Horror Movies

I copied this from my blog at Myspace.  This is the question that I am probably asked the most.  "How can anyone love horror movies?"  Well, here is the  best answer to that question.  ENJOY!

As many of you also know, I LOVE horror films.  I usually purchase a small tub of popcorn and super-sized Diet Coke (or smuggle in a bag of pork rinds) and head into the theater or living room (usually alone since Andrea hates horror movies) eagerly awaiting scenes of ghosts, chainsaws, monsters, amputations, chainsaws, vampires, demons, devils, trolls, etc.  I know that this freaks most people out. I am often asked “how can anyone watch and enjoy things like this?  While I have become somewhat desensitized to the sight of gore and violence in films, I can assure you that I am a normal, albeit slightly strange, individual who happens to hate real violence, gore, and blood. In fact, I am an avid animal lover.

The way I see it, we all have inner fears that must be explored.  Our gloomiest thoughts must also be developed, and horror movies can serve as that vehicle. These films often feature moral codes and have consequences if they are violated.  Also, many of them star empowering female protagonists. Even though these movies are supposed to be horrifying, they often have a “moral” at the end of every story or present results that reveal justice when exploring the darker side of human nature (the show Dexter on Showtime has taken this concept to the extreme and I highly recommend it).
Over the years, many “rules” have been introduced and used in horror films for decades; If you saw the movie Scream many years ago, then you are already familiar with them . One must never have sex, dabble in drugs, or say “be right back” if they wish to survive a horror scenario. When closely examining horror films, those who survive usually abide by this moral code while those violating it meet very nasty consequences. Fans of this popular genre will always remember Drew Barrymore’s death in Scream; her character, the typical shallow popular blonde type, was stabbed excessively and hung from a tree with her “insides on the outside,” as uttered by one character. Many audience members were shocked to see Drew Barrymore, one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, meet the sharp end of a blade in the first fifteen minutes of a horror film; however, these movies are notorious for killing off popular actresses—Janet Leigh from Psycho or even Paris Hilton in House of Wax, anyone?
In fact, I saw House of Wax in the theater and I recall people cheering when Paris Hilton suffered a steel rod through her head. Only in a horror film can you see one of America’s most hated celebrities die a gruesome death. And it’s okay to rejoice because fans know this isn’t real. Ironically, even Hilton was aware of this and seized upon the fact that she was one of the most controversial celebrities in Hollywood by selling t-shirts that said “On May 6th, watch Paris die.” Hilton’s character survived three fourths of the film until she violated the code when having sex with her boyfriend in the middle of the woods. So you see, according to horror movie rules, she asked for it!
Characters who exhibit poor decision making in horror movies must suffer the consequences, and it often involves gore—lots of it! In reality, a criminal arrested for heroin possession may be sent to prison; in a horror film, his or her punishment is much more severe. Simply sending a heroin possessor to prison isn’t enough! And if a character foolishly runs up the stairs instead of out the front door when being chased by a knife-wielding lunatic, perhaps that character deserves to die! We want nasty mangled body parts everywhere! The urge to witness such scenes, even if they are nonfiction, disturbs some. Why would anyone want to witness someone die?
Perhaps it is morbid, but there is an important reason—those who become impaled by machetes are often violators of the moral code. They are the bullies who tripped us in the school corridors; they are the arrogant cheerleaders who purposefully put gum in our hair to gleefully watch us squirm. In horror movies, the “big bad” bullies always meet a “bigger” and “badder” bully around the corner waiting to exact justice.
Those who die deserve to die in many cases (according to horror movie rules), and those who survive are the intelligent and sensitive types we all adore. The lead character is usually the girl next door instead of the unattainable Hollywood pinup. Audiences can relate to the protagonist. The blonde, rail-thin supporting character almost always dies in a gruesome manner. Perhaps this serves as social commentary because who isn’t sick of seeing the Paris Hilton-types invade our television sets and magazine stands? She represents the Western ideal—an unattainable image of perfection that many Americans don’t fit and therefore resent—the fact that so many younger people still try to emulate her appearance is an entirely different matter. Moviegoers can watch a horror film to see Paris Hilton finally die with her looks not enough to pull her through. In the end, of course, her beauty is mangled by a sharp object. We cheer! Paris is dead—at least until we get home and turn on our television sets.
I should also point out that the sole survivor of these films is almost always a female. Hollywood is mostly dominated by the likes of Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Ben Stiller earning the largest paychecks. We’re accustomed to seeing James Bond and Indiana Jones possess the brute strength and necessary gadgets, of course, to save the damsels in distress. In a horror film, however, it is the relatable leading lady who outwits and outlasts. Those who survive the mayhem have abided the moral code and relied on wits rather than brute strength.
We root for the good to survive, and cheer for the villain when stalking the bullying jocks and arrogant cheerleaders! We need not feel guilty because we know it isn’t reality just as comic book fans know that there is no Superman who can reverse time simply by flying around the world at a rapid speed. Superman, however, allows comic book fans to entertain the idealistic notion of super-heroes saving the world. On the contrary, horror films allow audiences to explore the darker side of human nature from the safety of their theater seats. Most fans easily separate fiction from reality.
So please, don’t judge us. We're not all serial killers.