Horror Iconography and Ideology

Movie Posters




Questions
1.What visual and written codes are being used?
In the posters above the visual code patterns that emerge are that of darkness and colours associated with horror, and the text corresponds with the specific sub genre for example hatchet II is a slasher horror that has large dominant lettering, semiotically representing the antagonist.


2.What information do they provide about the films?
They give the title, the actors, the director, the opening dates and the credits.


3.What other information might you have expected but is missing?
some do not have taglines and some do not show the stars


4.In what ways do these posters create a sense of enigma?.
They are very vague when it comes to the protagonist and antagonist as well as mode of killing yet they do give a few reference to it, and also they show a bit of the setting in some of them.


5.How are the film producers trying to create a sense of danger and equilibrium?
By using dark oppressive colours and frightening imagery like weapons or gore, also they usually show the antagonist in a scary position.


6.What genre do these films belong to?
The horror genre, though there are sub genres like supernatural and slasher horror in there.


7.What are the generic conventions that are at work in these posters?
blood, gore, weapons, death, youth and fear. these all culminate to create an atmosphere of fear that we have come accustomed to.


8.What differing representations of 'the other' or the 'monster' do they present?
The often shroud it in mystery by only vaguely showing the antagonist but still they show enough to make one fearful due to the atmosphere created by all the other aspects of the poster