Research: Dead Mary, Dead Wood and Wrong Turn

When watching just the first opening 5 minutes of horror films typical conventions can already be identified. We looked at the films Dead Mary, Dead Wood and Wrong Turn. We ticked the conventions we saw in the openings of each.

The conventions listed on the check-list: secluded location, characters forget an obvious threat, power is cut, problem with phone, character investigates a strange noise, character runs upstairs (not outside), character hides by a window/behind a door, character inexplicably falls over, vehicle won't start, fake scare, warning goes unheeded, someone dies in 5 minutes, x years before/later, stormy weather and character takes a short cut.

Some of the most common conventions included in these three films was a secluded location, a fake scare and someone dying in the first 5 minutes. Another convention that was not on the check-list was also seen in all three, this was the characters being one male and one female. Also the male was always more heroic and dominant than the female and both the characters had to be fairly attractive.

Below is the opening of Dead Wood however we only watched the first 5 minutes when looking at the conventions included. Out of the three films this one had the most conventions. It includes a secluded location - the woods (which seems to be a favourite in teen-horrors), a character investigating a strange noise - when the female character gets out of the tent to look for her boyfriend, a fake scare - the first clip aimed to make audiences jump is only 40 seconds in, someone dies in the first 5 minutes - even though the character who dies does so by falling and x years before/later - it says 'Friday' to move the film on.