea of a strong a dominant man: “Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth” [[9]], this basically means that men are seen as the dominant power in the world, and that ‘Hancock’ is this type of man as he represents himself in a very “macho” way. Furthermore it can be said ‘Hancock’ is like this as well, it also can be said that audiences would want to relate to the character as they have a chance to be someone who has immense power, so a character like ‘Hancock’ could be used by audiences for personal identity as they may see themselves as the character; therefore the uses and gratifications theory by Jay G. Blumler and Elihu Katz (in 1974) is used to further enhance and portray the representation of a superhero through the eyes of an everyday person: "Far from imposing dominant forms of masculinity upon the audience, film heroes allow the subject space to identify with an ideal self of either gender who embodies desired power" [[10]]. This quote reinforces the whole idea of personal identification, as someone may want to be the character as they may “desire power”. Further I feel that this quote shows how superheroes are seen as the “saviours” but only because they ignite the belief that they are the hope of “the world”, this can be seen to show how all superheroes are represented, further ‘Hancock’ is one of these superheroes as it is seen that he is the only hope.

On the other hand ‘Hancock’ is not a typical representation of a superhero, as he fights his own personal battle which is his drunkenness vs. soberness; this is a binary opposition (Claude Levi Strauss), which can also represent his human side and the more hero side of him rather than the superhero side: "Complete masculinity, ("heroes") and stupidity are often indistinguishable” [[11]], this quote shows the human side and masculinity is linked with stupidity which can be said is what ‘Hancock’ is doing with his drinking. Which in addition shows that ‘Hancock’ faces his own problems and is burdened with more, as the city needs help. Further ‘Hancock’ not being a typical superhero links with ‘The Batman’ as he is not a superhero, and just a hero, as ‘The Batman’ has no superpowers and is human so therefore this represents him as being morally unsuitable to be a superhero which also connects with ‘Hancock’. Furthermore as stated by Felix Adler: "The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.” [[12]] This further reinforces that ‘The Batman’ even though is just a hero he is still seen as “a great light in the world” – the hope of people. ‘Hancock’ and ‘The Batman’ are very similar as they both do not conform to the stereotypical representation of a superhero.

However ‘Hancock’ soon changes and starts to become a typical superhero, as he ‘suits and boots’ up. His old raggedy attire soon disappears and he begins to wear a superhero outfit. "Poofs can look like real men...therefore real men look like poofs." [[13]], this quote depicts how ‘Hancock’ begins to look more feminised as he goes from looking like a stereotyped version of a “real man”, to a more feminine clean looking, well-dressed “poof” like image becoming the ‘new man’ linking to the zeitgeist as the ‘new man’ has changed to become and conform to the modern day society. Now he is starting to become a typical superhero, as he’s become this stereotyped superhero; he now has the persona to actually help people and fulfil and secure his patriarchal status as the “protector of Earth”. This brings in his masculine side and further portrays and symbolises how men are the powerful ones: "Masculinity is not something given to you, but something you gain. And you gain it by winning small battles with honour" [[14]], this quote emphasises the fact that ‘Hancock’ may be a superhero but he has to earn his honour with the people, and further prove his masculinity. Even though he has learnt that: “With great power, comes even greater responsibility", he now knows that he has people to look after. This therefore shows how he is a typical representation of a superhero as he helps out people no matter what the consequences are.

More so the films trailer further supports how he is a not a typical superhero as firstly the film is a hybrid genre of the action/ adventure scenario, however it has elements of a parody genre with the ‘spoof’ elements strong in the film . Further the sound at the beginning is slow and is classical, non diegetic sound, the slow classical music at the beginning reflects upon the moving image on the screen, as the camera goes through the sky and gives the audience the feeling that someone or something is coming down (heaven bound). While the camera goes through the sky typography is seen, the writing is plain white and bold and it comes towards the screen making it more eye catching and therefore emphasising the main captions in the film. The camera suddenly points down and the audience see the caption 'Hancock' and the CGI effect of the land down below. The camera does a fast zoom towards the earth; and then we see the feet of someone lying on the bench, the music suddenly turns in to a more rock type of song, as the complexion of the scene changes.

