Postmodernism in scream

1. POSTMODERNISM IN
SCREAM
By Aimee, Sarah and
Bethlyn

2. WHY IS SCREAM POSTMODERN?
Horror films often have a knowledgeable audience who are
aware of horror conventions and have certain expectations of
the genre. Scream is a film which clearly acknowledges that its
audience will have seen previous horror films. It invites us to
comment on the predictability of the genre and at the same
time offers us a new, self-conscious, at times humorous, but
nonetheless frightening example of the horror film

3. ABOUT THE FILM
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed
by Wes Craven. It was produced by Woods Entertainment, and Distrubuted by
Dimension Films. The film stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney
Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, and Drew Barrymore. Released on
December 20, 1996, Scream follows the character of Sidney Prescott, a high school
student in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, who becomes the target of a
mysterious killer known as Ghostface. The $14 million film opened on 1,413 screens
on December 20, 1996, making nearly $6 million in its opening weekend. As word of
mouth and critical praise spread, the film wound up being the highest grossing
slasher film of all time, earning over $170 million worldwide. The film combined
comedy and mystery with the violence of the slasher genre to mock the cliché of the
horror genre popularised in films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th. The film was
considered unique at the time of its release for featuring characters who were aware
of real world horror films and openly discussed the cliché that Scream attempted to
subvert.

5. CODES AND CONVENTIONS – PARODY IN
SCREAM
Post-modern movies aim to show a different style than the expected. In
this case, a horror film would attempt to frighten audiences, by building up
tension throughout the film.
However, in Scream, the director has manipulated the script and
cinematography to humorously mock the horror genre at moments. By
including this element of parody, shows an alternate to the expected. This
plays and breaks the rules of the typical horror genre.

6. AN EXAMPLE…
The protagonists in the movie almost recognise that they are being
filmed and acting as characters, which is an example of the humour
brought into the movie:
“Do you want me to play the helpless victim ? Please don’t hurt me,
Mr Ghostface, I want to be in the sequel.”
Self aware/ ironic- almost as if they know they are in a film. Irony is
also a convention of Post Modernity, which is played on in the film
frequently.

7. CODES AND CONVENTIONS –
INTERTEXTUALITY
The movie has endless references to Halloween as a central text
within the slasher movie. For instance, much of the film contains
intertexual references to other works of art—especially horror—and
these allusions give the film a postmodern self-awareness.
Constant intertextual references- both Slasher and other films.

8. AN EXAMPLE…
Williamson sets up Jamie Kennedy as a horror movie fan who is
constantly connecting everything back to slasher films. He creates the
famous formula for survival in a horror film:
“No. 1 – never have sex.
No. 2 – never say “I’ll be right back”
and offers such advice as “If the cops saw Prom Night (1980), they’d
know exactly what’s going on.”
(prom night being a Slasher)

9. INTERTEXUALITY
The character Billy Loomis was named after Dr. Loomis
in Halloween, who was named after Sam Loomis
in Psycho. Also, the girl who plays Annie in Halloween is
called Nancy Loomis. There is multiple inter-textual
referencing between Scream, Halloween and Psycho.
Jamie Lee Curtis was chosen for her role
in Halloween precisely because her mother played the
lead female role in Psycho.
At the start of Scream, Casey Becker, played by Drew
Barrymore, is asked to name the killers
in Halloween and Friday the 13th.
Billy’s line “We all go a little mad sometimes” is a direct
quote from Norman Bates in Psycho.
In a comical reference to A Nightmare on Elm Street, the
janitor of the school is shown wearing a fedora and
striped jumper similar to Freddy Krueger’s. The principal
even refers to him as ‘Fred’. This acts as comic relief.
When the principle is killed, there is a close up of his eye
in which we can see the mask of the killer. This is an
obvious allusion to Psycho and the famous shower scene.
In both films, characters are sent to the ‘McKenzie’s’
house for help.
Randy mentions ‘Leatherface’ at one point, a direct
reference to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Tatum tells Sidney she is starting to sound like something
out of a “Wes Carpenter” film: a blending of Wes Craven
and John Carpenter.
There are other minimal references made to The
Howling, The Exorcist and Silence of the Lambs as well as
the characters of ‘Norman Bates’ and ‘Hannibal Lecter’.
During the party at Stu’s house, they all decide to
watch Halloween. Randy explains the
rules of horror films. Randy seems to be
narrating Halloween and his own life, his own horror
movie. Randy screams “he’s behind you!” at the screen,
while the killer of his own movie is right behind him.
When Dewey enters the house to investigate, the
soundtrack to Halloween also acts as the soundtrack
for Scream.

