Horror Essay

Schlenz 1 Jarid Schlenz Professor Fahey side of meat 1A 13 October 2011 Horror Movies Sc are Us So Why Do We Watch Them? Scary, creepy, and downright disturbing images claim existed in film, art, and literature as long as we have had the ability to invent them, observe them and construct them. Not only have they simply existed, but they permeate these mediums hatred has become a staple across contemporary art forms, popular and otherwise, spawning vampires, trolls, gremlins, zombies, werewolves, demonic in ally possessed children, space monsters of all sizes, ghosts, and other atrocious concoctions (Carroll, 51).Horror is easily accessible to appease a growing appetite for scary in society. entirely why? Why would we want to put ourselves through the terror and agony of sitting on the edge of our seats, effect racing, sweaty palms, eyes squinted? It is one of the nearly frightening experiences to be at the mercy of someone or something else, besides we do it constantly and voluntarily. One of the reasons why we may sense the need to watch this genre of film is to simply gain the excitement of living on the edge. Another may include the curiosity of the unsung, the unexpected, and the unseen, all of which are elements that that make a good hatred movie good.While at the same time at that place is a need to watch others feel helpless, act on a lower floor pressure and deal with the. Even the accumulation of seeing a new creature or monster brings people to watch villainy movies. But the unifying pull lies in the ability of experiencing something new without losing control. Schlenz 2 One reason often utilize to explain the desire and need to watch horror movies stems from physical reactions. There is the appeal of the adrenaline rush, which gives horror movies the same draw as a roller coaster at a theme park.The difference, however, is that horror movies wish the real risk of infection of things that normally give humans an adrenaline rush. E ven a roller coaster, which simulates pernicious falls and flying at incredible speeds, contains the real danger of shoemakers last if it malfunctions. But the act of watching a movie contains no danger. Still, when people watch horrific images, their heartbeat increases as much as 15 beats per minute their palms sweat, their skin temperature drops several degrees, their muscles tense, and their blood pressure spikes (Sine, 2). The acts of the scenes people watch are there, without any of the actual danger.This allows people to experience the thrill, high energy, and, perhaps, new sensations of being out of control, without ever pass control of their surroundings and lives. More than just physical reactions, though, horror equally appeals to and disturbs the mind. One of the primary appeals, mentally, almost horror is the unknown. The unknown, unexpected, and unseen disturb our sense of safety and comfort and our ideas of how the world should work. They take away the rules we physical exercise to deal with reality and make the old(prenominal) become unfamiliar. In the unknown anything could happen and anything could emerge from the darkness.The unknown takes away control, but it overly excites curiosity. Our imaginations are so quick to run away with what is being presented to us that we are left clinging to our seats in desperation. Everything known comes from the unknown so it has an endless power to lionise our attention. With our attention captive, and our minds guessing, the unknown allows movies to employ haze. Our stomach plummets when the killer upraises again after being smashed in the head, shot, and pushed down the stairs. Unnatural creatures and occurrences make us feel uncomfortable and Schlenz 3 conf apply.This is sometimes referred to as the shock horror, or the employment of graphic, visceral shock to access the historical substrate of traumatic experience (Lowenstein, 37). wallop horror intensifies the adrenaline and physical reac tions to horror by engaging the mind as well. Many movies also combine shock horror with a sense of surrealism. The surrealist movement in art and film takes the familiar and adds a sense of distortion or unknown. Surrealism might be better understood as a violent, embodied assault on the social structures propping up modernity, (Lowenstein, 37).Again, people are drawn in by curiosity, captivated by the unknown aspect of surrealist images, and horrified by the results. When you watch a horror movie, most of the time you head start to feel compassion for the victim and start to wonder how you would handle the situation and what you would do differently. It is hard to watch a horror movie and not make water emotional as you start to ponder these questions and then feel sorry for the victim for having to go through the traumatic ordeal. A ghost of helplessness is usually portrayed to the audience and nothing could possibly feel worse than the inability to affect your own fate.In hor ror movies there is a complete lack of power on the victims part, they are going to die, the question is when. We can relate to the anguish of helplessness as we all have felt helpless at times. The victims in horror movies are typically helpless because they are under so much pressure. With the slow build of tension becomes the increasing need to do something. When we see a typesetters case buckle under the pressure we feel some king of affection for them and when we see the characters rise under pressure you feel yourself urging them on.Pressure combined with urgency can push a character to accomplish great feats. When we begin to sympathize with the victims or characters the movie can become quite intense. With danger comes a heightened awareness that enhances all emotions, positive Schlenz 4 and negative, drawing attention to every detail. The threat of death often drives people to celebrate life, so we see romance running hand and hand with horror at times. Intensity of emotio n and sensation drowns out common sense and this overloading of the senses can appeal to those used to living calmer lives.Horror movies have the ability to scare you half to death and after watching a horror movie one know that there is no way that they am going to sleep for at least some other a couple of(prenominal) hours. A horror movie works by engaging a basic defense mechanism if theres something out there to get you, you dont let your guard down, and you certainly dont shut off your brain for a fewer hours. You know that it was just a movie, but some part of your brain, perhaps the part that has the fight or flight reflex, keeps telling you that you are not going to sleep yet, it isnt safe and that there is something unsung in the corner of your room.You know that it is just your coat but you cant seem to urge yourself, it wasnt there last night, you dont even remember putting it there. Eventually you get up and turn the lights on, confirm that it was just your coat and put it away in the closet. However, you are pacify not safe because now your brain has fixated on something else. Dont be embarrassed to feel this way. No matter how shake up someone gets when they watch horror movies they are still compelled to watch another one. One enjoys pushing their limits and finding out just what they can stomach is an intense adrenaline rush.Being scared is fun but only as long as they know that in a few hours it will all be over and they will come out alive and unharmed. Schlenz 5 industrial plant Cited Lowenstein, Adam. Films without a Face Shock Horror in the Cinema of Georges Franju. University of Texas Press, 1998. Carroll, Noel. The Nature of Horror The Journal of aesthetics and Art Criticism. Blackwell Publishing, 1987 Briefel, Aviva. Monster Pains Film Quarterly. University of California Press. Spring 2005 Sine, Richard. Why We love Scary Movies. October 8, 2011.