In addition there is a montage of shots showing his destructive path, it ends with the caption 'this summer' on a plain black background with white writing. Also there are natural sounds (diegetic), these are the ones of the characters speaking while the scene changes, making it seem more realistic and not as boring, as it would be with just music and no diegetic sounds. Furthermore Columbia, Sony pictures entertainment; the makers of this movie have shaped it towards their own personal view, as Columbia pictures have had numerous successes such as 'Casino Royal' (2006), 'Spiderman' (2003 - 08), 'You don't mess with the Zohan' (2008), 'Saawariya' (2007) etc. They also our known as one of the 'big 6' therefore showing they have the money and power in this industry, as well as having the ability to show off their digital effects.
As the trailer continues the clouds at the beginning begin to represent someone coming down from heaven or flying, like a typical stereotype of a superhero. Additionally as the little kid tries to wake up 'Hancock' this symbolises innocence, it could further symbolise the good intentions of 'Hancock'. However 'Hancock' is a heavy drinker this portrays how he has issues and the drink seems to be the only thing that keeps him going and keeps him feeling free which can be said is his form of escapism. Further the film seems to appeal to everyone including females and males from a very wide range however the certificate of the film is 12 so any males or females over the age of 12 can watch it, further the age range in my opinion is 12 - 21. However with the patriarchy beliefs as it is a man who is the hero, it can be said that the dominant ideology is the one of the patriarchal society, with the men on top. The trailer seems to be in a linear narrative as it does not jump from one bit to another, it has a clear and noticeable chronological order making it easy to follow and not get confused with the plot without really giving too much away. The whole trailer in my opinion suggests that he is not the typical type of superhero, however he has the potential to be one and further show how ‘Hancock’ can be categorised as a typical representation of a superhero.

Also it can be said that a traditional superhero is one which takes pride in himself and cares about “his people”. However, Hancock is portrayed to be careless and destructive. This is sustained by his style of dress and his drinking habits which do not adhere to the “perfect” ideologies that a superhero conforms to. However, it can be considered that by making him wear costume subsequently in the film they attempt to make him conform to the ideological “goodie” figure that everyone wants him to be.

Previously, superheroes represent male dominance and conform to the Proppean theory as women are seen as the “princesses” who need to be saved, leading to the male dominance and the patriarchal society we are presumed to live in. However Hancock’s dominance is challenged as his other half is also seen to be stronger than him. This contrasts to other superhero films where men were predominantly the stronger and dominant force. Which again links to zeitgeist as times are changing and with the emergence of the ‘final girl’ it can be said that the ‘new man’ has to conform and live with these changes as historically women used to have the ideology that they should be seen but not heard. But as time has gone by women have become more dominant and therefore moving in to the matriarchal society; which links to how ‘Hancock is not a typical superhero as he is being overshadowed by a woman.

In addition ‘Hancock’ is not how a typical superhero is represented as the film itself comes across as a hybrid genre, as action adventure. However there is another genre it can be placed under and that is a ‘spoof’ also known as a parody, which basically is a composition that imitates or misrepresents a films style (in this case the superhero genre), usually in a humorous way. Due to ‘Hancock’s’ constant drinking as well as his destructive path which connects with the drinking it can be said that: “the square-jawed one grew stubble, hit the whisky bottle and flicked peanuts at barmen, you may get flashbacks when watching ‘Hancock’” [[15]] meaning that ‘Hancock’ reminds people of a person going to the pub, therefore showing his human side. It can be said that the directors and Columbia pictures wanted to show that ‘Hancock’ is not your average superhero, as even the tagline says: "There are heroes... there are superheroes... and then there's Hancock" [[16]]. This showing how he is not a hero or a superhero but he is just ‘Hancock’, a complete and different person. Further this ‘spoof’ genre links with the film ‘Superhero Movie’ which is basically a 2008 comedy film written and directed by Craig Mazin and produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss; ‘Superhero Movie’ is a ‘spoof’ of the superhero film genre. Both the films enjoys in exploiting the stereotype of the traditional superhero, as they both mock the genre, this therefore shows hot ‘Hancock is not a typical representation as the film can be seen as a spoof; which most superhero films are not.

