Objectives:
- Explore the psychological and emotional curiosity for and impact of horror art on individuals and society
- Analyze the unique aesthetic qualities of horror art.
Artifact:
Here is my reflection on the aesthetics of horror movies, and the psychological factors that make them such a novelty.
The first article that I researched on this topic is by Katie Heaney, called “The Psychology of a Horror Movie Fan”. In this article, Katie appears to personally be against the concept behind horror movies, as she brought up the fact that horror movies have been in a slump and have been questioned “dead” apparently by the media due to its lack of recent box office success. She even labeled those that love the thrill of a horror movie as a “psychopath” and questioned their emotional state of mind. However, she did mention 4 different theories on a study inquiring about the relationship between viewer enjoyment and frightening movies. The first theory describes how viewers enjoy the experience after a threat is resolved at the end of a movie when they were initially dealing with fearful apprehension throughout it. The next two studies refer to ones empathy level for others: those with a lower level of empathy for another person or situation tend to enjoy horror movies as they don’t mind seeing others suffer and aren’t worried about having a situation occur to them anytime soon. Finally, the last study mentions how those with more masculine qualities, such as sensation seeking, aggressive and “maleness” will seek out and retain more pleasure from these kinds of movies. In conclusion, the author stated that horror movies would give the viewer a sense of triumph after the movie is over, due to the relief of it ending along with the pride in knowing that they were able to bear through what most people haven’t been able to do so themselves.
Personally I love horror movies as they are very thrilling to watch. However. I believe that horror movies have been slumping not because people don’t like horror movies anymore but because they weren’t scary to begin with. I’m very critical of horror movies myself, and so if a movie doesn’t have a good plot or a believable story I’m not going to like it. I want to see a horror movie that has a good storyline with a good amount of suspense so that it captures my attention in wanting to see the conclusion. Likewise, Carroll writes about the influence of curiosity in creating desire to watch a horror movie, in which we are attracted to watching horror movies that provoke disgust because “disgust is required for the pleasure involved in engaging our curiosity in the unknown and drawing it into the processes of revelation, ratiocination, etc.” (Carroll 284). Carroll in this sense would agree with the first theory, as curiosity and relief are the driving forces behind one’s motivation and pleasure in watching a horror movie. The lures that “disgust” brings upon the audience that Carroll wrote about relates to the other theories as well, as lack of empathy and bearing male-like qualities are two driving forces in order for society to desire being disgusted by a horror movie.
The next article is by Allegra Ringo and is titled “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” Here the author writes about the same topic as the first one, but in a question and answer format. Allegra believes that first and foremost, we must be in a safe environment in order to enjoy a scary situation. Also the gorier or scare-intensive a movie is the more relief that is felt by the viewers in the end, along with self pride that they were able to bear through such a movie or experience. These beliefs are very similar with the author from the first article as well. Allegra too had stated that it is a male-like quality that the viewers want to master a threatening situation so that they are mentally prepared for the future. This desire is a motivation for some to watch such horror movies. Finally the author wrote about how one of the biggest reasons that society loves horror movies is because they are driven by the desire to see their curiosity fulfilled. “Humans are obsessed with death; we simply have a hard time wrapping our mind around what happens when we die.” Overall, Allegra wrote about the psychological effect of horror through various perspectives, from the effects on the brain itself to cultural beliefs in order to answer a seemingly controversial question as to why human beings love to watch and put themselves in hypothetical death-threatening situations.
One point that I want to bring out is the fact that Allegra had used death as a reason that society is obsessed with horror movies since directors utilize the ideals of death very effectively through exorcisms, devils, and more. Carroll too, vastly agrees with the notion of curiosity. He believes that curiosity is the biggest factor for one to see a horror movie, in that it “engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis and confirmation” (Carroll 279). Because life after death is a topic many would want answered, there is a strong attraction for horror movies, as they seem to answer this question to a certain extent where people take the conclusions portrayed by various horror movies as their own as well. Carroll states further that horror movies center upon “something which is given as in principle ‘unknowable’” and that this trait, whether its rooted from death or not, creates that drive of fear and curiosity that many pertain when watching such movies (Carroll 281). After reading this article, I know understand the value behind the mysteriousness of death behind horror movies. Death is the biggest connecting point between Carroll and Allegra as they both stated that monsters and other forms of horror are stemmed from this factor in our life. Because it is so vague yet so scary for the majority of society, death is truly the selling point behind horror movies and experiences, and as to why one must be in a safe environment themselves in order to enjoy this type of movie. This of course doesn’t relate to everyone, and that those with an aggressive yet curious mentality would easily be brave enough to enjoy this certain genre in our entertainment world today.
Reflection:
From this assignment, I learned that even though nothing positive is ever emitted from a horror movie, the desire to see positiveness along with curiosity of progression is a driving force to seeing such movies, which I find really ironic. However, I personally like watching horror movies myself, as they are very suspenseful and exciting. After reading through the psychological effects as seen through Buffy the Vampire, I have a better insight on what creates an aura of horror that so many desire to see in such movies. Here is a famous example of what is considered a horror video. Some of the components in this video were highlighted in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode as well, including scenery music, sudden appearance, and change in sound. I feel that these traits are highlighted in what are considered today’s ‘thriller’ horror movies (Please don’t watch this if you are faint at heart. Essentially a fake ghost pops out at the 18th second).
After reading Allegra Ringo’s article ‘Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?‘, I understand that there is even a specific type of people that enjoy these kinds of movies. These type of people have a desire for taking such “risks” and putting themselves out of their comfort zone in enjoying such a genre. I guess I’m one of these kinds of people as I personally love to see horror movies, since they create a sense of thrill and excitement that one can enjoy, without actually having the fear of losing ones life. Also I feel that so many genres are predictable in terms of storyline, and horror movies are the best since they have the optimal amount of theatrics along with a plot that literally keep people on the edge as they try to see how the story will conclude.
I feel that from these articles and from studying the episode I was able to attain a clearer mentality on what makes an impactful horror movie, which includes costume, scenery, timing, music, and more. After analyzing what goes into a horror movie I’m not sure if I will be frightened or excited for the next horror movie I see because now I will be looking for these components rather than simply enjoying the experience. Regardless, I think that having this understanding makes me appreciate the work behind such movies as I can see what producers have to deal with in order to create the best viewer experience. After stand-up comedians, I feel that horror movie producers have the next hardest job in terms of entertainment as the viewers are already expecting to be frightened, so they do have work above and beyond in order to succeed in this particular field.
Future:
In the future I hope that this understanding enhances my knowledge of horror aesthetics, and that I can control when to let myself become scared. I know one aspect that we discussed was about the mise-en-scene, and how that impacts the art of horror. That being said, I’m curious to see how the advancement of technology and graphic design can affect the amount of horror displayed in a movie. I hope that this genre continues to succeed and that we can enjoy this sense of thrill and excitement for years to come.
Sources:
Ringo, A. (2013, October 31). Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear? Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938/