You had some really great responses to our question about Vincent and Jerome and how they compared with each other. I must say that even though some of you complain about the blogs, the writing here is often stronger than in your papers--hence, one of the reasons why the blog is a useful tool.
For this week, please post a response to Stephen King's essay "Why We Crave Horror Movies." We will be reading it in class and discussing it. In this space, please discuss whether or not you agree with King's assertions.
Thanks in advance!
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17 comments:
Stephen King is right. We're all sickos deep down. Think about our nightmares, we all have them. Somewhere deep inside all of us is a desire that we seem to have for mindless violence. They brought up they idea of the horror film correlating to a public lynching. I would buy into that theory.
I agree with Stephen King's statement that we all are mentally ill to some degree. There is a fine line between sanity and insanity. When I watch the show, America's Funniest Home Videos I think that it's strange that we find humor out of other people's pain. I agree with his statement that we watch horror films is to prove to ourselves that we can. This is true to me. I am proving that I'm not too afraid to watch a scary movie. I am the same way with roller coasters.
I only agree with one statement that Stephen King made in his essay 'Why we Crave Horror Movies'. I agree that we are all insane and that most of us have learned to hide our insanity. I don't believe it's possible to define normal so we all fall under some level of insanity. As for the rest of the essay,I couldn't agree with it because I have never watched a horror and never intend to. I can't stomach the bloody scenes, torturing and pain inflicted on the humans in horror movies. I find it crazy that teenages love such sick movies. I am not sure that Stephen King is completely right about people enjoying the torture scenes in the horror movies. I think that some really insane people go to horror movies and enjoy the bloody, violent scenes.
Honestly if it were my choice, I would ban all horror movies because I consider them evil. I believe that people are influenced greatly by the images that they see, so watching vivid, bloody, violent, gruesome horror movies can truly desensitize people to the violence promoted movie. God forbid that those people start believe that kind of violence is okay/normal.
"I think that we’re all mentally ill; those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better-and maybe not all that much better, after all." That is completely true, I work at Woodward Resource Center and we always said you got to be a little nutty to work there. People crave the scare and people deep down and not realizing love the pain and hurt. A professor of mine has said that it’s the biggest rush to shoot things, now think if you had another weapon in your hand. We all have a sick and perverted side to us.
Stephen King said it all, everyone has atleast a little bit of insanity to them, some more than others, I am totally with King on this one. I know that I am a huge fan of horror movies, although I collect really old ones with bad special effects, they still get the job done by giving me my gore fix, if you will. I also do enjoy reading Stephen King, why just let the screen give you the gore when you can leave it to the mind? And I would have to say his quote at the end is way awesome.
"It was Lennon and McCartney who said that all you need is love, and I would agree with that.
As long as you keep the gators fed." -Michael Hillery
I am not sure that I agree with everything Stephen King has to say on this topic, but he does seem to make a good point. It is quite sickening to think that we will spend an evening and ten dollars at a movie that is displaying such torture to our own race. Yet it is looked down upon in society whether it is happening here or in other countries. Horror films have taken it a step too far in that there is no longer a scare factor there as much as there is a gut-wrenching guilty feeling as you leave the theatre. Many people are viewing this as entertainment but deep down I think we all feel disgusted at the same time. At the same time we all know it is just actors and actresses playing a role and it's not real. But on the other hand there are sick people out in the world that take part in these violent acts and some of the movies are based on these people.
-Brooke Kvach
I am not sure that I agree with everything Stephen King has to say on this topic, but he does seem to make a good point. It is quite sickening to think that we will spend an evening and ten dollars at a movie that is displaying such torture to our own race. Yet it is looked down upon in society whether it is happening here or in other countries. Horror films have taken it a step too far in that there is no longer a scare factor there as much as there is a gut-wrenching guilty feeling as you leave the theatre. Many people are viewing this as entertainment but deep down I think we all feel disgusted at the same time. At the same time we all know it is just actors and actresses playing a role and it's not real. But on the other hand there are sick people out in the world that take part in these violent acts and some of the movies are based on these people.
