Saw II trailer

Draft Opening Paragraph

To what extent has the horror genre been affected by desensitisation focusing on the 1980's through to 2010

The horror genre has changed significantly through time, displaying a rise in the levels of violence shown in films. I will explore how the affect of desensitisation has affected the audience response to violence over time and how this has shaped modern horror films. This can be seen through my two chosen texts, the 1980's horror film, The Shinning and the 2005 'torture porn' film, saw II. I will apply theories surrounding genre, discussing postmodernism within the horror genre and how this is a product of audiences demand. I will also discuss audience theories such as they affect that horror films have on the audiences outlook, through the hyperdermic model and the cultivation theory creating stereotypical views. I will also discuss uses and gratifacations, focusing on the audiences response and demand for high levels of violence in films and how desensitisation is the product of that.


The Shinning bases itself around an isolated hotel, where Danny sees disturbing visions known as 'the Shinning". The Father, Jack, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and the impact of the hotel's former guests in the form of ghosts. After being convinced to "correct" the family, jack goes completely insane. Saw II is based around Jigsaw, the serial killer, locking eight people in a booby trapped shelter, forcing them to find their way out before they inhale too much of the lethal nerve gas and die.

Draft Research Question

Draft Research question: To what extent has the horror genre been affected by desensitization focusing on the 1980's through to 2010.

How do your chosen texts attract their audiences?

My chosen text, 'Lost' uses a range of different techniques to attempt to attract their chosen audience. Lost targets a mainstream audience, using certain narrative techniques to help aid the audience in viewing the program in the preferred way. We see an example of this in the scene where Kate, Sawyer, Sayid and charlie are in the forrest, heading towards the top of the mountain to try and get signal of the radio. The program uses a score to create tension and suspense and help aid the viewer to feel the preferred way, as right after the non diegetic sound, we see a polar bear try and attack Kate, Sawyer, Sayid and charlie. Lost also uses an ensemble cast, with a range of ages, genders, class's, races, handicaps and nationalities, for example, Charlie is British, John is disabled and Sun and Jin are both korean. By creating an ensemble cast, this attracts a wider audience base, by not only aiding the narrative, for example by allowing more conflicts, but also to allow the audience to personally identify with a character.

Madmens target audience is required to be much more active due to the narrative. For example, In 'The Other Woman' episode, there is a scene where Don show up to Joans house to assure and convince her not to sleep with Herb so that they can get the Jaguar deal.  Later on, we see in a flash forward, Joan sleeps with Herb, and just as she gets back Don shows up to tell her not to do it. This example shows how Madmens target audience would have to be active, as this narrative technique of a flash forward is not made obvious to the viewer. Madmens target audience is also shown through the representations presented in the program, such as the representation of women, which can be seen in the scene where Don throws money back in Peggys face. Where some women may take the oppositional reading as the representation is old fashioned and may be seen as offensive, some may take the negotiated reading and find the program interesting due to the change in times. This shows how the characters and their representation affects who will want to watch the program and therefore who Madmens target audience is.