Psycho

Psycho (1960)

'Psycho' was filmed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock; it is often ranked as one of the greatest films of all time as well as being considered as the earliest example of the 'Slasher' genre.

'Psycho' is one of the most classic horror films ever created, and what makes it so scary is the psychopathic killer character or Norman Bates; the idea of an ordinary individual, of whom from the outside looks or appears no different from the rest of society, is actually a killer frightened audiences. The inclusion of ordinary concepts of everyday life in America, such as the motel, state troopers and the open road, made this film feel very familiar to a large audience; therefore, the introduction of the more grotesque horror in the film would have been very unexpected and furthermore terrifying for the audience. As Mark Kermode said in is article for the guardian, 'Psycho: the best horror film of all time', "Hitchcock's Psycho embodied the fear of the boy next door", which accurately, it did. The film was very effective through its simplicity and its realism, as in what could happen to anyone at anytime; there was no absurd supernatural elements that made the story-line unbelievable. The film, as mentioned by Kermode, was made during the time Ed Gein was arrested; Gein was a killer of whom used the skin of his victims to make ornaments and clothing, which later inspired 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'The Silence of The Lambs'; therefore, during a time where gruesome killings were filling American households through the media, the use of this theme within 'Psycho' evoked further fear into the audiences. Kermode refers to the shower murder scene as the 'most iconic murder scene in the history of cinema'; the rapid cuts, non-diegetic music and sound effects were very effective in evoking the horror. The increase of speed in the scene through the cuts and sound evoked the feeling of the unexpected and shocked the audiences. Overall, 'Psycho' is a classic horror and the origin of the 'Slasher' genre; it evoked fear into its audiences then and even now, as well as inspiring other film makers such Carpenter's 'Halloween' and Cunningham's 'Friday the 13th'.

Sub-genres of Horror

Genres:

• Slasher (1)
• Splatter (1)
• Psychological (2)
• Paranormal (3)
• Monster (4)
• Comedy
• Sci-fi 
• Horror Romance 
• Creepy Kid 
• Gothic
• Gore/disturbing (5)
• Body Horror 

Sub-genres:

1. Crime & giallo/backwoods & redneck/home invasion/killer/mass gore
2. Phobia/isolation/fanaticism/madness & paranoia 
3. Supernatural/ghosts/haunting/possession/devil&demon&hell/witches
4. Zombies/vampires/werewolf etc./classic & mythological/aliens/neo-monsters
5. Cannibals/splatter/torture/extreme 

Every genre goes through several phases:

• Seminal or prototype
• Classic 
• Revisionist 
• Parodic 

What is a 'Slasher'?

The 'Slasher' is a sub-genre of horror, with typical conventions such as a psychopathic killer of whom kills a group of unexpectant individuals. The slasher genre is said to have originated from Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. The film follows some stereotypical conventions of the psychopathic killer appearing and murdering young individuals, usually after getting drunk or having sex, until there is no one left but the final girl; conventionally the final girl is a virgin and is able to defeat the killer. Furthermore, within 'Slasher' films, the killer always uses unconventional weapons; these include blades, chainsaws, blunt objects etc. The film almost always also contains a backstory that explains how the killer has developed his psychopathic state; as well as what the location which the film is set means to them and why the specific type of group that is targeted. Within the 'Slasher' genre, especially as it developed through the years, it seems that the killer has almost supernatural qualities as they may come back from the dead in a sequel or survive various attempts made by their victims to kill them.
Hitchcock's 'Psycho' was released in 1960 but the golden age of the 'Slasher' genre was in the 1980's; this was the era where 'Nightmare On Elm Street', 'Halloween' and other great classics were made and released; from this came sequels and other films that replicated the plots and conventions thus making the 1980's a popular time for the 'Slasher' genre of horror. Although, as the 1980's came to an end, audiences were tired of the genre but its revival came later in the mid 1990's with Wes Craven's 'Scream'. This showed that the 'Slasher' genre was a classic and would continue to be popular as it was picked up again and was very popular; even to this day the 'Slasher' sub-genre is an classic when it comes to horror and very successful within the horror franchise.


Seminal - 'Psycho' - not entirely a slasher, although the release of 'Psycho' laid down the archetype for the sub-genre - a mentally deranged killer of whom prays on a young woman, who to his knowledge is innocent - this film would later influence many other films of the genre and would be resurrected in remakes and sequels within, as well as after, the golden age of 'Slasher'.

Classic - 'Halloween', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' - 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is the film most credited with establishing the stables of the 'Slasher' genre. A killer of whom murders a group of young individuals until the final girl survives the film.

Revisionist - 'Scream', 'Cherry Falls' - 'Scream' was made in the revival of the 'Slasher' genre; it is most notable due to its own parody film. It was the most financially successful 'Slasher' film ever made with its three sequels that followed.

Parody - 'Scary Movie'