Read more
The term "slasher film" was common parlance by the mid-1980s but the horror subgenre it describes was at least a decade old by then--formerly referred to as "stalker," "psycho" or "slice-'em-up." Examining 74 movies--from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) to Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)--the author identifies the characteristic elements of the subgenre while tracing changes in narrative patterns over the decades.
The slasher canon is divided into three eras: the classical (1974-1993), the self-referential (1994-2000) and the neoslasher cycle (2000-2013).
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
1.¿A Theoretical and Historical Approach to Slasher Films
Slasher Films: A Horror Subgenre
The Semantic/Syntactic Elements of Slasher Films
The Cycles of the Slasher Film Subgenre
An Epilog to the Theoretical and Historical Approach
2.¿The Classical Cycle of Slasher Films
The Normality of the Classical Cycle
The Other of the Classical Cycle
The Final Survivors of the Classical Cycle
The Victims of the Classical Cycle
An Epilog on the Classical Cycle
3.¿The Self-Referential Cycle of Slasher Films
The Normality of the Self-Referential Cycle
The Other of the Self-Referential Cycle
The Final Survivors of the Self-Referential Cycle
The Victims of the Self-Referential Cycle
An Epilog on the Self-Referential Cycle
4.¿The Neoslasher Cycle of Slasher Films
The Normality of the Neoslasher Cycle
The Other of the Neoslasher Cycle
The Final Survivors of the Neoslasher Cycle
The Victims of the Neoslasher Cycle
An Epilog on the Neoslasher Cycle
Conclusions
Appendix A: Films Referenced
Appendix B: Semantic Elements
Chapter Notes
Filmography
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Sotiris Petridis is an adjunct professor at Aristotle University and a screenwriter and an independent film producer. He lives in Thessaloniki, Greece.
