Van Helsing

We are first introduced to Van Helsing who is located and presented in a old English traditional pub. he is presented to the audience as a up class man through the use of costume as he is wearing a top hat, gloves, a long coat and black leather shoes therefore showing he has a high expense and this shows the audience he has more authority than the other pub customers as he has a higher job considering he is a doctor. The doctors clothes are mainly black, this shows how he relates to death but in this case tries to save lives. Garlic is a prop ion the bar, this could be signifying how the doctors is related to the prop in some way. As the doctor questions the other costumers, this shows how he is not afraid to say what he thinks and does not hesitate therefore showing he is strong and courageous, this also shows he is confidence.

The doctor is presented as a very trustworthy person and the other pub members almost worship him and have a lot of respect. Doctors had a lot of intelligence so the other characters believed in his intelligence therefore knowing they have to have respect for him, if they need to be saved in the future. Van Helsing is presented as a very mysterious character but also a out spoken person. He likes to create enigmas as he does not want to inform Harkers family what really happened until Dracula strikes again.

Van Helsing changes throughout the film as before he is calm and laid back about killing Dracula but becomes more determined as more attacks happen. Once he combines with Lucys father he knows he has now got support therefore more chance of finally defeating Dracula and stopping him from claiming his next gullible victim.

Creep (Christopher Smith, 2004)

Film synopsis:
After getting locked in Charing Cross train  station, Kate finds herself being stalked by a creature which appears to be a deformed human living in the underground. After becoming the killers prey, Kate fights for survival by trying to search for any life down there that can lead her to help or escape. Discovering the enigma of why the deformed human is after her Kate begins to find his weak spot therefore making her more inferior than the creature giving her more of a chance of surviving.


Contextualising the film:
As the film is set to the present day, this is very effective to the audience as it puts them in the perspective of people from the film and will scare them from taking the underground and visiting Charing cross and other London public transport.


Explain how 'Creep' fits into the horror genre (refer to conventions):
Kate is a typical woman which has been used in a horror film, she shows how women can be stronger than men but also have intelligence which leads them to be the final woman. A lot of screaming is used in the film to create a form of tension to the audience as they are unaware of why the person is screaming and therefore keeps them on the edge of their seat. The usual blood and low key lighting is used to create a dark and mysterious effect as the audience are unaware of what is lurking in the shadows and whether it will jump out at them. Women weapons are used within the film which create blood and gore and this is a way of symbolising a horror film. The killer is attacked but never dies and also walks whilst the victims run to show how he is more relaxed than the victim. 


How was the film received by audiences? 
'Creep' was given a rating of 75.5/10.on the IMDB website, this shows how the film was not as successful as other films and was disappointing to the audience. A review like this shows the audience was not thrilled by the horror as much as they were with other horrors so this could mean if the film was scarier it would have been more effective. 


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381966/


Key scenes:

• The attempt rape.
• The secutiy guard asking to see body.
• Kate giving tramp (Mandy) money for ticket.
• Kate returning to the tramps for help.
• Killers surgery room (find out why he is like it).
• Kate gets money given to her.

What makes the film distinctively British?

The tramps living in the underground makes the film British as it is very common to find homeless people around London begging for money. Also the fact the film is mostly located in Charing Cross station shows how the director has wanted to keep the location in London and to never make the audience feel Kate has changed area. Also the use of rats and mice create a London effect as London is covered by them.

The Descent (Neil Marshall 2005)

Film synopsis:
The Descent is a British Horror film in which is focused on 6 everyday women that are keen to experience a caving expedition trip after Juno loses her 'faithful' husband in a car crash. Becoming trapped in the cave the women seek a exit but are discovered by deadly flesh eating monsters (the crawlers) in which will claim anything as their prey.

Contextualising the film:

A the film is set to the present day, this makes the British horror seem more realistic to the audience as they could experience this sort of event therefore making the film more thrilling. Also because a lot of people do attend cave exhibitions, this could be away to target cave explorers as this will be more effective towards them as they have a chance of experiencing the disasters. 

