Do people have the wrong attitude for watching horror these days?

Karl Hungus

Ok, I didn't write this, I've just seen it posted on another message board (No link there to whoever wrote it there either) so it's a bit of a mystery where it came from, but I thought it would make some interesting food for thought and debated:

What is it with this stupid act of machismo a lot of people tend to put up while watching horror films nowadays? Is it some kind of sin for a man or any person of any age in general to be scared by a horror flick? I have noticed a lot of guys (mostly high-school and college aged) have been giving this stupid "no horror movie scares me" attitude in which they TRY to predict everything, and simply try to seem "untouched" or never phased by the movie. They are simply doing the contrary of what one should do when watching a movie (not just a horror, but any movie in general) - they are trying to take control of the movie, rather than letting the movie take control of them. A movie is supposed to give you an experience: you are supposed to relax and just let the atmosphere take its effect, and as the rest of the elements of the movie slowly work their way into your psyche - you do not realize that you are still sitting on that couch watching a screen, or that some guy on the other side of the theatre room is eating popcorn; you literally become lost in the movie. Of course, a poorly made movie would not be capable of giving this type of experience to someone, but with the attitude that a lot of people are putting now towards horror films, it could ruin a potentially memorable experience that a good horror film might give. Think of it this way - if I sat through A Requiem For A Dream, just laughing and trying to predict everything that's gonna happen, I would not have enjoyed the film and remembered it as a movie that moved me and made me feel the pain the characters themselves were experiencing. The same can apply to a horror film. Now, obviously not EVERYONE is gonna be scared, or at least so easily. I for example, am 18, my imagination is as vivid as always, but I am not scared nearly as easily I was back when I was younger. I am obviously far more emotionally stable, more mature, and I can seperate reality from fiction. I do not get nightmares from horror films, nor check behind me incase of a killer anymore, but durin that moment that I am immersed in the film, I live the experience the film is supposed to give, and therefore, the scare and purpose of the film is now memorable to me.

As you see, this issue has become more frequent, and although I normally shouldn't care about other people, nor what they say or think, it bothers me to know that a very well made horror film was "garbage" in their opinion simply because of that attitude. Now, obviously not everyone is gonna enjoy the film, but it becomes easily notable to me when the line between tastes and immaturity have been crossed when you witness people sayin things such as "That movie was supposed to be scary? Yeah, right.. it was crap". It is also important to note that a horror flick isn't just a scare, it's a FILM. Fear does not neccesarily mean a good horror movie, as that is just one part (although important) of the whole thing.

Therefore, I must conclude, for all you people that gave that one horror movie you watched last night a chance, and just tried to make the best of it, whether you like it or not, good for you. But for the rest who have simply hid behind a hardened mindset and wore a mask of inpenetrable manhood - you people are immature and have no real idea what tastes in movies are. No wonder that women get scared more easily by films than us guys, they simply mature faster than us and don't actually bother to laugh at something that wasn't even meant to be funny (Laughin at gore? Shame on you). Now, I'm not hatin on guys (I'm a guy myself, and I have pride in bein one), but this is obviously far more frequent amongst us than the latter. So, really, it seems that a lot of us just need to grow up and learn what watchin a film is all about..

One final note: It is quite possible to have watched a lot of horror films and become used to the genre, therefore not becoming scared anymore, but even then you should be mature (and smart) enough to know whether the film is good or not.

Now while I don't agree that women are more mature, or mature faster, (I think it varies a lot from person to person, no need to base it on gender) I think it does hit the nail on the head for a lot of points.

Personally, I definetly think it has a lot to do with your attitude towards Horror films. It might sound odd, but I think I'm a lot more scared of horror films than I used to, simply because of this notion: I allow myself to be scared. Although, with that said, it could be due to the fact that there's a lot more effective horror films coming from the far east these days... Or there was, the standard has dropped it seems.

The Bollox

now my point isn't totally on topic, but a friend of mine was saying yesterday that a guy he works with pretty much takes the piss out of him because he has a thing about the topic of death. So, for want of a better word, dared him to sit through this DVD he got of guys in being slaughtered. I mean stuff that was captured on secutity cameras or whatever of some poor guy being mutilated. that for me is his way of saying "oooh, look at me, I can look at this stuff and not be effected". however, my friend also said that he talked the guy into saying the 3 most disturbing things he say on the DVD and my friend said he could see the look of disgust and fear in his eyes while he was re-capping it. I mean that guy is a tool if he thinks it is cool to watch that sh*t and pretend to not be phased by it.

