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Many people are entertained by horror movies/stories. Can you help explain why people take an interest in this?

It's beyond my comprehension why one would be interested in blood and gore, or dismemberment, or frightening and terrorizing people.

Just curious as to how one builds an interest in this genre. (Not passing judgment and not trying to offend anyone here peeps)

MyLiege 7 July 19
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18 comments

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1

One should make distinctions when discussing the genre of horror. There’s 'slash film' style horror, which focuses on violence; scary films which employ tactics designed to make you jump out of your seat; monster movies of many types; seductive horror, such as vampirism; and classic horror which may involve deeply disturbing human psychological elements, just to name a few. Personally, I’ve never been into slash films, and prefer the violence to be off-camera, or implied. But almost all of us have a need to be frightened by something—the popularity of roller coasters is evidence of this desire. Experiencing fear makes us feel 'alive.'

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I love horror. It gives me a good solid adrenaline rush. Just kinda scratches a mental itch, and then I get on with things. Also, I love watching them for the effects--not only makeup, costumes, gore and bits or CG, but also lighting and sound. A lot of work goes into these things, even the cheesy low budget ones. Sometimes you can tell when they had a lot of fun with the production.

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People are sick I tell ya!! Just sick!

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Like some others here I actually like the whole movie and all the elements more than any blood fest. I am not a huge horror fan, but I do like a good horror movie. I remember when movies like Night of the Living Dead were out, but I didn't necessarily like them because they were SOOO graphic with people's insides being pulled out. I'm not here to be disgusted, but entertained. So I just like the movie as a whole if it has some good suspense and a good story etc. I also don't like a horror movie that only relies on jump scares. I might be the only one here who also thinks the Paranormal Activity movies were garbage lol

1

It's always tough to generalize since no one size fits all. Nevertheless, If a person is craves the chemical highs which they experience when shocked, scared, or triggered, then horror movies can fit their bill; and the gorier the better. LLOL In fact they're craving their fight or flight chemicals which make some people actually feel more alive.

I'm not one of those and have hated horror movies of every kind since i was about 4 or 5 years old. My parents had taken me with them to New York city, and went out leaving me with a baby sitter. My bedroom door was closed so I watched late night TV, something we did not yet have in Montreal.

So i watched the 1934 version of a Laurel and Hardy movie which i think was Babes In Toyland. In it, i seem to remember that Laurel and Hardy were chased through the sewers under some city by hairy monsters; i also remember that i had nightmares for weeks afterward.

Never again and that was 65 years ago. LLOL

1

I'm with you...sex, good...violent, no! :'O

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I like suspense and mystery movies but don’t care for gorefests

0

beats me. I think they are stupid poorly acted, unbelievable and boring

2

They haven't yet discovered porn.

2

Probably the same reason we have nightmares. Those are created by the individual experiencing them. While I don't really like the blood and Gore types, I like horror films. I think a lot of people have a fascination with the macabre.

Duke Level 8 July 19, 2018

do get a lot of dates?one of my criteria when i dated( too old now) was if a man liked horror movies . it shows a level of unkindness and shallowness of feelings

@squiggy_70 That's a perception issue on your part. I also like romantic comedies. To me, that shows a broad spectrum of interests. I also like to shop. I hate sports and hunting/fishing. I love to cook. I can also fold a fitted sheet and I love the smell of bleach. All things that would be overlooked simply because I fit into a certain box based on your perception.

@Duke do you like animals?. do you ever cry? horror movies are boring when they are not boring they are disgusting. they are always the same. Sci fi movies are fun. Like when you first see the aliens in "Arrival" but that was a very sweet movie. when they were going up the tunnel and you see them . suspense is different than horror movies. the Saw series dumb dumb dumb.; lets torture and chop up people. let me change that . it is something we do NOT have in common

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I agree with you 100%. I don’t do any blood and gore. A good mystery is good though. Like to figure out who done it. Like to figure out who

Liz Level 4 July 19, 2018
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The blood and guts stuff is boring. When l was young l loved Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and Dracula. There were human sides to these monsters. They were monsters, not by their own choice, but by circumstance. You could feel empathy for them, especially Frankenstein and the Wolfman. Dracula was kind of a sexy ladies man.

2

One of my favorite movie series is Ash vs. the Evil Dead. I’ve always enjoied horror flicks, mainly the campy ones. Nightmare on Elm Street, Chucky and such.
Seeing the gore, hearing the screams and feeling the tension gets my adrenaline going. I’m also entertain by the absurdity, the excessiveness of the gore and the horrible jokes.
Call me macabre if you will, but I won’t shy away from a good horror flick.

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Fear. Just like riding a roller coaster. People enjoy being afarid. It makes you feel alive.

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They like to be scared, safely.

3

If a horror movie is made well I might watch.
I use to make sets and body parts for B horror film. Had to stop it was too negative and made me sick.

1

To be honest I have no idea.
I think that sometimes it's not just the blood and gore. a lot of the times there is a hero type, or a few people that are trying to survive the monster, killer etc. so the horror factor as greusom as it may be, people have some one to root for, the worse the peril, the stronger the bond with the ones being hunted. that's just a thought. I could be wrong.

I liked such movies like, jaws, Alien and such when I was a kid, but that kind of thing doesn't really appeal to me any more with an exception or two here and there.

On that same thought though, I do love when when show or a movie has a good twist (which is great original writing), when you find a conflict in who the 'hero' is.
A few examples are Dexter, a serial killer, yet he is the one every one roots for. And Breaking bad. Walter white is a meth maker/dealer, and he's killed people, yet we root for him.
Game of Thrones is a great example of that but even more. It is very violent, bloody, but characters change so much through the story that it's hard to tell who to root for but it is exciting.

I've heard this same question offered about Video games. In that case I think it's an outlet to do something in extreems that one could not do in real life.

hmm Dexter made me sick, I couldn't wait until Walter White had his ass handed to him and Game of Thrones is boring

2

Watching gore, which I usually laugh at is a release for me. So is watching creatively formed monsters attempt to destroy the world. It's fantasy. You have those, yes? There are so many people in the world that could make one think violent thoughts so watching it happen in a movie causes one to settle down and relax. I can't speak for everybody, just me.

Some like roller coaster, it's actually releases their stress. Opposite for me.

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