The post What’s the Deal With the Catharsis of Horror Movies appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The legendary horror writer Stephen King describes terror as “the finest emotion.” After all, horror is to horrific as terror is to terrific. We love to be scared. There’s something deeply exciting about feeling adrenaline pumping through our bodies, sitting on the edge of our seat, and hiding behind our hands as we await the next big scare. When our daily routine feels boring and repetitive, feeling scared makes us feel alive.
The great thing about horror movies, however, is that even though they make us feel scared, they pose no real threat. We can watch Pennywise the killer clown terrorize children, but we know that we are going to step out of the movie theater free from harm. We may at times fear that he is waiting for us under the bed but ultimately, deep down we know that he is not real and that we are safe.
Even though Pennywise is not real, the fear we experience when he jumps out at us on the big screen is very real. People who enjoy horror films typically seek out these intense moments and more importantly, we relish the sense of relief that follows. Yes, that was scary but also, you are safe now. That relief is an even greater feeling than the fear that precedes it.
Experiencing these intense emotions in a safe environment is a form of catharsis. In life, we often suppress our deepest fears so that they do not interfere with our everyday life. When we watch a horror movie, we allow ourselves to feel intense fear without it ever disrupting real life. Sure, we may lose a night’s sleep here and there but facing this fantastical fear is very different from facing our deep-rooted and more powerful fears. In a nutshell, our bodies get to release our fear in a healthy way without us suffering any real consequences.
To conclude, no, I am not a bad person for laughing when a character gets slashed by a psycho killer on the loose. Horror films are fiction and enjoying watching them does not by any stretch mean that I would react in a remotely similar way if the events were to happen in real life. The world can be a scary place and watching Pennywise jump out from behind the door can help us get out those fearful emotions so they don’t creep up on us when we least expect them to. And that’s catharsis.
The post What’s the Deal With the Catharsis of Horror Movies appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The post The Biggest Horror Game-Changers of the Decade appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>IT broke records at the box-office back in 2018. Horror movies have never quite pulled in as much profit as more mainstream genres but IT pulled in impressive figures for the blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King’s terrifying horror. The movie attracted an all-star cast along with its high viewing figures. The success of the franchise has thus proved that there is hope for the horror genre yet.
When Babadook arrived, it was a relatively unheard of film that discretely made its way out of New Zealand and into America. In the era of CGI, Babadook strips back flashy effects and cuts the cast of demons and monsters down to little more than grieving mother and her son. By keeping it simple, Babadook succeeds in being so much more than your average Hollywood horror film. When you strip back the horror, what is left behind is a terrifying story of grief. Babadook restored horror to its former glory and paved the way for the likes of Ari Aster’s Hereditary.
Jordan Peele’s Get Out is one of the most thought-provoking and brilliant movies of the decade. Peele classifies his social justice-fuelled drama as a “social thriller.” All the creepy stares and mysterious characters are scary, but what is truly horrifying is the magnifying glass Peele puts up to racism in modern America. And just like that, monsters going bump in the night doesn’t quite cut it.
Ari Aster released two exceptional horror movies in the 2010s. Both Hereditary and Midsommar abandon traditional horror tropes for something far more substantial and disturbing. What is so ground-breaking about Midsommar is that 90% of the movie takes place in daylight. Aster succeeds in sustaining suspense and an unnerving feeling of terror while never turning out the lights.
The Witch is another masterpiece which strips everything back to basics. The premise is simple, a family lives alone on a farm and they fear a witch lives in the forest. We barely catch a glimpse of this witch and yet the presence of something evil persists throughout the film. The Witch raises the status of the horror film once more by transcending genre tropes to create something uniquely unnerving.
Love it or hate it, The Conjuring movies have made their mark on the horror genre. In the 2010s, the franchise introduced the idea of a “Conjuring” universe to include the Anabelle films and more recently, The Nun. After the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its no wonder that horror-makers wanted a slice of the multiverse pie. And it just so happened that their gamble was a big success.
The post The Biggest Horror Game-Changers of the Decade appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The post 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains of All Time appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>A laughing dummy on a tricycle doesn’t sound all that creepy… oh wait, it does. And it is.
Dracula
There have been hundreds of vampires in movie history, but Dracula will always be the most infamous and the most iconic.
Chucky
Chucky from Child’s Play is not a doll you want in your toy box. Though, if it’s a choice between Chucky and The Conjuring‘s Annabelle, we choose Chucky every time.
Pennywise
Pennywise from IT is terrifying in both the original and the remake. He’s also responsible for a growing epidemic of coulrophobia (fear of clowns).
Michael Myers
A slasher franchise like Halloween doesn’t get to be one of the greatest horror movies of all time without one killer villain. That villain is Michael Myers.
Freddy Krueger
His horrific appearance and the fact he kills you in your sleep makes Freddy terrifying. His witty banter and brilliant one-liners is what makes him iconic.
Samara
Samara from The Ring is so creepy, we don’t even want to share a picture.
Kayako
AKA that seriously creepy kid with long hair from The Grudge.
Jason
Friday the 13th‘s Jason Voorhees is another masked slasher villain that you definitely don’t want to encounter.
Jack Torrance
Jack Torrance from The Shining might have the appearance of an ordinary man, but his unpredictable mood swings and the ax he swings about makes him one hell of a villain.
