Gory horror films - why do people like them?

[tigereye]

Seriously. I am a big weenie. I like those silly ones from the 50s and 60s and the classic Dracula -type films. And bad sci-fi. I love Plan 9.

But why do people like those gore fests? Is it because they are funny? I have walked out of Alien, The Omen, etc, although I did see all of The Exorcist and Hitchcock films. I did see all of Psycho. I have never understood the attraction of Jason, Freddie, etc.

I mean, to me a real horror film is subtle, or political, or not overt. I just don't want to see blood and flying limbs. So please explain. Thank you. :)

[Guy Fawkes]

1. the gore.

'ats about it.

[drhilarius]

2. To be honest-artistry.

Some gore fests are just stupid-like later jason and freddy films. But watch a Romero film (a "dead" film)and witness the breathtaking skill of Tom Savini's make-up work. But, to be more honest, there's just something visceral (so to speak) about watching a good gory horror film.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. I think there's a difference between horror and slasher films

I LOVE horror movies, I class Omen in there. Scared the hell out of me (but then I love Gregory Peck). I don't think a HORROR movie has to be bloody, it must rely on good plot. I get scared of horror movies. On the other hand slasher flicks have no plot but tons of blood and aren't scary at all. For me, the appeal of a slasher flick is in the creativity of the ways in which people are dispatched. Also it looks so cheap it's funny. But I generally agree with you that the scariest type of film is subtle. I can watch a Freddy film and not get scared because I can be at home alone and I don't expect Freddy to run in and stab me. But films that are TRULY scary freak me out because I can be alone in the house and hear the door creak and be scared to death.


On Edit, I do love the first Night of the Living dead. It doesn't show much, and that makes it about a million times scarier to me than the remake.

[Chovexani]

4. Alien doesn't belong in the same breath as Jason & Freddy

Actually, the first couple of Nightmare on Elm Streets were pretty decent.

Alien is a gore fest, but it's an intelligent movie, and I like it because of the situation. I think it's the best of the "small group of people trapped in the middle of nowhere having to fight for their lives" sort of horror movies. Incidentally, those are the ones that affect me the most.

A gore fest only works as a horror movie if it's also cerebral. The best horror movies are the ones that mindfuck you IMO, and without the use of gimmicks and stupid "surprise twists" that you can see a mile coming (paging Blair Witch & every movie M. Night ever made).

[Massacure]

5. Alien is on TNT right now.

It started at 8, and started a repeat at 11.

It had me a little scared when ever there was a creek or hiss in the house. It was my second time seeing it though. It wasn't scary the first time, but i wasn't watching it alone the first time.

[Chovexani]

7. I've never seen it alone

Always with my nerd herd. In fact I saw it so many times at my one friend's place that I actually thought I owned a copy of the movie. :silly:

The only drawback to that is, whenever I would cover my eyes during a gross part, I'd ask if I could look, and inevitably one of my male friends would say "yeah!" And the grossness wasn't over. :P

[tigereye]

6. thanks for the insights, folks

I was just curious. Although I did think Signs was very scary. I guess I like the psychological stuff better. Hell, I thought Salvador was the scariest "horror" film I had ever seen, up to a point.

Also I used to see little kids in my work whose parents let them watch all that Freddie crap and I could never understand that.

[Chovexani]

8. I like them both equally

They have their merits. I just don't like the really dumb movies where the whole point is to see how high they rack the body count.

I don't get parents letting their kids watch that stuff, either. My cousin has 4 kids and she literally parks them in front of the tv and walks away, and they watch gory stuff all the time without a peep from her. Sheesh.

[PittPoliSci]

9. Shock factor.

Because they are fun, and I do want to see blood and flying limbs. There is no real horror, I've never been frightened by a movie enough that I'm going to lose sleep. Or for that matter, that I'll even not laugh at or not condemn for hating.

I go for the overt for the shock, it like "holy shit! The opening scene of Ghost Ship was about the most amusing thing I've ever seen!"

Jason and Freddy are attractive because they're funny.

