1. How does the start exemplify a common technical code convention of the horror genre? The first shot is through a point of view shot which instantly makes us wary of what’s happening in front and around us because of things that might pop out. This is done to make the audience feel tense and on edge. Creepy music and low key lighting also add to the suspension of the scene.
2. How does the setting fit with the horror genre?
After a couple of scenes at the beginning there is a shot of a mental institution which instantly makes the audience feel suspicious and perfectly adds to the “horror” theme. The main part of the film is set at night in a stereotypical American street and it also happens to be Halloween so there is already a slight eeriness in the air as everyone is dressed up in scary costumes.3. What iconography of “innocence” do we hear or see early on? The first one is the clown mask which we associate with children, this is then backed up as we see a young boy wearing it who at his age wouldn’t have been suspected to do anything bad or “evil” and is only seen to be having a bit of fun and playing around and who is dressed up for Halloween. The second iconography of innocence is the fact that we see “Laurie” a young girl who is well presented by wearing clothes that appear to be for a much older female for example she wore a high neck dress with long skirt and thick tights with shoes that were seen to be “sensible" unlike any of her friends. We also find out that she is seen as virginal and a “square” because she is smart and cares greatly for her education. We know this because she’s states “boys are intimidated by me because I’m too smart for them”.
4. What was the main industry impact of Halloween? It was cheap to make and create a big profit. This then set of a trend of other producers trying to create low budget film with high profits.
5. Name some other “slasher” films which followed on from Halloween Friday the 13TH (1979), Prom Night (1979), Terror Train (1979), Graduation Day (1981) and Happy Birthday to Me (1981).
6. What are the four plot rules of the “slasher” film sub-genre in which Halloween started?
1) A traumatic event in the past that creates the killer.
2) The killer returns to the site of the event.
3) The killer kills a group of people (in this case obnoxious teenagers of both genders.
4) The “final girl” survives, usually boyish and virginal.
7. Give three ways in which Laurie is androgynous.
The first way is that although she wears a dress at the beginning it’s quite long and very mature for her age. She wears very unfashionable shoes and thick tights. Then at the end of the film she’s wearing a long sleeve blouse and long trousers. Another way is that her voice is quite low for a females voice plus her jaw line and face shape is quite defined therefore it shows. The third one is that she acts quite mother like towards the children like trying to protect them and its quite masculine in the way she literally fights of the killer. 8. What does the extract mean by “a reactionary sexual agenda”? The characters are going to be killed for always be distracted by having sex.
9. How does the director, John Carpenter, counter the suggestion that Halloween had a reactionary sexual agenda? She was always the victim it’s just other teenagers were just distracted by having sex and she was always alert.
10. Why does Mike Myers kill his sister?He’s just recreating what he saw using the knife to do the stabbing.
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