Further Alfred Hitchcock once said “The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture” [[17]], this basically means for a film to succeed the villain has to look like he may win, which can cause a ‘moral panic’ as in modern day society, the term ‘moral panic’ is widely seen and I believe that the old villains in the 1960's TV series ‘Batman and Robin’, show the era the world was in. The character ‘Joker’ in the TV series is seen as very comical looking, and the TV series itself is shown to be comical with the words “bang”, “smash”, “kaplaam” etc appearing every time ‘Batman’ or ‘Robin’ attack, this shows how at that time there was no real major issues concerning people back then. Which relates to ‘Hancock’ as the parody of the film makes it entertaining which makes ‘Hancock’ a typical representation of a superhero as he suppresses the ‘moral panic’ with comedy.

However as time has gone society has changed, and the 1989 ‘Batman’ movie was made; the film itself is very dark as time has changed more issues have been made which is reflected through the film. The character ‘Batman’ has become more serious looking unlike the TV series one, while the ‘Joker’ has become much more sinister as his character is more demented. Which is the same with the newest ‘Batman’ movie ‘The Dark Knight’ as the ‘Joker’ in this film is psychologically unstable, and purely mental. As time has gone by villains in most superhero movies have become more crazed looking as they represent all the rapists, paedophiles, murders, terrorists basically everything in modern day society that creates a ‘moral panic’, subconsciously (the unconscious mind by Freud in the eighteenth century) the directors of these superhero movies make the villains look and act like this to inform everyone that there is a growing problem. And ‘Hancock’ is not different as he recklessly destroys buildings and because of this frightens the people there, which can link this to all the issues that have happened recently; like 9/11 as this created worldwide fear which was that no one was safe.

In addition it seems to be that people have forgotten that: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance” [[18]] This basically highlights how people should have nothing to fear except fear it self, and how people are now getting afraid due to unforeseen circumstances. Which also relates to ‘Hancock’ as everyone believed they weren’t safe due to his destructive nature, this therefore showing that he is not a typical superhero as he scares people, and subconsciously points out modern days ‘moral panics’.

All in all ‘Hancock’ in many ways is seen as a typical representation of a superhero as he helps people and at the end of the day gets the job done. However his eccentric style of carrying out his heroic deeds, leads people to believe that he (‘Hancock’) is not so typical after all, and his human side seems to be more apparent then his superhero status is: "Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.” [[19]], this basically summarises what ‘Hancock’ is, he fights to help everyone but at the end he only discovers who he really is and actually finds his “true self”. ‘Hancock’ relates to a lot of other superhero genre films as they mostly conform to the typical representation of a superhero like ‘Superman’ and ‘Spiderman’, however their alter-ego’s are not the typical stereotype as ‘Clark Kent’ is timid, clumsy and shy, while ‘Peter Parker’ is a college student and a fits the “nerd” stereotype. Additionally there is ‘The Batman’ who in many cases alter-ego is not like the others, as he is even as ‘Bruce Wayne’ is still fearless and incredibly smart, but ‘Batman’ has no superpowers making him just a vigilante hero: "A hero is someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom." [[20]] ‘Batman’ knows what his responsibilities are and because if this he is “free” in the sense that he can make the decision to help people. ‘Hancock’ and every single superhero and hero are just hope; they are people that other people rely on for help, comfort, and salvation. “Hope begins in the dark; the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up” [[21]]. This basically meaning how people look for hope, they look out for it because it shows them the right thing to do and gives them the belief to “never give up”, this creates the feeling of the hero factor as if they never give up then they’ll some day will be able to do something to help and even save someone’s life.

Finally in my opinion ‘Hancock’ is the typical representation of a superhero because he provides hope to people and makes them believe that no matter what they can be saved, even though his methods are over the top and the film itself is comical: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” [[22]], essentially meaning that hope can let people see something to aim for in the future. It still does show what and how a typical superhero should be represented and further how they ‘Hancock’ is seen as the protector of the not only the city but the world.


