Christian Metz model of genre development.

This entry will focus on Christian Metz model of genre development, and how famous films of the horror genre fit into this model.
In Christian Metz' book 'Language and Cinema' (1974), he explored the development of Genre film and suggested that Genres pass through four phases of existence.

1) The Experimental.
2) The Classic.
3) The Parody.
4) The Deconstruction.

Here are the definitions of each phase;

The Experimental - The phase of early films which explored and experiemented with horror themes in it's narrative. These films helped to formalize the narrative conventions of the horror film in it's earliest phase.

The Classic - The phase of films which established the narrative conventions of the horror genre in it's most sucessful and defining period.

The Parody - The phase of films which have mimicked the horror genre in a comical way.

The Deconstruction - The phase of films which have taken the generic elements of the horror genre and amalgamated them into varying sub-genres.

Here are some examples of how famous films of the horror genre fit into Metz model today.

Phase 1 - Nosferatu, (1922, a silent german expressionism film based on the story of Dracula).

 - The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, (1919, again, another silent german expressionism film).

Phase 2 - Dracula, (1931).
               - Frankenstein, (1931).

Phase 3 - Scary Movie (2000).
               - Carry On Screaming, (1966).
               - Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein, (1948).

Phase 4 - Se7en, (1995).
             - Blair Witch Project, (1999).
             - Scream, (1996).
             - The Sixth Sense, (1999)