Ciera Catalano, Will Gracey, Michael Benton, Michael Rupert

Pop-Culture in the US
Phoebe Young
Omeka Project Proposal

Mission Statement: We will discover why people enjoy the particular horror movie tropes that
they do and what this tell us about American society. In doing so we will look at historical
movies and their tropes as well as modern contemporary ones and examine the context that
inspires them and makes them so poignant and relevant to certain audiences especially as
evidenced in Cabin in the Woods. We will also examine historical trends as well as tropes and
themes that have endured in the horror genre and examine why they have been so enduring
throughout generations. In doing this we will examine certain questions including “what are the
origins of popular movie monsters like vampires, zombies etc? What was the context in which
they arose, what were they representative of, and what context allowed them to be so
enduring?” and “What can the common tropes of ‘the slut dies first’ and ‘the stupid jock’ tell us
about gender roles in society”. In doing so we will explore larger themes like gender roles,
isolation, and monsters as representatives of societal fears.

Audience: 18-24 year olds, as they are typically consumers of the genre, but not limited to just
students even though this is in an academic environment. We would also like this to appeal to
fans of the genre and make them look at the genre in a way they have not previously. We also
hope to appeal to fans of film and perhaps filmmakers in general in an attempt to allow them to
see the underlying reflection of society present in the genre. Perhaps this will ultimately appeal
to critics of the genre as well especially those who accuse the genre of being cheap jump
scares and show them the value behind horror.

Preliminary Content Plans: Our primary sources will include Cabin in the Woods, The Shining,
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, interviews with Joss Whedon and other directors, and Stephen King.
We will gather excerpts of text from horror novels as well as primary source analysis on said
books. In addition we will attempt to gather clips from the movie itself to exemplify and clarify
what tropes we are referring to. We will primarily discuss content of the film and the context that
it arises from, but the analysis may include cinematographic techniques especially in the tropes
section.
-Our text will include the following:
1) Similarities of horror movies, how Cabin in the Woods follows formula, other movies that
follow this trend, Halloween, The Shining, I Know What You Did Last Summer
2) Differences, how Cabin in the Woods deviates from norm, other deviating movies
3) Tropes/symbols- the slut dies first, the stupid primal jock, “we should split up”,
interchangeable artifacts and monsters, the woods=isolated anywhere
4) History- where did horror come from, what did it grow out of (Twilight Zone?), roots in other
stories
5) How does the movie reflect modern society, what does it say about our fears, slut dies first
trope and anti slut shaming movement, stupid jock=our judgment of student athletes

Historical: The historical aspect of the project will include The Shining, Stephen King (prior to
1990), Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street. There will be at least five books and articles
from secondary relevant fields such as articles and books examining horror movies or books.
Finally there will be an about and credits page which will be filled out as we go.

Schedule:
By October 8th we will have our formal proposal finished.
During the time span from Oct 8th to Nov 7th individual group members will work on their
research into their respective interests.
Progress report will be finished the weekend before November 7th. At this point we will all have
collected at least 5 sources either primary or analysis and have figured out how to present said
sources.
By December 2nd we will have our project ready to present to the class in case we are one of
the groups presenting on the 3rd.
By December 10th we will have our project revised and ready for formal submission.
The weekend before each major date we will meet to put together the product and discuss if we
need further review. Beyond that Google docs will be our primary source of communication and
where our product comes together.

Roles and Responsibilities: Under the content section the group member responsible for that
section is listed after the description. All of us will collaborate on the assignment in addition to
collaborating on the conclusion. We will meet on the times listed above as well as periodically
check in via email and Google docs in order to assemble the final product. Each person should
be responsible for about 3-5 sources primary or otherwise.

Ciera- Similarities in Horror films

The Cabin in the Woods calls attention to known character archetypes commonly found
in popular teen horror movies, as well as the typical formula of the plot. These similarities are
particularly prevalent in films of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, where the central premise is
that a group of popular and attractive (usually shallow) teenagers get lost in the woods and they
slowly get picked off by a mysterious murderer and the virgin survives. In order to discuss this I
will find video clips and pictures from classic horror films such as Friday the Thirteenth and
compare them to similar clips from Cabin in the Woods.

Will- How is Cabin in the Woods different?

While Cabin in the Woods makes use of the classic horror formula, it takes a couple of
unexpected turns that are more or less unexplored within the genre. This section of the project
will focus on bringing to light these subtle differences and their implications concerning the
audience. Also, I will take a look at other films in the genre such as Scream that have deviated
from the classic formula in order to demonstrate the change that is taking place in modern
horror-movie making. In order to examine this I will examine video from movies that tend to
deviate from this formula including Tucker and Dale vs Evil.

Michael Benton- What are the prevalent tropes and symbols/communication and scheduling
Cabin in the Woods utilizes so many different tropes and symbols that are popular within
the horror genre. We will delve into these various different tropes to figure out why exactly they
are popular culture, and why they work or do not work within the horror genre. I will attempt to
find primary source documents and analysis of horror movie tropes as well as find clips
comparing the tropes and how they are portrayed in various movies and in Cabin in the Woods.
I will also be in charge of keeping on schedule and contacting people to check progress.

Michael R- What is the history of horror film/final project assembly

Cabin in the Woods touches on many tropes in the horror genre spanning back many
generations. In this section I will discuss the historical origins of horror movie tropes especially
the origins of monsters in the movie. I will examine some of the early monsters like Mary
Shelly’s Frankenstein and Brahm Stoker’s Dracula and how such early monsters were
influenced by their society and how they influence modern day monsters like those in Cabin in
the Woods. I will attempt to find analysis on said novels and their themes. I will also put together
the final product and prepare it for presentation.

Kelly- What can horror tell us about society?

This is essentially our conclusion section where we will answer the questions we set out
to discover in our mission statement and will therefore express our thesis statement. Here I will
analyze what Cabin in the Woods says about the genre of horror itself and by extension what it
says about modern society. I will incorporate a sampling of historical context and present day
context. I will discuss both the consistency and the potential evolution of fears and the comment
that makes on our society. I plan to explore the implications of those fears. I will also use the
movie Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue which analyzes horror movies and what it tells us
about society. Essentially, this will conclude our analysis by answering why we are fearful of
certain things, why the construct of horror is effective, and what that says about us.