Iconography is all about what features in a film such as objects and costumes to the production design. Icons for the Western genre of films includes ten gallon hats, spurs, horses, saloons, guns, jails, and the badge of the sheriff. Icons for horror movies may include young girls, haunted houses, and contrasting shadow and light in darkened places. Bad guys often wear black to symbolise evil and leather jackets, often black, are worn by rebels or tough guys. Thrillers are often filmed in urban neighbourhoods whereas scary movies are often set in the suburbs. Science fiction movies have high tech gadgets and automobiles that fly.
Iconography can be symbolic signals which recur through all horror films including: the haunted house, symbols of death, the disfigured face or mask, the screaming victim (final girl). The phallic murder weapon: knife, meat cleaver, chainsaw etc. The binary positions of good and evil. Darkened places where the 'monster' lurks woods cellars. Also the audience expect blood and body parts. Even the use of black and red colours being continually used to make horror film posters imply danger and blood. Even down to the location iconography can be used such as an abandoned house, a forest and places in dark alleys.
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