Horror films Are they're hidden messages?

if i want to see a horror movie i just go to the circus.
Those clowns are pretty scary , they can mess with my mind , i hate them.


[edit on 4-7-2008 by dracodie]

Originally posted by Johnius
reply to post by GorehoundLarry

 

Whoa...
I almost forgot Battle Royale. It's a blistering comment of the Japanese education system and the expectations on students when they turn 15.

Battle Royale II was ok (I'd classify that as more action), but I found it VERY heavy-handed with it's message about American foreign policy.

you're f'n right. I forgot about BR too. I have it on DVD around here somewhere. Also, I agree, the remake of Dawn is just simply amazing and beautifully well done. I really had no faith in it when I heard they were remaking it but it turned out marvelous. Gore was just right, had the right scares, and of course---no true happy ending.

i adored it.

Also, Johnny Cash has never sounded so morbid

I have been an obsessive horror fan as far
back as I can ever remember, probably got
hooked on them from the age of 10 watching
old classics like wolfen or the howling or scanners.

I actually prefer suspense over gore, but if the
gore is presented well it can make the movie so much better.
Great example of this would be Dog Soldiers.

My top 5 fav's would have to be
1.Texas Chainsaw Massacre- the remake with Jessica Biel.
2. The Hills Have Eyes remake- with Ted Levine.
3. Dog Soldiers- did not get a very popular reception, I think it was
a direct to dvd release, but a very great werewolf flick.
4. Dawn of the Dead remake - with Ving Rhames.
5. Poltergeist- this movie is probably the only PG horror movie I
have ever liked.

what about the exorcist , one of the best if not the best movie , just that atmosphere , creeps me out.

I did like the exorcist series as a whole, my favorite of
that series would have to be Exorcist the Beginning
when Father Merrin was a young priest in Africa.
The hyena scene was very frightening and brutal.

For the original exorcist, well, maybe I might
dissapoint some fans of that movie but it did not
impress me much.
I like to judge a good horror movie as being able
to put myself in that situation and have the
fear that is portrayed on screen.
The Exorcist ? I would just leave the room and
shut the door on Regan, no more scary demon.

[edit on 4-7-2008 by Patriot36]

Exorcist was alright. For it's time though, it was absolutely horrifying of course..

No conspiracy. It's the rap/ghetto culture that's the real scum of the world. Besides, Americans don't know how to make real horror films. All they can do is make sudden loud noises.

Horror films are entertainment. You can like them or not. My girlfriend can't watch them, even the mild ones. I watch them and often find them amusing. There is no hidden message you are simply letting your imagination run away with itself which is what happens to my girlfriend. If you are like that then don't watch but to censor these because of your preferences is wrong.

If anyone watches these and then kills somebody in a copy cat fashion it is NOT because of the film. Their mind was such that the film was a trigger. If there were no horror movies then something else would act as a trigger but their victim would still be dead......Why anyone would allow the rantings and excuses of a deranged mind to affect policy decisions is astonishing! NB this has already happened with some video games, jaw dropping decision.

The only message I have ever taken from one of these films is : Do not hunt for vampires in the evening (as they often do!), go out at the crack of dawn and be home for tea and garlic curry.

I'm watching one right now actually, and I have it paused for an ATS break... and guess what thread sits on the front page.


I love horror movies. I consider myself an expert on them even.

Why do I like them? Because I get to watch gory murder scenes? No. I like them because I find a good, harmless scare entertaining. In saying that, I still haven't found a horror movie that has actually 'scared' me. Disturbing ones, yes, but none that are actually scary.


I'm not a fan of gratuitous violence either. If there is no need for it, then don't put it in the film. Personally, I find films like the Saw movies (apart from the first one, which was actually quite good) to be the bad element of horror.

Do you know it was actually proven in a study only earlier this year that people that regularly view violent video games or films are no more likely to become violent themselves?

It is NEVER a violent piece of media that makes people do horrible things, it is the person's weak mind that allows them to.

I bet you watch the news on tv, do you not think this is worse than watching a horror movie, the movie is made up, the news is real life horror most of the time, which to me is more frightening.

I can't stand Drama's but I don't think they should stop making them. To sit there and believe horror films are the cause of crime and murder is really an ignorant statement. I did a report back in college on crime today vs. crime in history and my whole reasoning for writing that report was because I was sick and tired of narrow minded, ignorant individuals pointing the finger and blaming tv, music, films and video games for whats going on in the streets. People have been killing, slaughtering, raping and torturing people since the beginning of time. What did you blame in the wild west for outlaws shooting each other up? Wasn't any horror movies back then! Who did they blame for the vikings traveling land to land and killing people? Wasn't any video games back then! The Govt. of the U.S. was founded on terrorism, murder, mass genocide and torture of hundreds of thousands of Native American people. Were our founding fathers influenced to do that by a form of entertainment?
Seriously, stop and think about what you are trying to blame here. If any human being can be influenced to commit a crime by a horror film and is really that insane... odds are that person was going to commit a crime with or without a horror movies influence.

i think this is the same thing as blaming rock music for shootings at schools.
i watch some horror movies not all of them but i like some and i never get the urge to kill or mutate someone after.

i think people that do take entertainment as fact is slightly messed up in the head.
if you watch something like scream and think afterwards 'ar yes that looks fun i think i shal go out and kill someone' your pretty messed up anyway.
how many people watch horror movies and how many murders are there.

its exactly the same as saying marilyn manson made people go out and shoot loads of kids with his music.
how many people listen to manson and how many got out and shoot people afterwards.

