THE WORLD OF HORROR
By: Shelley Avraham
"I want to suck your blood:, "It's alive!", and "The power of Christ compels you!" have been words that has sent shivers down the spines of audiences everywhere for generations. Since the emergence of Dracula, arguably the first horror film, in 1931 film makers have realized that audiences enjoy being scared. However, the horror genre is much more complex than just a medium to scare people. The genre itself more often than not actually combines multiple genres into one. A couple of different media sources including, Charlaine Harris's bestselling novel, Dead After Dark, film thriller and romance, Interview with the Vampire, and AMC's epic series, The Walking Dead, all exemplify the exciting aspects of horror and justify the reasons which draw in audiences all over the world.
Horror is a film and literature genre that aims to satisfy many different aspects of the overarching genre, which in this case would clearly be horror, in addition to the particular sub genre that it pairs up with. Many different types of horror categories include, psychological horror, dramatic horror, horror-romance, supernatural-horror, and many more. That is what makes the horror genre so unique and demanded; the genre does a spectacular job at making sure the audience knows that horror is the main theme, however, it enriches the plot of each scene through inputting aspects of different genres. Consequently, the genre gives people "the best of both worlds". Other than the ability of this genre to satisfy the audience through diversity, it also just naturally draws in any audience through its' main aspects: thrill, fear, suspense, and a good plot. Horror films are naturally exciting and keep the audience on their feet. The fact that a movie, show or even a book can excite so many fears in you, but then make you realize that you are safe, is a rush that everyone craves. Rodney Southern supports this point in his article, "Why Horror Movies are so Popular in Today's Pop Culture" when he says, "That natural high is at the center of why we love horror movies so much. It is a quick, natural, senses shattering piece of filmdom that will invigorate your senses and make you feel. That is the point of a great movie, after all."
Charlaine Harris's popular hit novel and first book of the True Blood series, Dead Until Dark, is a great horror story that incorporates supernatural characters, mysterious murders, and a thrilling plot. The novel is about a telepath named Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in a fictional town where vampires coexist with humans. She falls in love with a vampire named Bill Compton. Sookie is drawn to the serenity she gets from the silence her mind undergoes when she is around him, since she cannot read the minds of vampires. Meanwhile, there are many mysterious murders going on in Bon Temps, the fictional town they all live in, and vampires are the number one suspects, especially Bill. Many events occur that add to the exciting plot and get the readers wanting more, however, in the end, we discover that the killer is actually a human. The interesting thing about this novel is that the vampires are not all bad like in most vampire stories. The vampires in Bon Temps are merely trying to coexist with humans and get treated just as equally. Many can argue that Charlaine Harris is trying to make a point through her story about civil rights through the emotions of 'good vampires'. Furthermore, this analysis is portrayed through all the negativity toward Sookie for dating a vampire who does nothing to be treated any anything less of a human. The challenge for attaining legal recognition for natural born civil rights is depicted in this familiar story using vampires as the vessel for the second class citizens and living people as an ignorant party who are fighting the definitive path of social assimilation. Consequently, this horror novel is not just a vampire-filled murder mystery, but it is also a brilliant advocate of important social and moral issues ranging all the way from romance conflicts to discrimination rights in our country today.
Another excellent horror source that conveys excellent qualities of the horror genre is the action-filled movie thriller, Interview with the Vampire, released in 1994. The movie is about a vampire, Louis, played by Brad Pitt, who tells his epic life story of how he became a vampire, his ongoing struggle with his creator, Lestat, and the deep connection formed with his "adopted" daughter figure, Claudia. As he narrates his story, we learn more and more about who the character is through his personal struggle with trying to survive as a vampire, while still trying to hold on to his humanity. However, his ruthless and destructive creator pressures him to the true ways of a vampire. When Claudia comes into the picture and is also 'turned', he forms a strong connection with her, becoming her fatherly figure that will do anything to protect her. Nevertheless, as he watches Claudia turn into an accustomed vampire, his struggles continue as he searches for ways to escape their ways. This movie is unique because it does not only capture the horror-esque of the genre, but it tells a captivating story that combines thrilling horror scenes with aspects of romance, morality, relationships, family and personal struggles.
Aside from horror novels and movies, the genre also has some incredible shows that have been in the top most watched shows for years and years. AMC's hit show, The Walking Dead, released in 2012, has gotten audiences addicted to the rush and excitement of this horror-filled show. The show is about a group of survivors that go through many challenges in a world taken over by zombies. The main character Rick, is the lead figure of the group who is also a Sheriff's deputy along with his best friend Shane. Their past careers gives them a lot of knowledge and physical advantages to many of the challenges they are approached by and they risk their lives for the others in the group. This clashing, yet hard-working group of people must survive together with limited supplies and zombies slowly making their way, in search for more humans. This show is unpredictable, exciting, diverse in its themes and messages, and most importantly, it keeps the viewers on their toes, ending each episode with a thrilling cliffhanger.
