Horror Films: Why Do Some People Love Being Scared... Horror is a film genre that's been popular since nearly the start of cinema. The first documented film is 'Le Manoir du diable' (The Haunted Castle / 1896), a short by French cinema pioneer Georges Méliès. Of course horror, as tales in art and literature, has been fascinating and frightening humans since ancient times and has its origins in lore and traditions. The fundamental threat in such stories is generally based on the larger fears of a society. If it cannot frighten the majority of us, it will have no appeal. Prof. Paul J. Patterson, Ph.D., co-director of Medieval, Renaissance and Reformation Studies at Saint Joseph's University says that throughout history each generation has defined horror largely on the idea of something outside of our understanding that is threatening us. In his class, 'Horror in Literature and Film', he and his students analyse works such as Homer's Odyssey, Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818), Alfred Hitchcock's works (1940 - 70), the slashers of the 90s, and the post-9/11 movies. Their analysis is that many of the post 9/11 horror films are about torture, while the zombie wave is because of the menace of biological warfare. We are able to relate to horror films because of our fear of dying, our dread of the unknown and the …show more content…
thrill that some of us get out of facing something terrifying. But according to some experts, it is not the horror itself but what we experience afterwards that decides whether we love such films. When we watch a scary movie, it increase out heart beat, gives us an adrenaline rush, and heightens the mind and body’s arousal due to the release of dopamine. This heightened sense can continue for some time and any positive or negative activity or occurrence during that time appears more intense and which decides our passion or aversion towards horror movies. Have enough of the positive experiences and you become a horror buff. Also some individuals love an adrenaline rush just for how it makes them feel.
Such individuals would be the first ones to indulge in some dangerous activity like an extreme sport. Their amygdala, which is important to making and storing memories connected to emotions, is more active. On the other hand, those who are not hormonal junkies would be less likely to enjoy horror movies. A 2007 study in the Journal of Consumer Research had participants watch horror clips, and found that those who had mentioned earlier on that they enjoyed horror were on average happier post the screenings, even though all of them were equally
scared. Another likely theory is that we love to be frightened, and as long as it does not bodily harm us, we indulge in it. In fact enjoying fear has an evolutionary value. Only those who were willing to explore the unknown who were able to find more sources and newer resources, and so being willing to face your fears was a trait that was useful from a survival point of view. Fear is thus an emotion that's based on our brain's primitive fight-or-flight, and once aroused, it momentarily distracts us from our ordinary existence. It is like a heroin high, and the only antidote is more of it. If it was not the case people who are genuinely scared after watching a horror, would never go for another one, but we all know that it is not true. Once stimulated, it is eager to be turned back on again. Sounds like a horror premise in itself, does it not? There is also an assumption that it is the gore that attracts people to such films, but it seems unlikely because some of the most successful scary films have little or no gore. For instance Stanley Kubrick's psychological horror, 'The Shining' (1980), starring Jack Nicholson, shows just one murder and that too near the end of the film, but is considered one of the most hypnotic horror movies. Another example is 'Paranormal Activity' (2007) by Oren Peli, and which is said to be one of the most profitable films ever made, based on return on investment. But nevertheless there is something about the thrills and chills that is definitely primordial. Little wonder then that the representative audience for such cinema is mostly young and male. Now of course the idea that horror films is mainly for men seems antiquated and downright sexist. And it would be except that it is supported by research. Men in most societies are conditioned since childhood to not be, or at the least pretend to not be scared. And so many males tend to take their dates to scary films in order to prove that they are brave and can take care of them. The physical closeness would possibly be a bonus. In one of the studies, women who were with men who were unafraid enjoyed the film more. And men's testosterone levels have been found to be higher during and post a horror movie. Yet interestingly horror is never on the list of favourite films. The genre is usually no more than 1-3% of top lists and usually even lesser. A likely explanation is that most horror films do not leave us feeling good, excited yes but also unsettled. As anyone who's seen The Exorcist or The Shining will attest. –-------------------------–-------------------------–-------------------------–-------------------------–------------------ Do you like horror movies or are you scared of them? Share with us in the comments below!
