Horror movies and their cultural impact

¶ … Horror

What is Horror?

According to Sigmund Freud, das unheimliche -- or the uncanny -- can be defined as something that is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. In horror films, the uncanny can be achieved through the depiction of a series of events that will lead a character into a dangerous situation without the implicit description or portrayal of what the danger is. Horror is much more effective if danger and violence is left to the viewer's imagination because it is then influenced by an individual's personal fears. If a director explicitly shows danger or violence, the individual is then forced to accept the director's depiction without psychologically engaging in the suspense as much as they could have done if danger or violence was only implied.

In terms of horror as a genre, the true masters of horror are the writers of Gothic literature who helped to define and differentiate between horror and terror. In Gothic literature, horror is often defined as the psychological reaction an individual has when confronted with something that is evil or fearful. On the other hand, terror is the physical reaction, whether it is the chills that run down one's spine or the compulsive need to shield one's eyes from the screen. Writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker can be considered to be the forefathers -- and foremother -- of the horror genre. While horror films force the viewer to picture situations and characters in a certain manner, Gothic writers relied heavily on what images could be conjured in the imagination of others, simultaneously forcing their readers to explore and come to terms with any psychological fears or reservations they may have had. It is only when one understands what drives and motivates individuals at a psychological level that horror and terror can be defined.

One of my first experiences with horror occurred at a young age. While I do not recall exactly how old I was at the time, although I believe I was about three, I remember being scared by a movie on the television late one night called "Curse of the Doll People," which featured little people dressed up as possessed dolls running around stabbing people. I believe I was highly influenced by this film because of my young age and inability to fully comprehend that dolls did not have the ability to come to life, nor were they actively attempting to kill me.

Since the inception of horror cinema during the German Expressionist movement of the 1930s, horror has developed into something that is more concerned with the depiction of gore and gratuitous violence more than a genre that seeks to explore an individual's psychological limits. True horror leaves something to the imagination and influences one's perspectives without explicitly showing why a situation is wrong or uncanny. For instance, Robert Weine's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" forces that audience to imagine the details of what is going on because of the film's silent nature. Furthermore, unease is created through the mise-en-scene, not necessarily through what the viewers sees. Likewise, Fritz Lang's "M" can be considered a horror film because although the audience knows that a serial killer is targeting and killing children, they do not know how he does it, nor does Lang let the audience know who the serial killer is. Furthermore, "M" plays upon the audience's fears because of the realistic nature of the crimes and events that occur in the film. George Romero's (Night of the Living Dead, etc.) and Danny Boyle (28 Days Later) zombie films can also be categorized as successful horror films because they force the audience to contemplate their mortality in both the present and future. It is difficult to classify slasher films as horror because of their formulaic structure, which was satirically alluded to in the "Scream" films.