[tigereye]

10. well I know YOU like to see the blood and flying limbs

but really, I'm just looking for justification for my theory of them fulfilling some deep- seated psychological needs in people. ;)

So Psycho didn't scare you? See, I think Hitchcock films are the scariest since they seem so normal and then become so creepy. The Birds scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. And after I saw Psycho I had to leave the lights on... since I was alone in the apt. since my roommates were gone for the weekend. :scared:

Now Greg is razzing me for being on here so long, he's getting me back for all those years I gave him crap about losing track of time on the computer.

[PittPoliSci]

12. never been scared by a movie...

I've felt creeped out, but never frightened.

Example:

Beginning of new Dawn of the Dead movie, where it shows city in chaos. That creeped me out.

28 Days Later, emptied city creeped me out.

Wasn't genuinely frightened in the true meaning of the word.

[tigereye]

18. so are you youngins so jaded

that you aren't frightened by anything? or is that you, individually have seen some real horror in your firefighting life?

See, I think younger people are so overexposed to violent imagery that they are totally desensitized to it. And I don't think that's good. I know these things aren't real, but....

Hell Twilight Zone was scary when I was young.

[Taverner]

11. Shadenfreude and the gore

I, for one, love em. The gorier the better. Hard to say way, but I think shadenfreude works in there somewhere...

[Chovexani]

16. Oh I know what you mean.

I normally dislike slasher films but I am not ashamed to admit cheering with glee whenever the peppy blonde cheerleader-type character buys it. The bloodier the better, too.

Ok, so I'm bitter. ;)

[Taverner]

22. I think all of us love...

When the "deserving" characters get it. The dumb jock, the peppy blonde cheerleader...

Of course the one franchise that really did scare me was the Final Destination one. Anyone could die at any time, period. Talk about nightmares!

[tigereye]

21. good point Taverner

so are you at your tavern? :hi:

[Ivan Sputnik]

13. For the same reason they like to ride roller coasters.

Vicarious thrills. It's fun to feel scared and yet know you're safe at the same time.

[Downtown Hound]

14. Ultimately

for a horror film to be good it has to have a subtle, creeping effect like you describe. Blood and gore will not do the trick alone, and the kind of sudden scares that result when something jumps out at you will wear off easily. But, gore can add to the subtle effect. This is not to say that it's necessary, some of the best horror films ever made have been relatively gore-free, (The Haunting, Poltergeist, Psycho). Contrary to popular misconception, even the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't incredibly gory. It has a few very visceral scenes, but not much blood overall.
But when you do have a film that is penetrating you on a deep level, the constant prescence of blood can create an unnerving effect. Alien is one example. John Carpenter's The Thing is another. Ultimately, any movie that has to rely on gore for shock value is probably not going to remembered for very long. But when you have a film that doesn't need it, but has it neverthe less, then it can be very powerful.

[tigereye]

19. good analysis

I agree.

[Downtown Hound]

15. Dupe

[jpgray]

17. Fake gore is hilarious to teen boys

Well really, it's hilarious to all men with a teenage boy inside themselves, I think. Sometimes that teenage boy isn't very far inside, but that's a whole other problem. It's one of those things you have to either laugh or cry at, and in fake form, it gets a laugh reaction from almost every guy I've known at various points in his life. And yes, I enjoy the work of folks like Tom Savini. :D

[tigereye]

20. well do you think females like it in the same way

or is it that socialization/ gender thing? I guess I was probably socialized as a female to dislike blood and gore, but then I am capable in my work of dealing with really intense emotional stuff.

Although I am sure there are plenty of females who don't mind the gorefest. I am just one who would be spending most of those type of movies hiding my eyes. :)

[tigereye]

23. kick

I want more opinions!

[MrSlayer]

24. I find it very amusing.

Evil Dead, Blood Sucking Freaks and the like are just high comedy to me. I find it funny.

[tigereye]

25. as your name would attest

:) Maybe I need to watch some of these with a less squeamish attitude.