Horror Genre - Iconography
Iconography is the association of a genre or film with a picture or theme. An example of this would be blood and gore being linked to horror or thriller films, as well as dark forests and abandoned buildings. Film makers often use these types of imagery in trailers and posters to entice the viewer to see their film, as their audience will be interested in this form of iconography, as they associate it to the horror genre. As said before, a key example of iconography for the horror genre is blood and gore, as it links to many of the gruesome deaths seen within this genre of film. As time has gone on, the horror genre has seen more and more bloody and shocking scenes being used within it, with more detail being shown as well. This is to match the audiences desensitization of gore over time, meaning the severity of the horror has to become worse to match it. A example of this imagery being used can be seen in The Shining (1980), as the flood of blood coming from the elevator gives a strong menacing tone to the film, as well as being shocking and gruesome to the audience.
Another piece of iconography used for the horror genre is sharp knives and weapons, as they are often used by the villains to attack the characters in creative ways. This form of iconography is similar to the one seen before, as it has the same effect of shocking the audience with violent and gruesome imagery. The villains in the films are often seen wielding these aggressive weapons, such as Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), with both of these lead antagonists using sharp weapons to strike fear in to the characters and audience.
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