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re: Why Do So Many People Watch Horror Movies?
Posted on 10/7/14 at 8:38 am to Brosef Stalin
Posted on 10/7/14 at 8:38 am to Brosef Stalin
0
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:05 am to Dam Guide
quote:
I don't understand how people get scared by this stuff. I just can't get past the fakeness of it all.
Suspension of Disbelief. It all depends on how you view the film experience. If you go into it wanting it to be fake, or looking to prove it wrong, or looking for problems, then yeah it's hard to enjoy anything but an ultra-realistic film or documentary.
But the same idea that our adrenaline pumps in a ridiculous scene of John McClane dodging through a spray of bullets is the same thing about horror, the more you give in/let go, the more you'll get out of it, and that includes feeling scared, or excited, or tense, etc.
I like horror films, I won't say the complete effect is being scared or terrified, but if they for one second, just make me double check the mirror or take one last look before I turn the light, then they've done their job.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:11 am to Patrick_Bateman
I hate horror movies. I'm a very vivid dreamer, so I get an incredible rush from nightmares. I'll wake up in a cold sweat scared out of my mind, and it just doesn't happen during horror movies.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:12 am to Patrick_Bateman
You can appreciate a good horror film when it's done right. It's just a getaway from the norm, really. A change-up for your movie taste instead of the typical Action/Comedy/Suspense film.
I used to watch all the Saw films just to fall asleep.
I used to watch all the Saw films just to fall asleep.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:12 am to LeonPhelps
quote:
There are plenty of non-horror movies I have to avert my eyes from because the scene is too gross or too graphic. I cannot watch Tarrantino movies for this reason.
Tarantino movies are so gory, that I just laugh. Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:16 am to SwaggerCopter
quote:
Tarantino movies are so gory, that I just laugh.
Me too. I like it though, because it brings a levity to some serious situations, and I like to imagine Tarantino giggling with delight when a tiny gunshot wound dumps 5 gallons of blood on the floor.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:16 am to Tchefuncte Tiger
Alright this idea is getting ridiculous.
I'm sorry, this is dumb.
You realize that comedy is often far more vicious and mean than any horror film outside of true torture porn? That if you like comedy you must be a miserable sociopath who just enjoys to watch people in pain, laugh at people, enjoy their pathetic lives, make yourself feel better because their hijinks, laugh at their misfortune, etc.?
Is it worse to laugh at someone for getting injured or to join them in fear?
Or, well if you like action movies you also enjoy watching people die over and over and over again. you must have the mentality of a thirteen year-old boy, not able to mature and pass puberty. Disturbing.
You can do this for ANYTHING. No need to hold it against horror alone.
quote:
I find it disturbing the people actually watch those types of movies, but what's even more disturbing is the fact that somebody had to actually sit down and write that stuff.
I'm sorry, this is dumb.
You realize that comedy is often far more vicious and mean than any horror film outside of true torture porn? That if you like comedy you must be a miserable sociopath who just enjoys to watch people in pain, laugh at people, enjoy their pathetic lives, make yourself feel better because their hijinks, laugh at their misfortune, etc.?
Is it worse to laugh at someone for getting injured or to join them in fear?
Or, well if you like action movies you also enjoy watching people die over and over and over again. you must have the mentality of a thirteen year-old boy, not able to mature and pass puberty. Disturbing.
You can do this for ANYTHING. No need to hold it against horror alone.
This post was edited on 10/7/14 at 9:55 am
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:29 am to Freauxzen
Most contemporary horror is comedy from my perspective. Tension is a product of character development and investment. Your average "pile into the theater at midnight" flick is about the schadenfreude, reveling in the brutal deaths of stupid and obnoxious pseudo-protagonists.
This seems to be changing a bit of late, but I think the comedy element is still a major draw, especially among teens.
This seems to be changing a bit of late, but I think the comedy element is still a major draw, especially among teens.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:35 am to Muppet
I think that's a big aspect of movies like Friday the 13th type slasher movies. The Evil Dead remake was a little like that. I think stuff like the Ring and The Conjuring were a different thing though. The torture porn movies like Saw and stuff like that that were so popular 5-10 years ago probably were the peak of people "reveling in the brutual deaths of stupid and obnoxious pseudo-protagonists."
