Marcjanna Taylor – Opinion Columnist
Horror movies, once considered a low brow by critics of film, are now a Hollywood staple. The genre has grown over the years, amassing a large following. There are many sub genres of horror. The one I’ll be focusing on is slasher. The first horror movie, what is now known as slasher, was was Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho released in the 1960’s. But what makes a good slasher film? Is it the sound direction, the filmography or the amount of special effects? Or is it how much gore, blood and nudity is in a film? I will be breaking down what makes a good slasher film. But in order to do so I am going to focus on four different movies from four different time periods so we can see the progression of slasher films. I’ll examine what components of these movies made them successful and whether or not their success was deserved.
To understand the slasher genre let’s start with what’s generally considered the first slasher: Psycho. When Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece was released in theaters it shocked audiences, it was the first movie where the protagonist did not live till the end. And more importantly, the first time audiences witnessed a graphic death on screen. What Alfred Hitchcock had done no other director had thought to do which is why Psycho has become such a pop culture classic.
What makes Psycho such a great movie is the use of filmography.
The camera direction and or lighting is what really creates the atmosphere which is integral to making a good slasher film. So does that mean good filmography makes a good slasher? Yes and no. Focusing too heavily on filmography can distract from the horror of a slasher and a slasher doesn’t necessarily have to have good camera direction to be considered a staple slasher film. For example, Texas Chainsaw Massacre doesn’t have as sophisticated film as direction however, is still considered a staple slasher film.
Speaking of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, what makes it a great slasher is not the technical aspect, but rather the theatrical aspect. The family of cannibal killers had given a great performance, but what really sold the performance for me was the props and costuming. There was the notable element of surprise, where the actors didn’t see the leatherface costume until the day of filming. The use of an actual chainsaw had probably added to the overall performance of the actors, who were playing the victims of a crazed family.
In the cannibalist family’s house there were meat hooks in the basement which a leather face had hung one of the victims on, there were bones all over the house, and there was also a cooler covered in blood in which one of the victims had jumped out of. These props had added to the overall atmosphere and had made the Texas Chainsaw Massacre iconic. But how does Texas Chainsaw Massacre hold up against Psycho? While both have their faults I believe, Texas Chainsaw Massacre beats Psycho in the entertainment department. However, the technical aspect and or overall plot progression in Psycho’s is far superior.
But how does Psycho or Texas Chainsaw Massacre measure up to the rest of our list? I believe that Halloween, and Scream are in some ways better than Psycho or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Due to Both Scream and Halloween developing the genre of horror into one that was self aware and better yet focused more on the characters rather than the horror itself. Both Psycho and Texas Chainsaw Massacre fell short on developing their characters since the Texas Chainsaw Massacre created the concept of the ’final girl’, Halloween developed the trope by making the ‘final girl’ a babysitter, which would change the Horror genre for decades to come.
The character arc of the babysitter in Halloween as well as the overall direction solidified it as a classic. The famous twist ending for Scream, with there being two killers instead of the classic one, solidified Scream a spot in pop culture horror. But between the two which is better? I believe Scream due to its self awareness. The killers of Scream use horror movies as a sort of calling card. The creative direction of Scream makes it better than Halloween. But how does Scream compare to Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho? Scream wouldn’t have the self awareness and or overall creative direction without the likes of Psycho and such.
So what makes a slasher good? In my opinion it’s up to you the viewer to decide. Yes,I know its a lame conclusion, but as the old saying goes beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.