Poor decisions and bad luck are contingencies of most horror films.
My favorite genre of movies by far is always and forever - Horror Movies. I mean nothing can get your blood pumping, heart racing, mind wondering, eyes twitching and spine chilling more than a horror story, except maybe a heart attack but that's another thing. Horror movies add this excitement to my life that I just love. It gives me the opportunity to snuggle up next to my loves and allow myself to be completely vulnerable. The problem is even when a horror movie isn't as scary as I expect, I still get really scared. I begin running around my house peeping around corners, wondering if that creek I heard on the steps is a murderer or if I locked all my doors and windows. It's a weird feeling to be scared. My grandmother shed some light on this feeling of being "Scary" when I was a child by telling me that I should look at the story, think about why the person or persons died and think about if I have done anything to deserve such a fate. Of course in most cases as in scary movies - no I have done nothing to deserve death but it doesn't help me when the story is just so chilling that it makes me feel like " What If". We all have those "What If" moments at some point during a scary movie - like if the plot is about a sadistic mental patient escaping and going on a killing spree - it will make us think - what if this happens here where I live or when was the last time I checked the news to ensure no mysterious murder sprees aren't happening. Horror Movies are suppose to do this! They test us, make us consider the " What If's", value our lives and lovely ones, make our skin crawl, etc. It's all about FEAR!
Fear is that feeling that we mentally grasp but emotionally are oblivious to. Horror movies temporarily create that emotional experience without devastating consequences. The thing that will piss me off most though about horror films is how silly and stupid some of the characters can be. I mean what person in real life do you know is running around wearing a thong and t-shirt in 38 degree weather? What person do you know is going stop on a dark road to investigate a strange creature that ran in-front of their car? I mean some of these horror films take a scary though and run so far with it that it will literally piss you off. Most horror film plots aren't even realistic. There's no real fear sometimes if the story line isn't realistic. Sometimes you'll see a good horror movie and it will take you into a completely different mind set about the world we live in - like is this something that someone would really do? Then you think - well if someone crazy see's this movie - then they'll have the idea to actually do it. So I know a lot folks who just don't do horror movies at all and surprisingly most people avoid horror movies.
The psychological and physical traumas, the gore, the anticipation, and the endings with no definite resolution create something unpleasant movie goers. It all circles back to the FEAR again. Some people reject fear for the same reason others crave it. Fear is a rare, infrequent experience. The strange, exotic feeling is like a drug. Some try it for the first time and are hooked, while others choose to ignore it or hate that it causes them so much anguish. Horror movies always provide a sick sense of comfort that we can be scared while not needing to feel anything emotionally for the victim. After all, that's only an actor getting impaled - not a real human. In some ways, horror movies mitigate life's difficulties. When you're watching sorority girls accidentally kill a freshman, the anticipation of a college acceptance letter suddenly becomes less engrossing right? or If you see a man poisoning folks at his restaurant, eating at a little diner will all of a sudden seem daring and risky.
Ultimately, the psychological thrill is what captivates the audience. We feed off these emotions and the adrenaline rush. Perhaps there is some elaborate scientific explanation as to why horror movies are popular with some and despicable to others. Regardless, horror movies are a form of art. To create the perfect horror movie is not an easy task. Too much gore disgusts the audience; an ending that answers all our questions won't leave us disturbed; too many mythical or fantastical elements destroy the movie's credibility. Now the secret that Hollywood doesn't want us to know....(wait for it).....The art of a horror movie is all in the music. Next time you watch a horror movie - pay close attention to music. Listen to when it starts, how it sounds and most of all - how it makes you feel. Try this little trick - silence the sound and just watch the pictures - I promise the fear of some one jumping from a closet or someone running out of the woods with a axe won't scare you half as much as when the music is playing. Horror Movies are an amazing genre and there are thousands if not millions to choose from. Try a foreign film, particularly a Japanese film - they are five times scarier that American made movies and look out in the credits of American films for Japanese producers, writers or executives - they are the true master's of horror.
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it,
L.
Fear is that feeling that we mentally grasp but emotionally are oblivious to. Horror movies temporarily create that emotional experience without devastating consequences. The thing that will piss me off most though about horror films is how silly and stupid some of the characters can be. I mean what person in real life do you know is running around wearing a thong and t-shirt in 38 degree weather? What person do you know is going stop on a dark road to investigate a strange creature that ran in-front of their car? I mean some of these horror films take a scary though and run so far with it that it will literally piss you off. Most horror film plots aren't even realistic. There's no real fear sometimes if the story line isn't realistic. Sometimes you'll see a good horror movie and it will take you into a completely different mind set about the world we live in - like is this something that someone would really do? Then you think - well if someone crazy see's this movie - then they'll have the idea to actually do it. So I know a lot folks who just don't do horror movies at all and surprisingly most people avoid horror movies.
The psychological and physical traumas, the gore, the anticipation, and the endings with no definite resolution create something unpleasant movie goers. It all circles back to the FEAR again. Some people reject fear for the same reason others crave it. Fear is a rare, infrequent experience. The strange, exotic feeling is like a drug. Some try it for the first time and are hooked, while others choose to ignore it or hate that it causes them so much anguish. Horror movies always provide a sick sense of comfort that we can be scared while not needing to feel anything emotionally for the victim. After all, that's only an actor getting impaled - not a real human. In some ways, horror movies mitigate life's difficulties. When you're watching sorority girls accidentally kill a freshman, the anticipation of a college acceptance letter suddenly becomes less engrossing right? or If you see a man poisoning folks at his restaurant, eating at a little diner will all of a sudden seem daring and risky.
Ultimately, the psychological thrill is what captivates the audience. We feed off these emotions and the adrenaline rush. Perhaps there is some elaborate scientific explanation as to why horror movies are popular with some and despicable to others. Regardless, horror movies are a form of art. To create the perfect horror movie is not an easy task. Too much gore disgusts the audience; an ending that answers all our questions won't leave us disturbed; too many mythical or fantastical elements destroy the movie's credibility. Now the secret that Hollywood doesn't want us to know....(wait for it).....The art of a horror movie is all in the music. Next time you watch a horror movie - pay close attention to music. Listen to when it starts, how it sounds and most of all - how it makes you feel. Try this little trick - silence the sound and just watch the pictures - I promise the fear of some one jumping from a closet or someone running out of the woods with a axe won't scare you half as much as when the music is playing. Horror Movies are an amazing genre and there are thousands if not millions to choose from. Try a foreign film, particularly a Japanese film - they are five times scarier that American made movies and look out in the credits of American films for Japanese producers, writers or executives - they are the true master's of horror.
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it,
L.