The post 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains of All Time appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The post What’s the Deal With the Catharsis of Horror Movies appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The legendary horror writer Stephen King describes terror as “the finest emotion.” After all, horror is to horrific as terror is to terrific. We love to be scared. There’s something deeply exciting about feeling adrenaline pumping through our bodies, sitting on the edge of our seat, and hiding behind our hands as we await the next big scare. When our daily routine feels boring and repetitive, feeling scared makes us feel alive.
The great thing about horror movies, however, is that even though they make us feel scared, they pose no real threat. We can watch Pennywise the killer clown terrorize children, but we know that we are going to step out of the movie theater free from harm. We may at times fear that he is waiting for us under the bed but ultimately, deep down we know that he is not real and that we are safe.
Even though Pennywise is not real, the fear we experience when he jumps out at us on the big screen is very real. People who enjoy horror films typically seek out these intense moments and more importantly, we relish the sense of relief that follows. Yes, that was scary but also, you are safe now. That relief is an even greater feeling than the fear that precedes it.
Experiencing these intense emotions in a safe environment is a form of catharsis. In life, we often suppress our deepest fears so that they do not interfere with our everyday life. When we watch a horror movie, we allow ourselves to feel intense fear without it ever disrupting real life. Sure, we may lose a night’s sleep here and there but facing this fantastical fear is very different from facing our deep-rooted and more powerful fears. In a nutshell, our bodies get to release our fear in a healthy way without us suffering any real consequences.
To conclude, no, I am not a bad person for laughing when a character gets slashed by a psycho killer on the loose. Horror films are fiction and enjoying watching them does not by any stretch mean that I would react in a remotely similar way if the events were to happen in real life. The world can be a scary place and watching Pennywise jump out from behind the door can help us get out those fearful emotions so they don’t creep up on us when we least expect them to. And that’s catharsis.
The post What’s the Deal With the Catharsis of Horror Movies appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The post The Biggest Horror Game-Changers of the Decade appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>IT broke records at the box-office back in 2018. Horror movies have never quite pulled in as much profit as more mainstream genres but IT pulled in impressive figures for the blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King’s terrifying horror. The movie attracted an all-star cast along with its high viewing figures. The success of the franchise has thus proved that there is hope for the horror genre yet.
When Babadook arrived, it was a relatively unheard of film that discretely made its way out of New Zealand and into America. In the era of CGI, Babadook strips back flashy effects and cuts the cast of demons and monsters down to little more than grieving mother and her son. By keeping it simple, Babadook succeeds in being so much more than your average Hollywood horror film. When you strip back the horror, what is left behind is a terrifying story of grief. Babadook restored horror to its former glory and paved the way for the likes of Ari Aster’s Hereditary.
Jordan Peele’s Get Out is one of the most thought-provoking and brilliant movies of the decade. Peele classifies his social justice-fuelled drama as a “social thriller.” All the creepy stares and mysterious characters are scary, but what is truly horrifying is the magnifying glass Peele puts up to racism in modern America. And just like that, monsters going bump in the night doesn’t quite cut it.
Ari Aster released two exceptional horror movies in the 2010s. Both Hereditary and Midsommar abandon traditional horror tropes for something far more substantial and disturbing. What is so ground-breaking about Midsommar is that 90% of the movie takes place in daylight. Aster succeeds in sustaining suspense and an unnerving feeling of terror while never turning out the lights.
The Witch is another masterpiece which strips everything back to basics. The premise is simple, a family lives alone on a farm and they fear a witch lives in the forest. We barely catch a glimpse of this witch and yet the presence of something evil persists throughout the film. The Witch raises the status of the horror film once more by transcending genre tropes to create something uniquely unnerving.
Love it or hate it, The Conjuring movies have made their mark on the horror genre. In the 2010s, the franchise introduced the idea of a “Conjuring” universe to include the Anabelle films and more recently, The Nun. After the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its no wonder that horror-makers wanted a slice of the multiverse pie. And it just so happened that their gamble was a big success.
The post The Biggest Horror Game-Changers of the Decade appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>The post 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains of All Time appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
]]>A laughing dummy on a tricycle doesn’t sound all that creepy… oh wait, it does. And it is.
Dracula
There have been hundreds of vampires in movie history, but Dracula will always be the most infamous and the most iconic.
Chucky
Chucky from Child’s Play is not a doll you want in your toy box. Though, if it’s a choice between Chucky and The Conjuring‘s Annabelle, we choose Chucky every time.
Pennywise
Pennywise from IT is terrifying in both the original and the remake. He’s also responsible for a growing epidemic of coulrophobia (fear of clowns).
Michael Myers
A slasher franchise like Halloween doesn’t get to be one of the greatest horror movies of all time without one killer villain. That villain is Michael Myers.
Freddy Krueger
His horrific appearance and the fact he kills you in your sleep makes Freddy terrifying. His witty banter and brilliant one-liners is what makes him iconic.
Samara
Samara from The Ring is so creepy, we don’t even want to share a picture.
Kayako
AKA that seriously creepy kid with long hair from The Grudge.
Jason
Friday the 13th‘s Jason Voorhees is another masked slasher villain that you definitely don’t want to encounter.
Jack Torrance
Jack Torrance from The Shining might have the appearance of an ordinary man, but his unpredictable mood swings and the ax he swings about makes him one hell of a villain.
The post 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains of All Time appeared first on Entertainment For Us.
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