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:55 am to Freauxzen
quote:
Suspension of Disbelief. It all depends on how you view the film experience. If you go into it wanting it to be fake, or looking to prove it wrong, or looking for problems, then yeah it's hard to enjoy anything but an ultra-realistic film or documentary. But the same idea that our adrenaline pumps in a ridiculous scene of John McClane dodging through a spray of bullets is the same thing about horror, the more you give in/let go, the more you'll get out of it, and that includes feeling scared, or excited, or tense, etc. I like horror films, I won't say the complete effect is being scared or terrified, but if they for one second, just make me double check the mirror or take one last look before I turn the light, then they've done their job.
I can suspend it to enjoy a film without being nitpicky and view it for the story/entertainment, but not to actually feel fear or be scared. Just doesn't trigger me that way. Probably a snake or spider film would get me to look for that type of shite, but the over the top horror flicks just don't do it for me.
I think I have seen too much bestgore and the real shite fricked with my head.
This post was edited on 10/7/14 at 9:57 am
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:56 am to Muppet
quote:
Most contemporary horror is comedy from my perspective. Tension is a product of character development and investment. Your average "pile into the theater at midnight" flick is about the schadenfreude, reveling in the brutal deaths of stupid and obnoxious pseudo-protagonists.
This seems to be changing a bit of late, but I think the comedy element is still a major draw, especially among teens.
What specific modern horrors fall into this? I think, at least even the early Paranormal Activities didn't try to be funny.
Scary Movie, that's another story.
The Saws, or anything by James Wan, Insidious, Sinister, The Conjuring, Asian Horror films, etc. There's more serious horror than not serious horror, unless I'm missing something.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 9:57 am to Dam Guide
quote:
I can suspend it to enjoy a film without being nitpicky and view it for the story/entertainment, but not to actually feel fear or be scared. Just doesn't trigger me that way. Probably a snake or spider film would get me to look for that type of shite, but the over the top horror flicks just don't do it for me.
I think I have seen too much bestgore and the real shite fricked with my head.
Fair enough.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 10:07 am to lsuwontonwrap
quote:
The few times I have seen a horror movie in the theater, the place was PACKED with teenagers. I am convinced they are keeping the genre going.
For sure. I remember seeing the Halloween remake in theaters when it came out. I think I was 16 but we went to the movie theater that we knew would let us in. We had an entire row on lockdown.
When The Purge came out, I personally didn't go see it with my friends but some of my younger friends on twitter were talking about how they were all going to see it and whatnot.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 10:16 am to Wanderin Reb
i hate scary movies, at least new ones that i haven't seen before. older ones that i've seen already(Halloween, Friday the 13th, etc.) i can take watching a little around this time of year just to appease my wife who's obsessed with these films. they've already tortured me enough to where they don't really bother me anymore. that being said..
this is what I don't get. why would anyone NOT want to be able to sleep at night? i've had those nights, they suck. i would just rather watch something that would make me laugh than make we want to piss the bed.
btw, i'm a self-proclaimed vagina when it comes to this stuff. my wife, all my friends know that i will refuse to watch a scary movie because i get scared like some little girl. it's pretty sad for a grown man to be like this, but i've come to terms with it.
quote:
plan to go see Annabelle soon because The Conjuring was the last movie to scare me so bad I literally couldn't go to sleep. I had nightmares all night after I watched it. It takes a lot to do that to me.
this is what I don't get. why would anyone NOT want to be able to sleep at night? i've had those nights, they suck. i would just rather watch something that would make me laugh than make we want to piss the bed.
btw, i'm a self-proclaimed vagina when it comes to this stuff. my wife, all my friends know that i will refuse to watch a scary movie because i get scared like some little girl. it's pretty sad for a grown man to be like this, but i've come to terms with it.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 10:19 am to HumbleNinja
A few things:
OF COURSE, teenagers are the ones keeping the bulk of horror movies afloat. They do the same for action movies, comedies, and comic book films. Teenagers rule the box office because they have time and disposable income. Also, teenagers, as a group, have horrendous taste. So yes, a lot of cynical, awful crap gets pumped out to the public without regard to quality. This is not unique to horror, but it is a genuine issue.
