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.
- Understand and utilize some basic principles of film and television analysis.
ORIGINAL ARTIFACT
Article 1: This article is from WebMD, the medical website created by doctors and it describes the physical effects of horror and why they are so enticing. It mentions a study by Professor Glenn Sparks at Purdue University. During his study, he noticed, “when people watch horrific images, their heartbeat increases as much as 15 beats per minute, Sparks tells WebMD. Their palms sweat, their skin temperature drops several degrees, their muscles tense, and their blood pressure spikes. “The brain hasn’t really adapted to the new technology [of movies],” Sparks explains. “We can tell ourselves the images on the screen are not real, but emotionally our brain reacts as if they are … our ‘old brain’ still governs our reactions.” (Why We Love Scary Movies) Fear is something that every human experiences and it remains deep within each individual. It is a primal emotion that motivates someone to protect oneself or others from harm. Fear motivates many of our behaviors and watching a horror film brings out this primal emotion. Unlike Noel Carroll’s article, “Why Horror?” the study done by Professor Glenn Sparks does not address what causes an individual to watch a horror film; it simply explains the effects of it.
Article 2: The second article I researched for this week was much more similar to the reading from Noel Carroll. Instead of looking at the physical effects of horror films, this article was about the psychology and different theories behind the attraction to horror. The video at the end of the article explains that there are three things that justify or draw someone to watch a horror film. These three things are tension, relevance, and unrealism. Tension comes in the form of gore, mystery, and suspense. Tension challenges the viewer and is attractive for different reasons for each individual. Relevance draws people in by making them force their fears. This could explain why horror movies have evolved over time from featuring monsters to murderers, to zombies, to widespread epidemics. The viewer could also relate to the victim or the villain. Relevance strikes curiosity. Unrealism is a justification for many horror films. People feel better watching a movie that is scary but they know it is fake (The Psychology Behind Why We Watch Horror Movies). I think that Noel Carroll’s theory of curiosity fits in well with relevance. Carroll says, “thus to a large extent, the horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation. Doubt, skepticism, and the fear that belief in the existence of the monster is a form of insanity are predictable foils to the revelation (to the audience or to the character or both) of the existence of the monster.” (Carroll 279)
The Psychology Behind Why We Watch Horror Movies. (2013, October 24). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from NoFilmSchool website: http://nofilmschool.com/2013/10/psychology-behind-why-we-watch-horror-films/
Why We Love Scary Movies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 11, 2014, from WebMD website: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/why-we-love-scary-movies?page=2
REFLECTION AND FUTURE
I chose this article and reflection because I think the psychology behind horror is fascinating. These sources which I researched for this reflection were fascinating because one delved into our primal instincts. WebMD mentioned that fear is a primal instinct and necessary for survival. Without it, humans could not survive in some situations. It claimed that viewing horror movies connects us to our primal section of the brain. Noel Carroll says in her article that, “It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation. Doubt, skepticism and the fear that belief in the existence of the monster is a form of insanity…” (Carroll 279)
I think these articles helped me think about my own fears and how I view things around me. I classified everything that scares me into each of the different justification for being scared (primal instincts, tension, relevance, and unrealism). I think something that is very important to remember is that each source stressed the importance of fear in a person’s life, though all for different reasons.
In the future, I hope to recognize that fear is a human experience and to appreciate it. I will also try to appreciate the factors that make a film scary such as sounds or mise-en-scenes. These are artistic aspects of film and should not go overlooked.
Carroll, N. (n.d.). Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://blogs.uoregon.edu/aad250shuette/files/2010/09/5-carroll.pdf