Im a little tired about the myth that watching violent movies, playing violent games and listening to metal influences people to do bad stuff , people just want something to point fingers to the problems of today's society.

I dont like horror films either and have thought the same myself on being disturbed on how people like it. But have really good friends who love them and are in no way violent people so I guess its about preference in entertainment.
It is more or less a fact that children who dont watch TV are happier for it. I would say the media is far more scary to watch as so much of it is lies

reply to post by smason202


ye after i made this thread i quickly read everyone elses posts and i suppose most horror films are about entertainment rather than about blood and gore

but there are still some films out there that make you so scared and so disturbed for days on end and its those films like saw and 28 weeks later that i cant stand and think to myself why are those type of films there.

but i still think that those films are there to influence you and to tap into the subconscience part of your mind and sure it will actually made some people more nicer and make people less violent but it still would reach other people in a negative way and make people do awful awful things.

Originally posted by kerrichinits exactly the same as saying marilyn manson made people go out and shoot loads of kids with his music.
how many people listen to manson and how many got out and shoot people afterwards.

Marilyn Manson got a lot of flack after Columbine happened. People blamed him for it. What a lot of people don't realize, because they didn't bother reading anything about the shooters, was that they didn't even like Marilyn Manson. They would buy his CD's only to go home and destroy them. That's how much they hated him. Both shooters listened to Rammstein and anyone whose ever seen that group perform, knows there's nothing violent about a guy that does gymnastic moves on stage. A lot of their music is also anti-hate/violence. They couldn't place the blame on Rammstein because of that, but were more than happy to place it on Manson even though the shooters hated him with a passion and didn't keep it a secret.

reply to post by billyjoinedat2k8


The problem with the way they do it is the way the force back the boundaries of your perception - in a lot of people this can actually have quite negative effects on the psychology (and thus, persona) of the individual.

A lot of people don't understand how this works, either.

It's simple, really - the more gorey/horrific the scene, the further back those boundaries are forced.

I saw that cannibal holocaust has been mentioned.

That's a good film for forcing back the perceptions of humanity, for example.

What happens with the people who react irrationally from watching the films is that they deny that their perceptions are being pushed - thus tricking themselves into believing that violence of that level has no effect on them.

Blood should have an effect on us, it's a sign that a potential threat is nearby (for those aware enough to realise it).

It doesn't matter how far back those perceptions are pushed, the instinctive reaction should stay the same.

Getting used to the sight of blood, of mutilated remains, and the various other stuff you see in horror movies, is a clear sign of them twisting your mind up.

IMHO the scariest films are ones that don't actually show a lot of blood and gore. Also, the ones that leave it up to you to imagine how the person was killed.

Think about these movies:

The Exorcist - The only blood you ever see is when she has the cuts appearing and even then you barely see it. Unless you watch "the version you've never seen" edition with the spider walk scene.

John Carpenter's HalloweeN - The only blood you ever really see is when Michael cuts Laurie on her arm.

The Original - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The most blood seen in this movie is the last scene showing the girl in the back of the truck. It's also the perfect example of what I mentioned above about leaving it up to you to imagine how a person is being killed. The scene where the girl is forced to watch Leatherface kill her boyfriend. You never actually see him doing it, you just see her reaction and that tells you how gruesome it is and IMHO is more scary.

[edit on 4-7-2008 by nightmare_david]

Originally posted by Anti-Tyrant
Blood should have an effect on us, it's a sign that a potential threat is nearby (for those aware enough to realise it).

It doesn't matter how far back those perceptions are pushed, the instinctive reaction should stay the same.

Getting used to the sight of blood, of mutilated remains, and the various other stuff you see in horror movies, is a clear sign of them twisting your mind up.

I understand what your saying and would agree. When I see a fair amount of blood or a horrific accident in real life I do get that feeling. And feel the need to be aware of my surroundings for my own protection.
But watching a film or playing a game is like a false world because I know that its just a film/game. So in the back of my head I know its just not real... Its more like a "what if this was to happen" that keeps me interested.

As with the above post, I totally agree. Like I mentioned earlier, look at The Shining. Nothing much seems to be happening throughout most of the film but its the suspense and feel you get from it the way everythings building up.

[edit on 4-7-2008 by Lee_K]