I know what you mean, and what the writer of that quoted piece meant, that guys like to think they are cool because they refuse to watch a film as it is supposed to be seen, and so are not taken in, and do not jump at the shocking parts, or recoil at the gruesome parts.

I for one have become a bit of a connaisseur of horror films, I can't get enough of them, and I love to compare them. I have no problem admitting that some films scared the crap out of me. I mean I watched Saw and Saw II in the cinema, but they had no effect, it was only when I was looking on the net for a collectors edition of Saw. I found some trailers and decided to re-live the film in the trailers, but because the trailers showed most of the shocking parts, I found that I had a few nightmares because of it, and embarressingly had a short term fear of the dark.

Tusky

I would agree with alot of his points. A very well written piece. I enjoy being scared by horror movies. If I see a scary film, I'll tell people "it scared the **** out of me". Theres no shame in it. If im really looking forward to a film (horror films especially) I pick who I go the cinema with very carefully. Ive had too many films ruined for me by friends laughing at them and not allowing themselves to get into it ( seems to happen much more often in horror or high concept movies ). That said....im not a big fan of watching scary movies alone!

TerrorFirmer

Oh, definately. I'm a wuss, but an honest one - I loved to be scared and I never try and undercut a movie on purpose unless its mind bogglingly bad.

I know people who, after every horror movie we see, regardless of what it might be or regardless of the quality of the film itself jumps aside, religiously claim time and time again: "That wasn't scary at all, it was more funny actually...." :rolleyes:

Although I think the problem with everyone I know is not with not allowing yourself to be scared as mentioned in the article, but to admitting to being scared..

I have no problem whatsoever telling somebody if a movie scared the life out of me. It's a pity that most of the "scares" these days are actually shock factors rather then genuine instilled fear - all this nonsense of stuff being thrown suddenly on screen after a bout of silence.

Silent Hill, one of the best parts about that movie was that it didn't reduce itself to cheap shocks. The part with Colin in the Bathroom and the retrieval of the clue from his mouth was a brilliant example.

The Bollox

If I am going to the cinema to see a horror flick I will go with someone, but if I see a horror film in the local Xtra-Vision / Chart Busters that has been recomended I will watch it alone, I fell you get the best experience when you watch it alone, however I am not a fan of going to the cinema alone

Earthhorse

Hmmm, I guess it depends on the person's motivations. If someone's saying they're not scared to seem tough that's uncool, but if someone's saying they're not scared because they genuinely aren't, it's different.

I remember sitting down to watch Dog Soldiers with my friends and at the point where

the dog grabs the guy's intestines

I burst out laughing because I genuinely thought it was bizarre and over the top, even though it was gross. My friends gave me a look of disgust, they were genuinely squeamish about it (which is odd, cos I'm usually the squeamish one), and I guess they thought I was being immature.

I also tend not to be a jumpy person in films. It takes a lot to make me jump, though it does happen. More often than not I jump in reaction to other people's jumps! "What? What happened?". Sometimes I can't believe they didn't see it coming.

Another time, watching Private Ryan, there was a girl in front of us laughing through the whole beach landing scene. My friend started giving out to her but it was clearly hysterical, rather than amused, laughter. People do what they need to to get through disturbing films. If that's denying they're afraid or laughing out loud I say let them do it. It only makes the fear stronger after all...

I always watch horror films alone. I've always felt that isolation is one of the most effective horror staples, and by isolating myself from the world when watching them I feel far more involved in the film.

I haven't been scared by any film in recant years, though many of the Eastern films do send a shiver down my spine. Not because they're really scary, but because the material rarely becomes generic jump scares.

There have been a number of decant American horror films in recant years but everyone of them has been either a slasher film of a remake.

One of the creepiest horror films of recant years has to be The Devil's Backbone. I can't recommend it enough.

Necronomicon

Well written indeed, I agree with a lot of the points.

Out and out gore horrors, while they can be enjoyable, don't scare me as such. That's why I prefer horrors that rely on atmosphere and tension, because I liketo be scared, I like feeling as if you've been sucked into the movie and you're a part of it all. I love good hair-on-end moments.