Explain how 'The Descent' fits into the horror genre (refer to conventions):

The film includes a final woman which is very common and repetitive in horror films. The descent also uses the typical blood and low key lighting to create a dark and more tense towards the audience as they are not aware of what could be lurking in the shadows. the film also includes a monster which is the crawler and this is also a horror convention. 

How was the film received by audiences? 

'The Descent' was given a rating of 7.3/10.on the IMDB website, this shows how the film was very successful. With a review like this I once again believe that the film was successful but maybe the slightest improvemnt could o been made such as more jumpy parts.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/

28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2002)

Film Synopsis:
28 days later is set 28 days after a serious virus hits London and the whole of the UK. (hence the name). The virus leaves the country isolated, deserted and a minimum amount of survivors. As the few survivors struggle to keep their lives and not face death, they fight against the infected people and kill what it takes to live. As you learn from the beginning of the film, the virus is originally cause by a pack of chimpanzees who have been released by an animal cruelty agency for freedom, this causes dramatic irony as we know how the virus is called but the characters do not. in desperate need for information, safety and hospitality the group continuity to seek what they need to survive.


Contextualising the film:
28 days later is set in the present day which is the 21st century therefore this creates a more realistic effect towards the audience. As it is set to the present day this makes the audience more aware of the technology, jobs and everyday lifestyle. 


Explain how '28 Days Later' fits into the horror genre (refer to conventions):
The film fits into the horror genre due to the use of iconography and typical codes and conventions of a horror film. Using blood, violence, low key lighting and binary oppositions (Dead -  Alive, Infected - Normal, Good - Bad)   , the film is able to combine all of the techniques to create a final terrifying and tense effect. A phallic weapon is also used which in this case is a long knife. 


How was the film received by audiences? 
'28 Days Later' was given a rating of 7.6/10 on the IMDB website, this once again shows that the film was a good film but could be a improved.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/


Key scenes:

• Opening scene (shows what created the virus)
• The manipulation scene in the army house
• When the dad becomes effected
• The relaxing scene on grass next to horses.

What makes the film distinctively British?
Straight away the film is set in a British location as the chimpanzee's are being released in the 'Cambridge research centre'. It then goes on to using iconography to represent London as flats, Big Ben and a red bus are shown, the use of locations represent the speed of how far across the UK the virus has travelled. Wind turners are also shown towards the end of the film to once again show how the virus has travelled to the countryside and this therefore creates travel to be one of the films themes. 

The Horror of Dracula (Terrence Fisher, 1958)

Film synopsis:
Based in 1885 London, a very determined man called Jonathan Harker visits the isolated, intimidating castle of Dracula. Attempting to murder the gory vampire but fails, Dracula decides to seek revenge on Harkers beloved wife to be. Following the family cycle and biting all the women Dracula is threatened by the friend of Harker Dr. Van Helsing. 


Contextualising the film:
As the film is set in the 1885 but was released in 1958, this makes the audience remember the past as women were more inferior against men and never had equal rights. They were the typical stay at home and clean women whilst the men go out to work and earn the money.


Explain how 'The Horror of Dracula' fits into the horror genre (refer to conventions):

• Blood.
• Low key lighting- creating a dark and tense ambiance
• Murder scenes
• Isolated castle
• Murderer and villains (use of stock characters) 
• Use of a murder weapon (Garlic, Sharp piece of wood and hammer, Crusafix cross).

Being a early day horror film, The horror of Dracula only include the simple and well recognised conventions. Using blood and darkness creates a form of a tense atmosphere towards the audience therefore making them feel uncomfortable, this works well with them watching the murder scenes as they both combine to create a dramatic effect. Low key lighting is used to create mysteries as the audience can not see what is lurking in the dark shadows. 