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
...is that isn’t always the case. Often, we either became the prey or the predator. Another reason is that we need to reassure ourselves our lives could be worse. We have this idea that what happens in movies only happens in movies and therefore we watch these films to guarantee our worst fears will never become our reality, regardless of how realistic it may seem. Lastly, we watch the genre of film that best matches our current mood or events that previously took place that day. Our emotions are key; if we’re depressed, we may be more likely to watch a horror film.
The horror genre of film captives the frightfulness of individual fear, horror is the only genre that is meant captive the terror of the audience. The horror- the genre has been around well over one hundred- years there has been an extension of different types of horror and how the audience perceives horror. Many would even argue that horror films often reflect the fear of society in that certain time period. The evolution of horror reflects the evolution of society’s fear. American in 1929 face the stock market crash-inducing The Great Depression.
Paranoia has always been an enemy to me in the darkness. This irrational fear has accounted for many sleepless nights, and horror only fuels the fire. Yet, I am still captivated by something that produces such unpleasant results. The culprit just might be one thing-- the characteristics, events, and situations that humans all share that are the ingredients to what makes things such as emotions and ambitions exist; otherwise known as the human condition. Based on these two notions, it is safe to say that in the article “Why We Crave Horror,” Stephen King is correct in claiming that humans crave horror to display some sort of bravery, to reassure feelings of normality, and simply for the fun of it.
Horror is one of many fears humans have. We all have many terrors, but horror is the one that gets the best of us. Some crave, while others resent, the feeling horror movies bring to our body and the emotions that we experience. In Stephen King’s article, “Why We Crave Horror,” he explains that it is a part of the “Human Condition,” to crave the horror. King gives many strong and accurate claims on why we crave the horror movies, such as; testing our ability to face our fears, to re-establish our feelings of normality, and to experience a peculiar sort of fun.
I have provided a clear evaluation of his essay in an organized way using the appropriate standards of evaluation. In understanding why humans “Crave Horror Movies” even when some people get nightmares after watching them we find the importance of our emotions and fears. We find those emotions and fears form a body of their own which needs to be maintained properly in order to remain healthy. We see how emotions can be controlled though viewing horror movies. Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies” is a well written essay with convincing analogies, comparisons, and urban humor.
Just as a mirror reflects one’s face, the horror genre is a physical representation of how fear is portrayed to discuss the social anxieties of one’s time period. Representations of fear have continued to vary in accordance to reflect a particular time period’s social anxieties. Robin Wood, in the essay American Nightmare: Essays on the Horror Film, articulates how the ‘true subject of the horror genre is the struggle for recognition of all that our civilisation represses or oppresses.’ He contended that the way in which any given horror narrative determines this conflict, uncovers its ideological orientation, and further, that most of these compositions will be conservative; stifling desires inside of the self and disavowing it by projecting
For example, the short story “ Why we crave horror “ Stephen says that we are having a “ particular sort of fun” meaning death. King says “ pro football has become the voyeur's version of combat,then the horror film has become the modern version”( Kings , “ why we crave horror” .2). Meaning the soldier’s version of combat has become the horror , in which kids see, fun to watch at a young age. Horror movies are to make a purpose for you to feel catharsis towards it. Emotion muscles also known as the human condition, are the way you feel about the horror in that case, having fun while watching it and finding it interesting. Compared to the narrator and the events of “Strawberry Spring,” we “reestablish our feelings of essential normality” (King, “Why We Crave” 1). Despite the macabre fact that multiple women are killed in the short story “Strawberry Spring,” the experience is a “peculiar sort of fun” (King, “Why We Crave”
The first stage of the genre cycle is called the primitive stage. During this stage of the cycle, the genre of horror is very new. Filmmakers are trying to decide what makes a horror film a horror film, while audience are figuring out what they should expect every time they see this kind of film. For example, Todd Browning’s Dracula is the basic, stripped down blueprint for many monster-horror films today. It features the “bad guy” accompanied by the “good guy”. After several horrifying events, Van Helsing kills the vampire, Dracula, and good prevails, again. Thus, establishing that in horror films no matter how grue...