The horror genre is one of the most unique ones because it gives you a rush that no other type of movie, film or novel can live up to. A comedy can make you laugh so hard until you can not breathe, a romance can make cry as if the hart-warming and charming boyfriend is actually confessing his love to you, and an action movie is a great way to get your adrenaline up in the sky. However, horror combines all of those affects, adds thrill and excitement, and creates one of the most demanded genres of today's social media. It takes numerous different factors that audiences want and integrates them to create a compelling plot, while still being able to make the overarching theme of horror and thrill obvious.
Aside from the diversity of this genre, another reason why horror is so popular and in such high demand is because of all the crazy and fictional things that happen. People go through many scary things in life and are faced with traumatizing events that scar us for the rest of our lives, however, most people won't come across a vampire, a zombie or even a serial killer. Editor in Chief, Sam Santiago says in his article, "Fear Lives: Why are Horror Movies So Popular?", "We get to experience our fears in safety and we find it fun to make the unreal, real. Great movies know how to evoke our emotions and no genre does it better, or easier, then horror". The fact that we can get so caught up in the craziness and fear of what is going to happen next, but then look around and realize we are in the safety of our own homes or local movie theatre is a feeling that horror fans look forward to. That rush and thrill makes people happy and is the reason as to why they enjoy these horror stories so much. In CBS News article called, "Scientists Take a Stab at Why Horror Film Lust Runs Deep", Stephanie Pappas talks about a study done in 2007 that supports this claim. She
says, "The researchers asked both horror-movie haters and horror-movie lovers to watch clips of scary films while rating their emotions. Both groups reported similar levels of fear while watching the clips. But only the horror movie-lovers got happier during the movies." This goes to prove that people simply enjoy the exciting rush and enjoy the scare of not knowing what is about to happen.
The horror genre is one of the most complex and exciting genres one will encounter. It is scary, funny, sad, mysterious and exciting all at the same time. Although many may believe that the horror genre is "stupid" or pointless because of the unrealistic characters and plots, I can definitely argue that those aspects are what makes it exciting and loved by many. Watching a cute romance or a serious action movie that is a little more realistic is certainly a good experience and worth watching, however, it is also okay to experience a little bit of excitement and take your mind into a zone is does not enter everyday. Horror whether it is in a novel, a movie, a show, or any other media source, is an exciting genre that makes sure to combine multiple genres into one, while giving you a taste of a supernatural world you will only experience through your mind, eyes, and imagination.
Work Cited :
Pappas, Stephanie. "Scientists Take a Stab at Why Horror Film Lust Runs Deep."
CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 29 Oct. 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Santiago, Sam. "FEAR LIVES: Why Are HORROR Movies so Popular?" Truly
Disturbing Horror. P.O.G. Network, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Southern, Rodney. "Why Horror Movies Are so Popular in Today's Pop Culture." Yahoo! Contributor Network. Rodney Southern, 22 Oct. 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Horror is a film and literature genre that aims to satisfy many different aspects of the overarching genre, which in this case would clearly be horror, in addition to the particular sub genre that it pairs up with. Many different types of horror categories include, psychological horror, dramatic horror, horror-romance, supernatural-horror, and many more. That is what makes the horror genre so unique and demanded; the genre does a spectacular job at making sure the audience knows that horror is the main theme, however, it enriches the plot of each scene through inputting aspects of different genres. Consequently, the genre gives people "the best of both worlds". Other than the ability of this genre to satisfy the audience through diversity, it also just naturally draws in any audience through its' main aspects: thrill, fear, suspense, and a good plot. Horror films are naturally exciting and keep the audience on their feet. The fact that a movie, show or even a book can excite so many fears in you, but then make you realize that you are safe, is a rush that everyone craves. Rodney Southern supports this point in his article, "Why Horror Movies are so Popular in Today's Pop Culture" when he says, "That natural high is at the center of why we love horror movies so much. It is a quick, natural, senses shattering piece of filmdom that will invigorate your senses and make you feel. That is the point of a great movie, after all."
Charlaine Harris's popular hit novel and first book of the True Blood series, Dead Until Dark, is a great horror story that incorporates supernatural characters, mysterious murders, and a thrilling plot. The novel is about a telepath named Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in a fictional town where vampires coexist with humans. She falls in love with a vampire named Bill Compton. Sookie is drawn to the serenity she gets from the silence her mind undergoes when she is around him, since she cannot read the minds of vampires. Meanwhile, there are many mysterious murders going on in Bon Temps, the fictional town they all live in, and vampires are the number one suspects, especially Bill. Many events occur that add to the exciting plot and get the readers wanting more, however, in the end, we discover that the killer is actually a human. The interesting thing about this novel is that the vampires are not all bad like in most vampire stories. The vampires in Bon Temps are merely trying to coexist with humans and get treated just as equally. Many can argue that Charlaine Harris is trying to make a point through her story about civil rights through the emotions of 'good vampires'. Furthermore, this analysis is portrayed through all the negativity toward Sookie for dating a vampire who does nothing to be treated any anything less of a human. The challenge for attaining legal recognition for natural born civil rights is depicted in this familiar story using vampires as the vessel for the second class citizens and living people as an ignorant party who are fighting the definitive path of social assimilation. Consequently, this horror novel is not just a vampire-filled murder mystery, but it is also a brilliant advocate of important social and moral issues ranging all the way from romance conflicts to discrimination rights in our country today.
