Slasher/Horror Film Titles

Deconstruction of the name of slasher/horror films

We have decided on our film concept so it is important that we decide on a name for it. To give us an idea I looked at the names of other horror/slasher films.

• Scream
• Psycho
• Texas Chainsaw massacre
• Maniac
• Madman
• Nightmare
• Candyman
• Blood rage
• Halloween
• The Cabin in the Woods

The titles are simple but are reflective of the film's plot as well as the main concept of the film. Most of the titles are one or two words which makes it seem more dramatic and is also more memorable.

Some titles are less imaginative and give more information about the film than others, for example The Cabin in the Woods and Texas Chainsaw Massacre give a simple description of what the viewers should expect from the film. Although they are longer names than others, they are still made memorable by being different to what is expected so they stand out against other horror films with only one word in the name.

From what I have seen in other horror films, I think the title we came up with, Faceless, is a good one and conforms to the conventions of horror films. It is linked to the film because the murderer will be wearing a potato sack on their head and so won't show their face.

Film Titles & Typography

Film titles & Typography

I I wanted to look in the use of film titles for different genres to get ideas for our own film title. I looked into supernatural horror and slasher as they are the two genre's we were most interested in.

     Supernatural Horror:

The uninvited: This relates to the genre of horror, and through the use of the title as well as the creepily made movie poster where the supernatural being is peering into the window, is used to scare the audience further as they realize this could happen to them in their own home. The title symbolizes something unwanted terrorizing someone and tells the audience what is expected from the film. The typography used is san serif and looks like condensation on a window making it look cold and linking in with the title of the 'uninvited' it also suggests it's location is set in a house.

Paranormal activity: Despite it already being a well known franchise due to it’s amount of films made for the series, the title shows it is a supernatural horror revealing something dark and strange is going to happen. The title is san serif and it is in a red colour, symbolizing the danger of what is going to happen in the movie, it also helps the title to stand out.

The Babadook: Sounds like a child-like word, as if it has been made up from a child’s imagination. This gives an insight to the narrative of the movie. The title is once again red in serif text, symbolizing danger and the gore of the 

A lot of films use the word ‘the’ at the beginning of their titles to further emphasis the title as something important. However a lot of horror movie’s stick by the stereotype of having a single word as their title (Orphan, Annabelle, Sinister) and it is usually something linking to the genre they are part of.

Slasher:

Scream: I looked at the film; Scream and thought about how the title links well with the genre of slasher, suggesting something horrific is going to happen as we associate screaming with fear, showing what the audience can expect from the film. The typography is simple white san serif, it is unique due to the sharper point of the 'M' on 'Scream' the colours contrasting the black colour of the movie poster making it stand out. 

Nightmare on Elm Street: Nightmare on Elm Street uses the colour red on their title to symbolise the blood and gore of what the audience can except to see, relating to the genre of slasher and makes it look dangerous. The typography has the word 'Nightmare' in a larger size, making it stand out. The word 'nightmare' associated with fear. The title also reveals where the location is set, Elm Street.

The Cabin in the woods: The title to this movie is creative as it relates to the location in which the film is based. Conforming to the common conventions of thriller movies, as it is set in an isolated location, in a woods, where there is no help nearby. The typography is serif and is in black, it has been edited to have scratches over the text making it look old, dirty and as if it has been scratched by the claws of something, giving it a sinister feel.