Category: Unit 06

The first article I read was “Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared.” The article starts be recognizing two of the most common theories for why people so often enjoy horror movies. The first is that viewers are not actually frightened, but rather excited by the movie. The second theory is that the audience is willing to be scared during the movie so that they will be able to enjoy the euphoric sense of relief at the end of the movie once all conflicts have been resolved. The author (who is not listed), says that these theories are wrong because they are rooted in the idea that people are unable to feel positive and negative feelings at the same time, which scientist have disproved. People are in fact able to feel positive and negative emotions simultaneously.

The author proposes a new theory that people experience fear in an environment that limits the actual danger they are able to experience positive feelings while still be frightened and excited. The author wrote, “When individuals who typically choose to avoid the stimuli were embedded in a protective frame of mind, such that there was sufficient psychological disengagement or detachment, they experienced positive feelings while still experiencing fearfulness,” the authors explain. The key point of the theory is that the audience is detached to the terror of the movie to such an extent that they are able to feel safe, or other positive feelings, while still enjoying the fear of the film.

This theory is somewhat in contrast to N. Carroll’s explanation in “Why Horror”. Carroll wrote, “It is not that we crave disgust, but that disgust is a predictable concomitant of disclosing the unknown, whose disclosure is a desire the narrative instills in the audience and then goes on to gladden.” She continued saying, “The disclosure of the existence of the horrific being and of its properties is the central source of pleasure in the genre.” In Carroll’s theory, it is not the actual sensation of fear, but rather curiosity and discovery that make horror films enjoyable for the audience. People are curious enough that they feel a need to follow the story through what the author describes as predictable turns of plot. Carroll says that the predictable nature of the plot is partially responsible for the desire to see it through. Being aware of what is likely to happen or follow in a plot creates the urge to see it through, especially when that predictability is embedded within a plot ripe with excitement and energy.

I do not think that these theories are in conflict with one another. In fact, I think it is quite possible that both are accurate and both mechanisms may be simultaneously responsible for the pleasure or positive feelings that viewers feel when they watch horror movies. Carroll’s theory certainly seems logical. Curiosity can be an extremely motivating sensation that can drive people to turn another page in a good book, or in this case endure the terror in a horror movie. Meanwhile, the theory introduced in “Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared” also intuitively seems reasonable. Evidence and personal experience show that people enjoy being scarred and frightened if there is some limit or threshold that keeps them from any real danger. Consider bungee jumping as an example. People throw themselves off bridges and experience the rush of adrenaline and fear associated with falling towards death only to be snapped up at the last moment by a bungee cord. This experience is pleasurable enough such that people continue to participate in this extreme sport. The bungee cord is the limit or threshold that keeps the true danger at bay, which plays the same role as the threshold between the audience and the action of a movie. Viewers experience the emotions of the film, but are kept safe from danger, and therefore derive positive feelings from the experience.

The second article I read was called “Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies”, written by Sharon Begley. In her article, Begley starts by quoting Stephen King, who described “terror as the finest emotion.” She introduces a common theory that people go to the movies to be scared, but the same scare they seek at haunted houses and corn mazes—a safe fear. There is no real risk of harm. She says, ““If we have a relatively calm, uneventful lifestyle, we seek out something that’s going to be exciting for us, because our nervous system requires periodic revving, just like a good muscular engine.” Begley claims that there is a biological need for excitement, and oftentimes horror movies can satisfy that need.

Begley continues by introducing the theory rooted in catharsis. She said that findings show that the more intense the fear or anxiety, the more likely a person is to enjoy a horror film which should point to a correlation between anxiety and pleasure. There is believed to be a cathartic or therapeutic effect that comes from the relief after the conclusion of the movie. However, she points out that these positive feelings are often overshadowed by feelings of overall anxiety and uneasiness from the shock of the film.

Lastly, Begley explores a new theory scientists are supporting, which is that the underlying reinforcement of Victorian morality is appealing to people on a deeper, maybe subconscious, level. She says horror films  “appeal to people who like predictability and neat ends… in these movies, there is no question about who the bad guy is. And despite the high and often gory body count, the films tend to have a happy ending.” She uses the example that in horror films the girl who has sex with her boyfriend almost always ends up dead, while the good-natured unsung hero survives.

Begley explores a lot of theories and brings up a lot of interesting points. Her first point, safe fear, is very similar to what the author from the first article wrote. However, the catharsis completely disagrees with the first authors point and Begley herself seems to shoot some holes in that theory. While I believe catharsis may have some impact on the audience’s overall experience, I think it relatively safe to say that is not the primary reason people are driven to see horror movies. The last theory she introduces about the subconscious appeal of the reinforcement of Victorian ethics is fascinating. It definitely seems to be a pattern in horror films. It also ties interestingly to Carroll’s theory of curiosity and predictability. Rather than curiosity driving people to see the predictable plot through to the end, it may be the satisfaction from the reinforcement of old-fashion values throughout the predictable. Having said that, I think it is a stretch to assume that is what is driving people to see horror films. I think it is much more likely that the “safe-fear” theory is the true motivation.

 

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (Eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., pp. 275-294). New York, NY: Routledge.

 

Begley, S. (2011, October 25). Why our brains love horror movies. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/25/why-our-brains-love-horror-movies-fear-catharsis-a-sense-of-doom.html

 

Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared. (2007, July 31). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm

Diegetic sound (18:10)

One of my favorite examples of diegetic sound, sound that is implied to be within the same reality as the film, is the scene where there is a collection of students in what looks like a mess hall. Amongst the silence, one of the young men in the room drops a mug that shatters when it hits the ground. The shattering sound contributes to the aesthetic of the horror film by emphasizing the silence in the room after everyone recently lost the ability to speak. It is an example of diegetic sound because the mug shattering and the sound it made took place inside the reality of the store.

 

Non-diegetic sound (18:30)

Non-diegetic sound is that which is outside the reality of the story being told. An example of non-diegetic sound that particularly stood out to me was the mood music played as Buffy and her friend walk down the street watching the panic and unrest take the town. The music being played brings out emotions like mourning, sadness and hopelessness. The music contributes to the aesthetic of the horror film by drawing out the emotion of the scene and helping the audience feel what the characters are feeling. It is considered non-diegetic because it is separate from the reality of the story, which means the characters in the story cannot hear the music.

 

Mise-en-scene (20:00)

Mise-en-scene is the components that a scene captures, such as production designs, color, lighting, characters, position and framing, and diegetic sound. One example is when Buffy and her friends are watching the news on TV. The news is covering what is happening in the town. The mise-en-scene in the scene includes buffy and her friends, the room, the furniture, the sound of the TV, a dim light and a dark background. This contributes to the aesthetic of the horror film by creating the scene through details. It creates a sense of realism, which makes the film more believable and therefore scary.