Clayton George Wickham - final thesis

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added novelty of displacing Jason from Camp Crystal Lake, which is intended as a
generic rural setting to a specifically recognizable urban setting. Although this
tendency is not replicated across other horror films released at the time, similar uses
of psychic phenomena become intertwined with horror narratives. Halloween 4: The
Return of Michael Myers (1988; dir. Little) attempts a closer return to the early
1980s slasher formula, and it introduces the character of Jaime, who is the daughter
of Laurie from Halloween and Halloween II, who has died before the events of
Halloween 4. Jaime, however, through nightmares, is able on a small level, to
foretell the danger that Michael presents. This is followed by Halloween 5: The
Revenge of Michael Myers, in which Jaime is rendered mute by the traumatic
experience of the previous film, but shares a psychic connection with Michael, in a
similar way to Rennie’s psychic connection to Jason in Jason Takes Manhattan,
released the same year. This illustrates little change in the slasher’s infusion of the
supernatural into its plotlines, and an increased sympathy for the killer, while
favouring the perspective of the protagonists.
Two years following the release of Jason Takes Manhattan, Freddy’s Dead:
The Final Nightmare (1991; dir. Talalay) was released, showing evidence of the
unprofitability of the running horror franchises. Freddy’s Dead contains multiple
elements designed to increase the novelty factor of the film, overtly aiming for
mainstream appeal and high box office receipts. First, as indicated by the title, the
film promises the end of the culturally significant A Nightmare on Elm Street
franchise, telling viewers that they should expect to be witness to the end of this
cultural institution. Secondly, the film includes cameos from U.S. television
celebrity couple Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold. Roseanne at this point had one of
the highest-rated sitcoms on American television, and Freddy’s Dead appeared one