In the essay “Why We Crave Horror Movie,” Stephen King describes that horror movies are beneficial for the people because we are all mentally ill. King explains that horror movie is a sort of release because everyone has a dark side in our body, so watching horror movie can keep the hungry alligators under control. People watch horror movie because they want to prove themselves that they are not afraid of a horror movie, and they are normal people too. King describes horror movie like a roller coaster, so people have enough courage to sit through the whole ride. People also enjoy seeing other people in danger. A horror movie can also keep the dark emotion down such as violence and aggression, and it allows people to remain happy and sane. A horror movie can
Horror films are designed to frighten the audience and engage them in their worst fears, while captivating and entertaining at the same time. Horror films often center on the darker side of life, on what is forbidden and strange. These films play with society’s fears, its nightmare’s and vulnerability, the terror of the unknown, the fear of death, the loss of identity, and the fear of sexuality. Horror films are generally set in spooky old mansions, fog-ridden areas, or dark locales with unknown human, supernatural or grotesque creatures lurking about. These creatures can range from vampires, madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists, demons, zombies, evil spirits, satanic villains, the possessed, werewolves and freaks to the unseen and even the mere presence of evil.
The Horror Movie in Late Modern Society’ that labelling films such as these as postmodern may be an overreach. He argues that the hybridity of the genre as seen in horror-comedies such as ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ and ‘Scream’ are nothing ‘new’ and that comedy has always played a prevalent role in the horror genre. He goes on to state that, “much of the comic fun to be had (in contemporary horror-comedies) derives from the excess of gory detail. The other aspect, in this case more a development characteristic of the 1990s than the 1980s, is the tendency to reflexively generate humour by openly appealing to a knowing audience’s familiarity with the genre conventions.” This view suggests that Tudor views the emergence of a more comedic element to horror movies as more of an evolutionary step in horror, than a deliberately postmodern outlook. He cements this as his view as he uses the example of ‘Scream’ and the films made in its wake (such as ‘Scary Movie’ (2000)), Tudor claims “It is films such as these that have so often attracted the designation ‘postmodern’, if only superficially, because of their studied self-consciousness and their use of pastiche.” (Tudor, p.107) Tudor’s view is that films such as these bear only surface-level post-modernism that the term is used too liberally and the films would be better suited towards the term parody than a post-modernism. Tudor argues that their “studied self-consciousness” disqualifies them from being labelled as postmodern, however it can be argued that parody and self-consciousness elements of these films are what make them postmodern at
People are addicted to the synthetic feeling of being terrified. Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned.
Horror movies attempt to make the audience experience fear, dread, disgust or terror. The plots often involve the supernatural and fantasy world giving the audience the reassurance that what is being seen is not truly existing. Horror movie plots are often than not, predictable. Horror movies will show gruesome and graphic violence. Many times, this will include close up shots of horrifying deaths and relentless tortures in an attempt to compel an audience to express emotions such as disgust and fright. Also, the way horror movies are promoted and advertised is a difference. In trailers and movie covers the backgrounds are often red or a dark color as such. It suggests danger and advocates violence. A horror movie is scarier in that exact moment and
A horror movie “makes people think, what if it was reality?” said by a thrill seeker person who was waiting to watch a horror movie. Experts also cite more various reasons about why people enjoy watching scary movies. For the thrill of it and also because it seems real for thrill seekers; these are some secretes reveled to show why thrill seekers enjoy horror movies. Feeling the sense of evil and being curious about understanding humanity’s dark side makes horror movies a perfect way of enjoying these feelings, and relieving the tension of curiosity about violent, blood and terrorism. Moreover, experts said that not only desirability to blood and fear could consider as an attraction to whose ...