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Collins, Jim (1988):'The Musical' in Wes D. Gehring, Handbook of American Film Genres, New York: Greenswood Press. P.269

Eco, U. (1932). Travels in Hyper Reality 1ED. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Healey, M. (1994). The Mark of a man Masculine identities and the Art of Macho Drag Critical Quarterly. Manchester: -.

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Mencken, H. (1963). In Defence of Women. New York: Time Incorporated.

Pittman, F. (1994). Man enough: fathers, sons and the search for masculinity. Chicago: Perigee Trade.

Tice, Paul. (2003). The Apocrypha: Sacred Scriptures Excluded from the Bible. Glendale: Book Tree, 2003.

Wales, Katie (1989): A Dictionary of Stylistics. London: Longman p.259

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Cohen, T. (2000). Men and Masculinity: A Text-Reader. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Craig, S. (1992). Men, Masculinity and the Media (SAGE Series on Men and Masculinity). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.

Ghaill, M., & Haywood, C. (2003). Men and Masculinities: Theory, Research and Social Practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Mackinnon, K. (2003). Representing Men: Maleness and Masculinity in the Media (Arnold Publication). London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.

Meyers, M. (1999). Mediated women representations in popular culture. Cresskill: Hampton Press.

Spicer, A. (2003). Typical Men: The Representation of Masculinity in Popular British Cinema. New York: I. B. Tauris.

Internet: (websites):

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/hancock/

http://www.mediaknowall.com/gender.html

http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_serrano_idcrisis.html

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html

http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp

http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=6723&pc=9

http://www.mixedmediawatch.com/2006/06/21/comic-book-superheroes-getting-more-diverse/

http://www.superherodb.com/

Nightmare on elm street

. Directed and written by Wes craven who also made scream

. The other films were directed by other directors.

. Consist of eight slasher films, television show, novels and comic book

. Based on the character freddy kruger in 1984

. Then nightmare on elm street three:dream warriors came out in 1987
nightmare on elm stree four: the dream master and nightmare on elm street five the dream child. 1988

. New nightmare in 1994

. New line cinema own the right to the franchise

. Is the third highest grossing franchise

. A television series was produced with Freddy as the host.

. Episode focused on the night Freddy was burned alive by the angry parents of the children he had killed, though the rest of the series featured episodes with independant plots.

. There were twelve novels

. The worldwide budget of the franchise is $339,706,250

. Micheal bay and his production team is starting the franchise again.

. Plans have already been made to start on 29th april

Friday the 13th (my version)

I would keep the lake side setting as this is the main place for all the murders to take place as Jason was killed (drowned). So I can't change that as it is the main thing in the movie, also this Lakeside is also used in the previous other Friday the 13th movie saga. Further I would keep the machete as again this is Jason's main motif of killing. More so I would keep the idea of the final girl which is seen in most of the other Friday the 13th movies, as this is a very key part of the film.

The characters in the film will all be going to camp Crystal lake, for a holiday believing that they are safe as Jason hasn't been seen for ages. However he comes to life by lightening hitting the grave of Jason, his hand comes out the ground. He begins killing everyone except for the brother and sister as the brother is being accused of killing all the other campers.

I decided to have another person added as it would be better for maybe a man and women to survive, as this will be easier for the main characters to survive. Also I think that it would be much better for the storyline as I would make it look like that the man is Jason but at the end he will end up saving the girl and fighting Jason.

I would also have a lot of scenes that are not typical, such as instead of a cat jumping out to build climax at times I would just have Jason pop up and kill one person. This will be better as people won't be expecting it.

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th (1980):

Mother angry with the fact her son drowned. Jason comes back alive (from hell) and begins his revengeful killing rampage with mother at the helm of the operation.

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981):

Jason is revealed to be alive, and fully grown. After killing the counselor who decapitated his mother, Jason returns to Crystal Lake to guard it from all intruders. Five years later, a group of teenagers arrive at Crystal Lake to set up a new camp, only for Jason to murder them, one by one.

