“The assumption of people’s inability to experience positive and negative affect at the same time is incorrect,” says Eduardo Andrade and Joel Cohen, both working with American universities (ScienceDaily).  They argue that people who watch horror movies are “happy to be unhappy.”  The implication is that these individuals enjoy being scared.  Most enjoy the relief when the threat is removed, but that is apparently not always the reason people are drawn to horror.  They claim that “the most pleasant moments of a particular event may also be the most fearful.”  They do not explicitly say why this is so, but the research is there.  Andrade and Cohen developed a new method to track feelings, both positive and negative, at the same time, and the science supported their theories.

Lesli Fink, published on live science, has a very similar take on it.  Fink says that “it’s not merely an attraction to blood and gore, experts say.  People who liked the ‘Saw’ series, for instance, wouldn’t necessarily derive such pleasure from watching a steer being slaughtered in a meat-processing plant.”  No, the enjoyment is not purely because of gore, blood and guts.  It’s about the thrill of danger, which “calls up primal behavior, mainly in males, to assess threat levels.”  Fink goes on to say that other reasons may be “enjoying the adrenaline rush, being distracted from mundane life, vicariously thumbing our noses at social norms, and enjoying a voyeuristic glimpse of the horrific from a safe distance.”  Most noticeable, in my opinion, is the distraction from mundane life and the glimpse of the horrific.  These two I think will be two reasons that most horror movie viewers will agree with.

First, the escape from mundane life.  Our everyday lives are often boring, because they are scheduled and often times they are identical every week, or even every day.  Days begin to blend together, and we can’t remember if we had that sandwich yesterday, or if it was last week.  Horror films often times feed us with a sense of urgency, and almost require spontaneity.  The heroes of the movie have to make quick decisions and keep moving, or else the monster will catch up with them.  We appreciate the spontaneous nature of these movies because it helps us ignore our own procedural daily lives.

Second, the glimpse of the horrific.  Normally we don’t see things that are dangerous or scary, so we seek them out in other ways.  I doubt most people would want to be pitted against a serial killer or a vengeful ghost, but viewing it in a movie allows us to experience in part what it would be like without being in any real danger ourselves.  It creates a spice for us to mix into our lives.  It’s exciting, which most people enjoy.

I’ve found that this is sometimes true for me as well.  I enjoy the thrill of danger when I watch horror movies or suspense movies.  It keeps me engaged, and I always want to find out how the events play out.  But this isn’t the only reason people are drawn to horror.  One of the biggest reasons I like to watch horror movies (that are well made) is the story structure they often use.  In the reading this week by Noel Carroll there is a passage that talks about “the drama of iterated disclosure” (279).  This form of storytelling is used in almost every movie that is made, but it feels more thrilling in a horror movie.  When we want to find out what happens next, our brains egg us on to find out more.  We are curious to find out what is going to happen next, to find out what the monster is, and how the characters will use that information to ultimately defeat it.  Only then is our curiosity satisfied.  In the same page, Carroll says that “the horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity” (279).   I disagree with this statement.  I would still enjoy the horror genre even if it wasn’t purely a curiosity thing, but I can understand why some might leave it behind.  I enjoy the monsters, and the storytelling, but I also enjoy the atmosphere.  Even when there is nothing going on, horror movies create this tone in the movie that I really like.  It isn’t just dark and foggy and spooky, it’s that tiny bit of magic that says “yes, demons or ghosts or monsters are real, but are they in this town?  In this universe?”  It makes it seem like almost anything could happen, and that the main characters will find out how and why it happened as well.  It is almost a supernatural science of sorts that is an endless road of discovery.

I don’t think that any author got it wrong, but they didn’t get it all either.  People are attracted to horror movies for all of these reasons, and many more.  Everyone has their own take on why it is attractive, many of which they agree with.  Carroll said several of the same things that the other authors did, and I agree with them, for the most part.  In the end it is all about excitement and curiosity being satisfied in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons.

Bibliography

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY: Routledge.

University of Chicago Press Journals. (2007, July 31). Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 5, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm

Fink, L. (2009, November 6). Horror Movies: Why People Love Them. Retrieved May 5, 2015, from http://www.livescience.com/7949-horror-movies-people-love.html

Mise-en-scene: 9:00

When the group is talking about spells and magic, it is setting up the events later in the show.  They talk about how magic should be focused, but it is shot down by certain members of the group.  This is important because later in the show it becomes a crucial point.  This helps create suspense because it is foreshadowing the events to come.  Even though it may not be clear at the time, it is a representation of what is to come.

Diagetic: 18:10

When the glass breaks after everyone has suddenly been thrust into silence, it is a shock to all of the characters on screen as well as the viewer.  It is noticeable because of the comparative silence that is surrounding the sudden sound.  This helps create horror because it is a jump scare.  It is surprising and sudden, which allows the watcher to really immerse themselves into the events of the show.

Non-Diagetic: 38:00

When Buffy’s friend tries to move the vending machine, she can’t do it.  But when her friend holds her hand, the music gets more intense.  Then, she is able to move the vending machine and block herself from the vampires.  This creates a sense of horror because they are trapped inside a room with the vampires struggling to get in. Also, because of the soundtrack, it is obviously important.  This will be an event that has an affect on future episodes for sure.