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Fy-XB

11. AUDIENCE
Uses and gratifications theory: This theory describes how the public actively seek out specific
media content for satisfaction purposes, for filling the audiences needs. The audience that are
associated with this theory are know as an ‘active’ audience. Audiences watch ‘Slasher’ films at
the cinema or at home for their own enjoyment, giving them an adrenaline rush. They get
pleasure out of watching horror media products as they are artificial versions of the reality
around us, being unrealistic which we are attracted to, and will allow us to escape our own
reality. The audience that come under this model are free to reject, use or play with the media
in a way that suits them. One example is, if someone is to watch a ‘Slasher’ film and the psycho
killer is killing the girls within the film, the ‘active’ audience know that this isn’t moral thing to
do in reality so they wouldn’t be encouraged to imitate any of the behaviour, they would use
this for entertainment purposes only.
Cultivation Theory: The cultivation theory could suggests that the film industry distorts and
cultivates reality. The audience of this theory are known as ‘passive’. Heavy exposure to films
can lead the viewers to believe that what happens in the film ‘world’ is consistent to what is
happening in the real world. For example, people have been watching films for so many years
and in that time the effect a ‘dark alley’ has on people is negative. This is because people have
seen how ‘dark alleys’ are presented on films such as Slasher films in an negative way, so
audiences think that this applies in the ‘real world’ and this helped cultivate the way society
thinks. This explains the effect that horror films could have on an audience.

12. GENRE – THE SLASHER CYCLE
The fantasy of the narrative allows a view to step into that world for the time the film and out of their
own life therefore it acts as an escapism.
The audience when watching a slasher film bond together and like to feel together in a unsettling
atmosphere, for example TCM. An audience likes to experience fear in a safe place.
Audience can identify with the everyday situations and is therefore easy to connect with the characters
as they get the feeling if it happens to them it could happen to me.
Slasher films used mainly normal everyday villains like Norman in Psycho. This made the genres fear a
lot more real and scary as like the real life criminal Edd Gein the message was “the real monsters are
humans”. The audience can therefore get involved with the film a lot more than say a sci-fi film as its
based loosely around their own reality.
The experience of fear and suspense is the audiences motive for watching, we as an audience want to
and expect to be scared.
The audience know something's going to happen it’s the ‘when’ which the audience enjoy.
"Fear is the most powerful emotion in the human race and fear of the unknown is probably the most
ancient. You're dealing with stuff that everybody has felt; from being little babies we're frightened of
the dark, we're frightened of the unknown. You get to play with the audiences feelings" -- John
Carpenter
Here John Carpenter states that the audiences feelings of the unknown in slasher films within either
the characters or narrative promotes curiosity within us all that makes us want to watch them

13. HISTORY OF SLASHERS
Psycho (1960)
This is generally
considered as
the birth of the
slasher genre
due to its
originality.
An interest
surrounding the
killer’s human
characteristics
developed as a
key convention
to be repeated
later.
The Texas
chainsaw
massacre
(1974)
Played upon the
popularity
Psycho
received, and
developed the
existing
conventions to
franchise the
slasher genre
e.g. gory scenes
elaborated.
Gradual exaggeration of original conventions e.g. over the top murder scenes
Halloween (1978)
Many parallels
with psycho
whilst developing
conventions such
as the final girl
played by Jaime
Lee Curtis.
Captured similar
audience
fascination just
as psycho had.
Friday the 13th
(1980)
Described as
having
conventions of
an
underground
slasher due to
its gory
content,
however
became very
mainstream.
A Nightmare
on Elm
Street
(1984)
The film
became
more
farcical,
lacked fear
and realism
psycho may
have
employed
Post – modern
slashers (1990’s +)
This includes key
examples such as
the Scream trilogy.
Conventions of
slashers are
parodied and one-
liners exploited
making slashers less
scary and more
predictable.

