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Horror movie analysis
Horror movies analysis
Horror movie analysis
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Prompt Warrant 1 Horror films act as an emotional release that feeds the dark, aggressive elements infested whinin Mankind. In his essay, King creates a hypothetical situation when stating, “When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at tenth-row center in a theater showing a horror movie, we are daring the nightmare. Why? Some of the reasons are simple and obvious. To show that we can, that we are not afraid, that we can ride this rollercoaster.” In his hypothetical situation, King not only compares Roller coasters to horror films, but explain the true reason as to why we choose to perform these bone-shaking actions. To prove that we have courage. To show that “we are not afraid.” But throughout the essay, King inferred that after …show more content…
King controls the black and white picture he created and now only looks at one side of the story as he examines the basic reason as to why we crave horror films. In his first observation, King believes that “If we share a Brotherhood of Man, then we also share an insanity with man.” Instead of presenting his ideas in a simple unrealistic tone, King depicts a picture of violence that is fostered deep within all of us. King suggests that violence, anger and aggression are all emotions we have experienced. The only things that set us apart from animals is the way we act upon these emotions. King conveys the impression that all men and women stand in the same insanity infested in our spirit and mind. King admits that even he experiences these powerful emotions when he states, “For myself, I'd like to see the most aggressive of them... As lifting a truck door and a civilized forebrain and throwing a basket of raw meat to the hungry alligators... It was like Lennon and McCartney who said that all you need is love... As long as you keep the Gators fed.” King observes both the good and evil sides of the human Spirit when stating that ‘all You Need Is love... As long as you keep the Gators fed.’ It's almost as if King places the human spirit in the same category as a wild animal. Animals are contained in a zoo. Their violent behavior is suppressed because they have no reason to feed on prey. Like our spirit, we have no reason to act violently when good behavior is rewarded. King believes that as long as we keep good behavior, it suppresses our inhumane instinct to do wrong or show aggression. We classify anger and aggression as being far from the definition of normalcy. Society will find whatever it can to rule against these
2. According to Sobchack, contemporary screen violence greatly differs than portrayals of violence in years past. Today, violent scenes are careless and lack significance because we as audiences have become calloused and desensitized to any acts of violence. She states that there is “no grace or benediction attached to violence. Indeed, its very intensity seems diminished” (Sobchack 432). Senseless violence, gruesome acts, and profound amounts of gore are prevalent in movies today, and because even this is not enough, it must be accompanied by loud blasts and noise, constantly moving scenes to keep audiences stimulated and large quantities of violence for viewers to enjoy what they are watching. Decades ago, it was the story that was engaging to audiences and filmmaking was an art.
This essay will explore how horror films reflect the fears of both individuals and societies focusing on the film Cloverfield (Cloverfield, 2008). Films can often serve as an astute reflection of reality in a varying number of ways depending on the genre. The horror film can often serve as an analogy for the horrors of the real world. In the case of Cloverfield Director Matt Reeves creates a solid allegory of the September 11th terror attacks on New York City. “The horror film can bring us uncomfortably close to the worst that could ever happen—to a character or to ourselves” (Kawin, 2012).
The article Why We Crave Horror Movies by Stephen King distinguishes why we truly do crave horror movies. Stephen King goes into depth on the many reasons on why we, as humans, find horror movies intriguing and how we all have some sort of insanity within us. He does this by using different rhetorical techniques and appealing to the audience through ways such as experience, emotion and logic. Apart from that he also relates a numerous amount of aspects on why we crave horror movies to our lives. Throughout this essay I will be evaluating the authors arguments and points on why society finds horror movies so desirable and captivating.
Overall, in Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, his suggestion that we view horror movies to “reestablish our feelings of essential normality” (562) and there is a “potential lyncher in almost all of us” (562) has brought forth many aspects that I have never really thought about. Why do we have so much excitement when it comes to horror films? Everyone has their own opinion, which will never end with one definite answer. Stephen King thinks there’s and evil in all of us, but I don’t think so. The evil only comes out if you make it, we do not need horror films for psychic
King chooses to compare the minds of a child and an adult to see the different resilience levels when exposed to the horror genre. He describes his findings as a paradox, “Children, who are physically quite weak, lift the weight of unbelief with ease” (PP 118). King assumes because the mind of an adult is mature it can handle the horrific depictions within the horror variety yet children seem too be able to withstand the pressure. King backed his theory by analyzing Walt Disney’s movies and their impact on a child’s imagination. Walt Disney’s movie Bambi is what Stephen King pinpointed when comparing the toll of horrific events in children and adult minds. King questioned adults about what was most terrifying about a movie when they were younger and they stated, “Bambi’s father shot by the hunter, or Bambi and his mother running before the forest fire” (PP 119). Another aspect King unveiled was the Doppler Effect and that, “A part of ‘growing up’ is the fact that everything has a scare potential for the child under eight” (PP 119). The cognitive imagination does not stop developing it just suppresses certain mental functions to draw a line between what is real and what is not. Horror novelist mask the tension with comedy yet with one swift motion it, “Knocks the adult props out from under us and tumbles us back down the slide into childhood” (PP
People are addicted to the synthetic feeling of being terrified. Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned.
