The masked stalker is a recurring convention throughout the horror movies, Halloween and Scream. The masked stalker creates a sense of uncertainty. It makes the audience think about who the unknown murderer could be and if it is someone we have met earlier in the film. We find out who the masked stalker in Halloween is at the very beginning when we see him, Michael Myers, kill his sister and boyfriend after they just had sex. Compared to Scream where we don't find out who the masked stalker is until the end of the film, in Scream there are two masked murderers who are portrayed as the same person.
By Scream having two murderers using the same identity it confuses the viewer and whenever they thought they knew who the killer was, it would make them change their mind again. This was a clever technique because of the latter, it made the viewer think and question themselves throughout the film.
Becuase we find out at the beginning who the masked murderer is in Halloween it makes the viewer consider different tactics on how they could catch him. It also makes you wonder how the characters in the film don't realise that he is right there, we know he is there because you hear his heavy breathing and a specific tune begins to play but the characters are oblivious. This specific tune also builds up tension and makes the audience anticipate what is about to happen, although sometimes it is a "bus" and nothing scary happens.
Try to use more specific examples in your description of these conventions: think about how the masked stalker is shown through techniques and also costumes, colour, etc. Remember to say the director's name and date of the film.
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