14. IDEOLOGY OF A SLASHER FILM
"There are certain rules one must stand by in
order to successfully survive a horror movie.
For instance, number one... no sex!
Big no, no! Big no, no! Sex=Death
Ok? Number two....Never drink or do drugs.
The sin factor, its a sin!
Its an extension of number one!
And number three...
Never ever-ever, under any circumstances say
I'll be right back
-cause you wont be back." Scream (1996)
From Halloween (John Carpenter 1978) to Scream (Wes Craven 1996)
there are all certain ideologies involved in slasher films and most of
them are to do with the quote above. Slasher films have been criticised
for their right wing propaganda shown in subliminal messaging to a
large young audience. The equation sex equals death sends the
message to impressionable teens that if you behave promiscuously
then you will die (contract sexually transmitted infection).

15. REPRESENTATION
•Representation of the characters is very much associated with the
overall ideology the director wants to convey to its audience
•The most obvious archetype within the slasher film is the virgin.
She is always a ‘she’ and usually the protagonist, with key factors
being that she is a female teenager who is morally pure and
physically attractive.
•Despite the killers being represented as completely insane they are
usually represented as having quite a rational motive for their
immoral killings. This heightens their human qualities despite
being depicted as monstrous - making them more chilling to
watch. The notion that there cold be a killer lurking amongst us.
The Slasher almost never uses the markedly human trait of speech,
and any human features the villain might have are usually covered
by a mask.
“The basic plot of these movies involved some sort of deranged
psychopath gleefully stalking and killing a number of unfortunate
teenage victims. Within this sub-genre there can be found a
number of basic character styles, or archetypes. These archetypes
not only serve to bind certain movies into the slasher category, but
also to provide a window into the culture that they cater to.”

16. TYPICAL CONVENTIONS
Despite countless evidence to the contrary, teenagers in
horror movies will insist on having sex, doing drugs and
investigating strange suspicious noises, usually while half-
naked. The casts of slasher movies have been ignoring these
same rules for more than 25 years.
However, as victims of the conventions of this slasher genre,
they can’t be expected to know any better because they are
there for only one reason – to be brutally murdered for the
audiences entertainment.
Slasher movies on the whole are extremely moral. A strong
morality is shown in the good versus evil set-up, the
constant replaying of revenge tragedies and the fact that

17. PURPOSEFULLY RIGID FORMULA
Generally consisting
of a group of
teenagers, who are
picked of one at a
time.
Usually in an
explicitly violent
fashion, by a
brutal killer.
The killer is usually
punishing the
group for either
trespassing upon
its territory.
Or is avenging an
earlier wrong
perpetrated by that
group or a group that
they symbolically
represent.
The killing
continues until the
closing scenes of
the film when one
character is left,
the ‘Final Girl’.
After a prolonged
chase and struggle
with the killer, she
finally makes a
stand and kills
him/her.

18. SCREAM
Typical conventions of a horror movie seen in this film:
•Don’t have sex or you will die, only the virgin survives.
•Don’t drink or do drugs.
•Don’t say ‘I’ll be right back’.
A teenage girl becomes the target of a killer who has stalked and killed one of her classmates. A
tabloid news reporter is determined to uncover the truth, insisting that the man who raped and killed
Campbell's mother one year earlier is the same man who is terrorizing her now. Campbell's boyfriend
becomes the prime suspect.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
“(Name)…is that you?
“Stop screwing around”
These all signal that something terrible is about to happen. Usually uttered once the character has been
separated from the group and within a specific locale.
A darkened room, a basement, a wooded area. Ultimately they do not receive the reply from their friend
but meet with the sharp end of a weapon by the killer.