Friday the 13th Part III (1982):

Jason finds his way to Higgins Haven, Chris's family land at Crystal Lake. At the same time, returns to the property with some friends. An unmasked and Jason kills anyone who wanders into the barn where he is hiding. Taking a hockey mask from a victim to hide his face, he leaves the barn to kill the rest of the group.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984):

Continues where Part III leaves off, with Jason found by the police and taken to the morgue at the Wessex County Medical Center. Once delivered, Jason, not dead, awakens and kills the coroner and a nurse, then makes his way back to Crystal Lake. A group of friends rent a house on Crystal Lake and fall victim to Jason's rampage.

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985):

Tommy Jarvis was committed to a mental hospital after the events of The Final Chapter and has grown up constantly afraid that Jason will return. Jason's body was supposedly cremated after Tommy killed him. Roy Burns uses Jason's persona to become a copycat killer at the halfway home to which Tommy was moved.

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986):

Begins with Tommy visiting Jason's grave after being released from a mental institution. It is revealed that Jason's body was never actually cremated, but buried in Forest Green cemetery (formerly Crystal Lake cemetery). Tommy inadvertently resurrects Jason via a piece of cemetery fence, which acts as a lightning rod.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988):

Begins an indeterminate amount of time after Jason Lives. Jason is resurrected again, this time by the telekinetic Tina Shepard, who was trying to resurrect her father. Jason once again begins killing those who occupy Crystal Lake.

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989):

Sees Jason return from the lake, brought back to life via an underwater electrical cable. He follows a group of students on their senior class trip to Manhattan. Upon reaching Manhattan, Jason kills the rest of the survivors, with the exception of Rennie and Sean.

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993):

Jason, through unexplained resurrection, returns to Crystal Lake, where he is being hunted by the FBI. The FBI sets up a sting to kill Jason, which proves successful. Through possession, Jason manages to survive by passing his black heart from one being to the next. Though Jason is hardly seen throughout the film, it is learned that he has a sister and niece, and that he needs them to get his body back.

Jason X (2002):

Takes place in the future, where Jason has again been inexplicably resurrected. He is being held and experimented upon in a research facility. It is determined that he has regenerative capabilities and that cryogenic suspension is the only possible solution to stop him since he cannot be killed. Jason breaks out of captivity and manages to slice through the cryo-chamber, spilling the cryonics into the room and freezing the only other survivor, Rowan. Over four hundred years later, Jason's body is discovered by a team of students studying Earth. He proceeds to murder everyone aboard the spacecraft.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003):

Set in the contemporary period, Freddy Krueger has grown weak, as people in Springwood, his home, have suppressed their fear of him. Freddy, who is impersonating Pamela Voorhees tricks Jason into going to Springwood to cause panic and fear. Jason accomplishes this, but refuses to stop killing. A battle ensues in both the dream-world and Crystal Lake.

The new Friday the 13th was released in 2009:

This film starts the continuity fresh, acting as a re-make of the original film. In this film, after witnessing his mother being beheaded, Jason follows in her footsteps and begins killing anyone who comes to Crystal Lake. Almost thirty years later, Jason kidnaps a young woman who reminds him of his mother. Six weeks after her disappearance, her brother Clay Miller comes looking for her.

Halloween UK

I would keep the music, as it is very famous and people would know that this film is a Halloween film. Further I would also keep the iconography as everyone would know the film, so by keeping the iconography then it would be much easier to make a re-make as people would already be able to distinguish the fact that again this is a Halloween film.

In addition I will keep the main killing weapon which was a knife as again this seems to be the main tool in most slasher films, this will be kept as the use of a knife in killing is a personal touch as you have to be face to face in order to kill someone. This can further represent how crazy the killer is. Also I would keep the crazy serial killer as he is the main person that makes the film sell, as well as his mask.

The things I would alter or change would probably be the idea of the final girl as everyone would expect the innocent 'Madonna' type character to survive. So by killing her off maybe half way through the film this would make audiences believe that this re-make is not a typical version of the film. This will reflect the zeitgeist as the audience are expecting the women to survive so by the new dawn of age this may set a trend so that most other slasher films will also change their interpretations of the film.

Essay Evaluation

Targets:

. More on Wider Context (S.H.E.P)

. Theorist ideologies

. Talk more about own film

Next Step:

. To hit all the targets I have written down, as they will help push up my grade in my essay.

. Also I need to read through my essay, as I know I have made some common errors e.g. spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.