That said, horror can often be the most ambitious genre. One, because it has a built in audience but not much hope of massive success, the studios don't pay these films much attention. A good film-maker can get his or her feet wet in the horror genre, learn the craft, and try out new things and find their voice. I find that genuinely exciting. Now, there's a lot of hacks out there, but horror also allowed us to find guys like Cronenberg, Craven, Raimi, and Carpenter.
Also, I love that horror is the one genre in which the audience is actively working against the filmmaker. You walk into a comedy ready to laugh or a tragedy ready to cry, but people walk into a horror with the attitude of "I will not be scared". In fact, the most common reaction to fear is to laugh, as a defense mechanism. A good horror film is working against me, and I like how it can manipulate me into fear of something I know, without a doubt, cannot harm me.
Finally, horror is a technical genre. I wish we'd go back t practical effects more, but that used to be part of the thrill of horror movies: how they did it. The Thing, aside from being amazing, is a technical marvel. Even BAD horror movies tend to be quite cinematic, as they have the ghoul lurking just off of the frame. Even in a bad horror movie, I'll just watch HOW they compose their shots and try to create a feeling of dread.
OF COURSE, teenagers are the ones keeping the bulk of horror movies afloat. They do the same for action movies, comedies, and comic book films. Teenagers rule the box office because they have time and disposable income. Also, teenagers, as a group, have horrendous taste. So yes, a lot of cynical, awful crap gets pumped out to the public without regard to quality. This is not unique to horror, but it is a genuine issue.
That said, horror can often be the most ambitious genre. One, because it has a built in audience but not much hope of massive success, the studios don't pay these films much attention. A good film-maker can get his or her feet wet in the horror genre, learn the craft, and try out new things and find their voice. I find that genuinely exciting. Now, there's a lot of hacks out there, but horror also allowed us to find guys like Cronenberg, Craven, Raimi, and Carpenter.
Also, I love that horror is the one genre in which the audience is actively working against the filmmaker. You walk into a comedy ready to laugh or a tragedy ready to cry, but people walk into a horror with the attitude of "I will not be scared". In fact, the most common reaction to fear is to laugh, as a defense mechanism. A good horror film is working against me, and I like how it can manipulate me into fear of something I know, without a doubt, cannot harm me.
Finally, horror is a technical genre. I wish we'd go back t practical effects more, but that used to be part of the thrill of horror movies: how they did it. The Thing, aside from being amazing, is a technical marvel. Even BAD horror movies tend to be quite cinematic, as they have the ghoul lurking just off of the frame. Even in a bad horror movie, I'll just watch HOW they compose their shots and try to create a feeling of dread.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 10:29 am to Baloo
quote:
Also, I love that horror is the one genre in which the audience is actively working against the filmmaker. You walk into a comedy ready to laugh or a tragedy ready to cry, but people walk into a horror with the attitude of "I will not be scared". In fact, the most common reaction to fear is to laugh, as a defense mechanism. A good horror film is working against me, and I like how it can manipulate me into fear of something I know, without a doubt, cannot harm me.
Bingo.
I was make a comment about how horror is the most interactive of genres, but this is better said. There's the intention of not wanting to be scared (which is really just a want to be scared if you think about it) and the mission of the director to beat you, to win. And that's an awesome feeling. The reason it feels good to be scared is because it feels good to now that something as minor as a film can be powerful enough to affect you. That's intriguing. That's what I look for in horror films.
