Film Genre

Horror films are divided up into subgenres to make it easier to identify what kind of horror film you are going to see. Whether it is all blood and gore such as the Saw movies or if it is paranormal and scientific horror such as Insindious and Paranormal Activity 1,2,3.

Horror Film Subgenre's:

Body Horror - This subgenre is horrific because of the graphic destruction/degeneration of the body or the contortion of body parts to make unnatural movements such as disfigured limbs. The top 5 body horror films are:

1. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) by Tom Six - A small indie film. It is about a demented surgeon who decides the best way to create a human centipede is to connect 3 young adults from anus-to-mouth to make a digestive system. He uses roofees and dart guns to collect his unwilling patients.
2. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) by Shinya Tsukamoto
3. From Beyond (1986) by Stuart Gordon
4. Videodrome (1983) by David Cronenburg
5. Society (1989) by Brian Yuzna - this film is about a a popular high school boy who is dating the head cheerleader but feels like he doesn't fit it. He finds out that he has been killed in an accident. He finds out that the upper class society in Beverly Hills is literally feeding off the poor. An extremely gory horror film.

Comedy Horror - This subgenre combines the elements of comedy and horror fiction. Examples of this genre are:

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) by Jim Sharman - Is about a newly engaged couple who have a breakdown in an isolated area and have to visit the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a transfestite)
2. American Werewolf in London (1991) by John Landis - is about two American tourists in Britain one is killed by the werewolf and the other is mauled. The werewolf is killed and returned to its human form. The surviving student finds that his friends and other recent victimes appear to him and demand that he finds a way to die to release them from their curse.
3. Gremlins (1984) by Joe Dante - About a boy who breaks 3 important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes mischevious and dangerous monsters on a small town.
4. Beetlejuice (1988) by Tim Burton - A couple of recently dead ghosts contract the services of a 'bio-exorcist' in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house.
5. Arachnophobia (1990) by Frank Marshall - A south american killer spider gets taken back to the US in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.

Gothic Horror - Contains goth and horror. Maybe with a small portion of romants that unfolds. Examples of this film genre are:

1. The Phantom of the Opera (2004) by Joel Shumacher - A disfigured musical genius terrorizes the opera company for the benefit of a young protégé whom he trains and loves.
2. Dracula (1992) by Francis Ford Coppola - A vampire comes to England to seduce a visitors fiancée and create havoc throughout England.
3. Frankenstein (1994) Kenneth Branagh - When Victor Frankensteinrejects the artificial man he just created, the monster escapes and swears revenge.
4. The Mummy (1999) by Stephen Sommers - An American accidently awakens a Mummy in the ancient city of Hamunaptra.
5. Let Me In (2010) by Matt Reeves - A bullied young boy befriends a young vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian.

Kiddie Horror: These are horror movies directed at a young audience, they play on the common fears of children, featuring mainly supernatural frights, less gore and a preteen/teenage cast.
Examples of this subgenre include:

1. The Monster Squad (1987) by Fred Dekker - Dracula plans to rule the world and seeks the help of other legendary monsters such as Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy and The Gill Man.
2. The Gate (1986) by Tibor Taká - Three young children accidently release a horde of nasty, pint sized demonds from a hole in a surburban backyard.
3. Monster House (2006) by Gil Kenan - Three teens discover that their neighbours house is really a living, breathing, scary monster. Animated film.
4. Troll 2 (1990) by Claudio Fragasso - A family on holiday in a small town sicover that the whole town is inhabited by goblins in disguise who plan to eat them.
5. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) by Jack Clayton

Monster Movie: A horror film which features a creature (usually oversized and/or fictional) as the antagonist. Examples of this subgenre include:

1. Jaws (1974) by Steven Spielburg - Famous film about a gigantic great white shark who begins to provoke and kill the small island community of Amity.
2. Piranha (2010) by Alexandre Aja - A sudden underwater tremor sets free a load of man-eating fish that cause havoc during the summer holidays.
3. King Kong (2005) by Peter Jackson - An overly amitious movie producer and his crew travel to the mysterious Skull Island and then encounter King Kong - a giant ape.
4. Jurassic Park (1993) by Steven Spielburg - During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run wild.
5. Anaconda (1997) by Luis Llosa  - A National Geographic film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter who takes them on his quest to capture the worlds largest, deadliest snake.

Natural Horror: A horror film which features mutated/carnivorous animals/plants which are normally harmless that have been turned into killers.

1. The Birds (1963) by Alfred Hitchcock
2. The Swarm (1978) by Irwin Allen - A huge swarm of deadly African bees spread terror over American cities killing thousands of people.
3. Lake Placid (1999) by Steve Miner - A man eating crocodile let loose in a lake.
4. Snakes on a Plane (2006) by David R. Ellis - An FBI agent embarkes on a plane full of deadly and poisonous snakes.
5. The Ruins (2008) by Carter Smith