How was the film received by audiences? 
The horror or Dracula was given a rating of 7.5 on the IMDB website, this shows how the film was labelled as a good film but not a great one therefore meaning there could be a more improvement which in my decision would be more semiotics and iconography.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051554/

Key scenes:

• The welcoming of Jonathan Harker by Dracula as he speaks softly and is polite.
• When Lucy is Bitten
• When the Holmwoods are told what is wrong with Lucy. 
• When Mina is Bitten

What makes the film distinctively British?
The setting and location of the film creates a sense of a British film. Based in a old village town with lamp posts and little pubs this creates a British effect, especially with the big doors in Lucy's bedroom.

How are Women represented as inferior and sexualised beings in the horror of Dracula?

The first female vampire has been presented as a slave to Dracula but also as a prisoner. She pleads Jonathan Harker to help her as he arrives at the castle, this shows a sense of how desperate she is as she is eager enough to approach him and let everything out straight away without letting him even settle properly.  When the prisoner approaches Harker for the second time she once again pleads for help but then bites him, this shows how Dracula has created the prisoner as a more sexual item as she is also wearing clothes that show more parts of her body, this is in contrast to other women of this era. She is presented as inferior as she is related to and spoken to like she is Draculas slave, he tells her what to do and she reacts and follows his commands without hesitating therefore showing he has a higher authority than her. 

The Holmwoods family maid is presented the opposite of Draculas type of slave. Fully dressed wearing black and white shows how pure she is therefore presenting her in a non sexual way. The maid is never bitten by Dracula and because of this you can always see the contrast between the Maid and the victims of Dracula. The maid may be a symbolism for natural beauty but also a woman’s dignity.

The next victim under the spell of the Dracula is Lucy. Lucy is represented as an unhappy young woman that’s ready to be taken away by the ‘perfect’ man. As Dracula pays Lucy regular visits, this is as if he is teasing her as she is desperate to see him again; this is Draculas way of luring in his prey. Lucy awaits for Dracula in her sleepwear every time, even though Lucy is in bed ill because of the vampire bite, the less clothes could once again be signify how Dracula has made her more sexual as she is not all covered up like a young woman should be presented but in this case Lucy is manipulating how women present theirselve. As Lucy defeats the anti vampire medicine by becoming demanding towards the maid, this shows the attitude change in the girl as she is no longer sweet and innocent but a desperate woman in need for the touch of Dracula as if she is addicted.

Mina a middle aged woman was not bothered about Dracula but was represented as a normal everyday mother and wife. After receiving a message that her husband awaits her she is puzzled but eager to see him. Dracula bites Mina in a different way than he did to Lucy, with Lucy he made the bite out to be more sexual experience hence the reason he paid several trips to tease her. He made himself looks more like a hero than the villain to as if seduce her. After seeing Mina once he attacked her straight away, this shows how desperate he is for more prey after becoming angry from losing his other prey.

The child is presented as a less powerful person compared to the other females. She is very gullible as she follows Lucy into the woods but this would be because of her age and not having any knowledge of the situation. She appears to have been brought up in a stable home with a wealthy family therefore stating she will be raised with dignity to keep the families reputation therefore will not be a sexualised being.

Laura Mulvey and Hammer Horror research.

Laura Mulvey and Hammer Horror Trait research.

Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey was a British feminist film theorist. Laura believed in a film technique called ‘The male gaze’ this is defined as ‘Visual pleasure and narrative cinema’. The concepts of the gaze is how one deals with how the audience see how the characters are presented on screen. In Laura’s case this is thought of in three different ways

•  How men look at women
•   How women look at theirselves
•   How women look at other women.

Another way to put this theory is that the audience is put in a male perspective therefore using camera shots such as low angles and slowly travelling up the womans body, this puts you in a males point of view as you are seeing the women as a more sexualised item.

Laura Mulvey says that all audiences should and must view all characters from a heterosexual male perspective.

Hammer Horror

Hammer Horror is a British film production company that was mainly famous for producing a series of gothic horror films such as Dracula. After being so successful from releasing Sci-fi, thrillers, film noir and comedies, hammer horror made a huge success in the horror film market – big enough to allow them partnership with Warner brothers. Hammer Horror productions was founded in 1934 but made these huge successes from the mid 1950s up to the1970s.