Scope Note:

Type of fictional horror work, highlighting shock and violence, most often centered around a male psychokiller who slashes to death a string of mostly female victims, one by one, until he is subdued or killed, usually by the one woman who has survived and fights back. Often the murderer is motivated by perverse sexuality or some past misdeed, taking revenge on the larger community, and killing becomes a metaphor for rape. Feature examples: BLOODY BIRTHDAY (with Youth); DRESSED TO KILL (1980); FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH; HALLOWEEN; HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE; I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE; IT'S ALIVE; MOTEL HELL (with Parody); MY BLOODY VALENTINE; A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET; PEEPING TOM / FACE OF FEAR; PROM NIGHT (with Youth); PSYCHO; SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE (with College); STUDENT BODIES (with Parody); THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

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