The Genre For My Trailer: Horror

Horror:

This genre looks to create a negative emotional reaction from its viewers by playing on their fears, nightmares and revulsion's. 

Common elements often found in horror films (depending on the sub genre) are:

• Ghosts
• Aliens
• Vampires
• Werewolves
• Curses
• Satanism
• Demons
• Gore
• Torture
• Vicious animals
• Monsters
• Zombies
• Cannibals
• Serial Killers 

There are several sub genres for the horror genre: 

Action Horror: 

This sub genre usually contains evil forces, events and supernatural elements of horror films and combines them with gunfights and chases that are found in the action genre (however sometimes there is an element of the fantasy genre used) 

Examples = 

• Resident Evil
• Ghost Rider
• Blade 
• Underworld 

Body Horror: 

This contains the graphic destruction or degeneration of the body - with unnatural movements anatomically incorrectly placed limbs to create 'monsters'

Examples = 

• The Thing
• Virus
• Teeth
• Hellraiser 

Comedy Horror: 

This, as the names suggests, combines horror and comedy - the comedy is usually dark comedy  

Examples = 

• Shaun Of The Dead
• An American Werewolf In London
• Beetlejuice
• Scary Movie 

Gothic Horror: 

This contains both goth and horror elements and usually features a romance element which creates suspense for the viewer

Examples = 

• Dracula 
• The Woman In Black
• The Phantom Of The Opera
• Sleepy Hollow 

Natural horror: 

This usually features nature in the form of 'mutated beasts, carnivorous insects and normally harmless animals or plants that turn into killers' Sometimes this sub genre features science fiction and action/adventure

Examples = 

• The Birds
• Jaws
• The Ruins
• The Swarm 

Psychological horror

This sub genre relies on fears, guilt, beliefs, eerie sound effects, relevant music, emotional instability, the supernatural and ghosts which are all used to build tension and further the plot

Examples =

• The Grudge
• The Exorcist 
• The Others
• The Shining 

Science Fiction horror:

This often revolves around aliens, 'mad' scientists and experiments 'gone wrong'

Examples =

• Alien
• The Fly
• The Mist
• Doom

Slasher Film:

This often revolves around a psychopathic killer who stalks and kills a series of victims in a graphic and violent manner usually with an object such as a knife or an axe. Slasher films often overlap with crime, mystery and the thriller genres

Examples =

• Psycho
• Halloween 
• Friday The 13th 
• A Nightmare On Elm Street 

Splatter:

These films often focus on graphic use of gore and violence. Through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts these films tend to show interest in the vulnerability of the human body (mostly a woman's body) and the theatricality of the mutilation of it. However, not all splatter films are slasher films

Examples =

• Saw
• Hostel 
• Blood Feast 
• Cannibal Holocaust 

Zombie Film: 

These are films that feature reanimated corpses or mindless humans

Examples = 

• I Am Legend 
• Night Of The Living Dead 
• Land Of The Dead
• Day Of The Dead