Horror is also about the unknown, and the only genre that truly grapples with that concept on a regular basis. What we don't know, what we fear, what we can only imagine, that stuff is great.
quote:
Finally, horror is a technical genre. I wish we'd go back t practical effects more, but that used to be part of the thrill of horror movies: how they did it. The Thing, aside from being amazing, is a technical marvel. Even BAD horror movies tend to be quite cinematic, as they have the ghoul lurking just off of the frame. Even in a bad horror movie, I'll just watch HOW they compose their shots and try to create a feeling of dread.
And like you said earlier, the attention NOT given to horror films by the studio give the director's a lot of room to play, which means that they often take more chances, become more innovative, and look for something different.
quote:
Cronenberg,
Has one of the most interesting careers in film to watch unfold, and a lot of that goes back to his roots in horror. He still plays to those instincts in his film. Crash, Eastern Promises, A History of Violence....those three great films have a ton of influence from Rabid, Shivers (Now on netflix by the way), the Fly and all of his early work. That makes his dramas/serious films far more unique.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 10:41 am to Muppet
quote:
Most contemporary horror is comedy from my perspective. Tension is a product of character development and investment. Your average "pile into the theater at midnight" flick is about the schadenfreude, reveling in the brutal deaths of stupid and obnoxious pseudo-protagonists.
That being said, have you seen Cabin in the Woods? Because if not, that seems like one that literally couldn't be more up your alley. It was a fantastic film, and was not only a solid horror flick (for a while at least), but also a giant frick you to the horror genre as a whole.
Seriously, if you haven't seen it, watch it immediately. And if you have, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
As for me, movies are kinda my thing. I've always loved them and always loved being entertained by them...and being scared is just another reaction they get from me. I hated scary moves as a kid, but I couldn't love them any more than I do now that I am an adult. And when I say "being scared," I don't mean to the core where I think that shite is real...obviously they are just movies. But that doesn't mean that I can't have a reaction to them.
Just because I know Jason Voorhees isn't real, and nothing like that would or could ever happen, doesn't mean I can't let him give me a few scares while I'm watching his movies. Same with Freddy or Michael Myers, or Sinister, etc. To me, they're all "just movies," so once they're over I can go back to being a calm, rational person. But I am able to shut that off while I'm watching and enjoy the ride, so to speak. And that goes for all movies really, but moreso for horror because it's so fun to me to be scared or freaked the frick out.
And I'll say this too..about "fricked up" movies that aren't really "horror" or whatever. There is a place for those as well. As I've said before on here, sure..sometimes people just make fricked up movies for no reason other than to be fricked up (like Eraserhead or Salo), but for the most part, movies are all about escape. So if I can just relax (or not relax if a certain type of movie is doing its job well) and enjoy entertainment (in many different forms) from a movie, then it's good by me. And as desensitized as I am to a lot of real world shite (thanks to sites like liveleak and its ilk), I can still enjoy movies on a purely entertaining level (whereas things like liveleak are more of a "morbid curiosity" or fascination thing than entertainment obviously).
Posted on 10/7/14 at 10:48 am to CocomoLSU
quote:
And when I say "being scared," I don't mean to the core where I think that shite is real...obviously they are just movies. But that doesn't mean that I can't have a reaction to them.
I think that I probably haven't been honestly scared by a movie since I was a child. What I more so look for is the squirm factor. Something that makes me feel a little uncomfortable and gives me a bit of a rush. If it is done effectively in a more cerebral way then I have a tendecy to like it more. There's probably blurry line between what I find entertaining and interesting and what I find blunt, stupid,and tastelessly disgusting.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 11:14 am to Peazey
quote:
I think that I probably haven't been honestly scared by a movie since I was a child.
Same here. But I'm talking about being scared within the framework of the movie itself. And most of that is jump scares and whatnot, which are cheap (but still fun if done well). But it's cool to get lost in a horror movie and "be scared," even if once it's over I go back to being a sane, rational person like I said. And like Freaux said, if maybe once or twice when I cut the lights off in my house, I think about that movie or get chills for a second, then it's done its job.
Posted on 10/7/14 at 12:08 pm to LSU1SLU
quote:
Hoping ouiji is good however you spell it
A Michael Bay horror movie, Lawd help us all. On second thought the horror genre might be his true calling.
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