In his essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies” King attempts to bring understanding to the phenomenon of the horror film genre. He states “sanity becomes a matter of degree” eluding to the theory that sanity is relative and that all humans are relatively insane. Jack the Ripper and the Cleveland Torso Murderer were the examples of humans on one extreme of the spectrum of sanity; saints represent the other safe end of the sanity spectrum. He illustrates the thought that in order for human kind to stay functionally sane there needs to be some sort of outlet for our violent “mad” thoughts. In King’s view horror movies provide a stable outlet and mental relief for innate madness. King argues that his insanity/ant civilization emotions are ingrained
I would also like to address the levels of appeal that Moyer points out in the film. Within each kind of scene, violent acts are often accompanied by sex or humor. Not only can this be used to bring a higher level of acceptance to the viewer, but it also brings a level of gratification or appeal to the scene.
Stephen King, in “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, sets forth the idea of an inborn, subconscious evil that resides in all humans. He attempts to offer an explanation towards humans’ relentless craving for movies that ultimately expose the worst aspects of society. Through his use of meticulously chosen language and humorous tone, King attempts to relate and connect with readers.
King owes his success to his ability to take what he says are “real fears” (The Stephen King Story, 47) and turn them into a horror story. When he says “real fears” they are things we have all thought of such as a monster under the bed or even a child kidnapping and he is making them a reality in his story. King looks at “horror fiction...as a metaphor” (46) for everything that goes wrong in our lives. His mind and writing seems to dwell in the depths of the American people’s fears and nightmares and this is what causes his writing to reach so many people and cause the terror he writes about to be instilled in his reader.
Stephen King , also known as the father of horror , has created stories the tormented us as children and continued to scare us into adulthood. Though, the faint of heart may not be able to stomach King’s writing , some of us not only enjoy it , we crave it . As King challenges the sanity of mankind in his essay “Why We Crave Horror” , he explores just why we enjoy such morbid images. Could it be a gory get away or dive into the complex world of mental illness ? In agreeance with King , I will attempt to understand the possible mental insanity that may go hand in hand with humans love for horror movies.
We all have cravings, be it for snacks or sweets, there is always something we desire. We crave horror in the same way. In Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” he argues that people need to watch horror films in order to release the negative emotions within us. King believes that people feel enjoyment while watching others be terrorized or killed in horror movies. King’s argument has elements that are both agreeable and disagreeable. On one hand he is acceptable when claiming we like the thrill and excitement that comes from watching horror movies; however, his views regarding that the fun comes from seeing others suffer cannot be agreed with because the human condition is not as immoral as he claims it to be.
We crave horror movies simply for “the fun of it” in agreeing with Stephen King Why We Crave Horror movies. King gave multiple examples in his story as to why we crave horror movies and I can agree with just about each and every one of them. After watching a few horror movies for yourself, you will understand why it is easy to agree with King. If you have watched movies such as the 2004 movie Dawn of the Dead, The Purge, or The Conjuring you will also be able to relate to Chuck Klosterman My Zombie, Myself “Zombies are just so easy to kill.” Klostermans theory of zombies are extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult yet exciting problem of zombies in the real world. Klosterman’s argument that the repetition of modern life is
King used an appeal to pathos, in order to persuade his viewers to aid in the quest for equality. By using the power of human emotion, King established the connection needed to ...
Horror movies bring out the worst in us and for all the right reasons. King’s big idea suggests that by watching our mad, deranged role models slaughter one another, is actually keep us in line mentally. It allows us to stay sane and untroubled. Watching others do the dirty work gives us a sense of relief. Even though watching horror movies are filled with basic reasons of having fun, there is a deeper, psychological level of human emotions that is essential to our mental