Horror Films: Things That Go Bump in the Night

We have all had a special interest in horror as long as we can remember. Whether our outlet is through fables, movies, or even figments of our imaginations we all find reason to fear something. (ScienceDaily). The issue is when we begin reaching out to these outlets and pursuing them, putting ourselves in the environment of fear to feel the exhilaration of being frightened but the question is why? Many scientists have given their own explanation to this question but they all differ and there is no solid reasoning.
As time moves forward so does technology. Although the most popular outlet for the horror genre nowadays is a good horror film this was not always the case because “Before there were horror movies, there were written or spoken horror narratives, fables handed down from one generation to the next, and, as we shall see, the theatrical presentations designed to thrill and horrify audiences” (Dixon 1). Over time, individual cultures created the same monsters but customized them to their specific cultures. For example, Mexico has the Chewbacabra and North America has Bigfoot. These are in theory the same “monster” but are unique to the cultures that brought them to life.
As the form in which we experience horror expands so do the pockets of the people producing the material our fears feed off. The horror industry is a “… frighteningly big business: The appeal of evil drives the $500 million haunted-attraction industry and $400 million at the box office for horror films each year…” (Chudgar). The expansion of horror not only pays those who produce but it also pushes the special effects industry. Nowadays you cannot have a successful horror movie without pulling off a few impressive special effects tricks. The better the tric...

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