Another excellent horror source that conveys excellent qualities of the horror genre is the action-filled movie thriller, Interview with the Vampire, released in 1994. The movie is about a vampire, Louis, played by Brad Pitt, who tells his epic life story of how he became a vampire, his ongoing struggle with his creator, Lestat, and the deep connection formed with his "adopted" daughter figure, Claudia. As he narrates his story, we learn more and more about who the character is through his personal struggle with trying to survive as a vampire, while still trying to hold on to his humanity. However, his ruthless and destructive creator pressures him to the true ways of a vampire. When Claudia comes into the picture and is also 'turned', he forms a strong connection with her, becoming her fatherly figure that will do anything to protect her. Nevertheless, as he watches Claudia turn into an accustomed vampire, his struggles continue as he searches for ways to escape their ways. This movie is unique because it does not only capture the horror-esque of the genre, but it tells a captivating story that combines thrilling horror scenes with aspects of romance, morality, relationships, family and personal struggles.
Aside from horror novels and movies, the genre also has some incredible shows that have been in the top most watched shows for years and years. AMC's hit show, The Walking Dead, released in 2012, has gotten audiences addicted to the rush and excitement of this horror-filled show. The show is about a group of survivors that go through many challenges in a world taken over by zombies. The main character Rick, is the lead figure of the group who is also a Sheriff's deputy along with his best friend Shane. Their past careers gives them a lot of knowledge and physical advantages to many of the challenges they are approached by and they risk their lives for the others in the group. This clashing, yet hard-working group of people must survive together with limited supplies and zombies slowly making their way, in search for more humans. This show is unpredictable, exciting, diverse in its themes and messages, and most importantly, it keeps the viewers on their toes, ending each episode with a thrilling cliffhanger.
The horror genre is one of the most unique ones because it gives you a rush that no other type of movie, film or novel can live up to. A comedy can make you laugh so hard until you can not breathe, a romance can make cry as if the hart-warming and charming boyfriend is actually confessing his love to you, and an action movie is a great way to get your adrenaline up in the sky. However, horror combines all of those affects, adds thrill and excitement, and creates one of the most demanded genres of today's social media. It takes numerous different factors that audiences want and integrates them to create a compelling plot, while still being able to make the overarching theme of horror and thrill obvious.
Aside from the diversity of this genre, another reason why horror is so popular and in such high demand is because of all the crazy and fictional things that happen. People go through many scary things in life and are faced with traumatizing events that scar us for the rest of our lives, however, most people won't come across a vampire, a zombie or even a serial killer. Editor in Chief, Sam Santiago says in his article, "Fear Lives: Why are Horror Movies So Popular?", "We get to experience our fears in safety and we find it fun to make the unreal, real. Great movies know how to evoke our emotions and no genre does it better, or easier, then horror". The fact that we can get so caught up in the craziness and fear of what is going to happen next, but then look around and realize we are in the safety of our own homes or local movie theatre is a feeling that horror fans look forward to. That rush and thrill makes people happy and is the reason as to why they enjoy these horror stories so much. In CBS News article called, "Scientists Take a Stab at Why Horror Film Lust Runs Deep", Stephanie Pappas talks about a study done in 2007 that supports this claim. She
says, "The researchers asked both horror-movie haters and horror-movie lovers to watch clips of scary films while rating their emotions. Both groups reported similar levels of fear while watching the clips. But only the horror movie-lovers got happier during the movies." This goes to prove that people simply enjoy the exciting rush and enjoy the scare of not knowing what is about to happen.
The horror genre is one of the most complex and exciting genres one will encounter. It is scary, funny, sad, mysterious and exciting all at the same time. Although many may believe that the horror genre is "stupid" or pointless because of the unrealistic characters and plots, I can definitely argue that those aspects are what makes it exciting and loved by many. Watching a cute romance or a serious action movie that is a little more realistic is certainly a good experience and worth watching, however, it is also okay to experience a little bit of excitement and take your mind into a zone is does not enter everyday. Horror whether it is in a novel, a movie, a show, or any other media source, is an exciting genre that makes sure to combine multiple genres into one, while giving you a taste of a supernatural world you will only experience through your mind, eyes, and imagination.
Work Cited :
Pappas, Stephanie. "Scientists Take a Stab at Why Horror Film Lust Runs Deep."
CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 29 Oct. 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Santiago, Sam. "FEAR LIVES: Why Are HORROR Movies so Popular?" Truly
Disturbing Horror. P.O.G. Network, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Southern, Rodney. "Why Horror Movies Are so Popular in Today's Pop Culture." Yahoo! Contributor Network. Rodney Southern, 22 Oct. 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.