-Brooke Kvach
Stephen King is right when it comes to saying we are truly insane to some degree. Finding humor in someone else’s pain is not funny when you really sit and think about it. We prove that we can sit and watch horror films just like I prove to others that I can walk through a haunted house and be fine. We hide our insanity only because we don’t want to get shipped off to the loony bin. People who are mentally ill watch these movies only to find excitement and then go out and kill. Such as video games when people were killing due to watching so many video games and thinking that killing that person was alright because it was all fake. Horror movies mess with your mind.
Such as after a late night horror film showing do you really want to go out to your car by yourself? Do you really want to stay alone the whole night? What might happen to you if you did? Was it really real and will it happen to me if it can happen to anyone?? Those are all questions we secretly ask ourselves after seeing a show such as Saw III or the new one that comes out October 26, 2007.
I agree with King in the fact that he said while watching the movies it gets the darkest sides out of us. Not that when watch any of the Saw movies I think in the back of my head “oh that’s a good idea.” But I do believe there is a reason we watch the shows. Maybe it’s the thrill of the chase, or the chance at a nightmare like King said. I thought once you get over an age and start to realize movies aren’t true you don’t have nightmares, but that is not true. Any movie can scare you more than you think. It’s funny when you’re watching a scary movie with you friends and even the toughest ones jump at the sight of the “murderer” popping out of no where. Everyone laughs for a few seconds and then is right back to the movie. I think the main reason we go to watch scary movies like king said “we go to have fun”. And that’s just it we go to get scared and laugh about it later.
I believe that we are all animals. I believe we, like animals, still like the thrill of the hunt. We like to watch someone be scared out of their minds. We like to sit safely from afar watching a movie, seeing it first hand knowing it's just a movie. Could this be defined as slightly mentally ill. Who knows? Maybe temporary insanity. We get so enthralled in the story line that we feel apart of the movie and sympathize for the people. As humans, we would have to define these emotions as some sort of insanity. As animals, it would be looked at as animal instinct.
I guess agreeing with stephen King isn't enough. So, why do I agree with him? We all want to prove that we can handle these images of violence. That we are capable of continuing in society without being changed by them. I say that is not possible. Eventually you become numb to the horror, even starting to crave it. It kind of reminds me of someone you might meet who constantly tells racist or sexist jokes. At first, you're offended, you might even say that you don't like that sort of humor. That person keeps telling the same type jokes and you just block them out, numbing the sensation. Until one day you find yourself laughing at an off color joke.
I do agree with Stephen King. I too like horror movies and I am a big fan of the suspense. All the suspense building up to the murder or the climax is essential in a horrror movie. I do think we enjoy violence in movies, but not only in horror films it's in mainly all movies now you can't go to the movies now without violence. I don't think we've necessarily gone insane over it, but what drives us to go see the horror movie is the ultimate scare and thats a lot of the times people dying.
I agree with Steven King, to some extent, all of us are disturbed. I think that most people go to horror movies to get a good scare. Not every day you can see abnormal things happening while at work or during school. I also agree with the comment that people are re-enforcing the idea of what is normal. King also makes the statement that we are, "light-years from true ugliness." I disagree with this statment. I believe that there are people out there who are truley ugly and sick. I wouldn't go as far as blaming the movie industry, but people like that do exist.
I personally agree with Steven King and how horror movies have nowhere else to go and are becoming boring. It seems like every time I watch a horror film the same plot is brought about and you begin to be able to predict when the killing or torture is going to take place. This usually happens when the scary music plays or it becomes completely silent. I also agree with his comment on how women are usually the ones that are being chased and she often gets her clothes ripped off somehow. My personal favorite though is she does something that nobody in their right mind would do if they were in the same situation, basically stereotyping women as the weaker, not as intelligent, and more vulnerable then men.
I do believe that somehow you get a high or a fix from watching horror movies or I wouldn’t keep going, even when I basically know the plot before I go. There is just something about having to cover your eyes, letting out a scream, or jumping out of your seat that makes me keep on going back. For me it’s more the thrill of being scared then being sick minded killing machine that enjoys someone killing someone else. Also in the back of my head, when I leave I know that everything that I just saw was fake and being able to whiteness something so unreal for me is very interesting.
There is always one thought that goes through my head after I have seen a horror movie and it always makes me think. I wonder, “Who thinks up stuff like what I just saw?” To me those are the real sick minded people and maybe it’s just a good imagination, but for some reason that tends to scare me more then the film it’s self.
I agree with what Stephen King said about how we are all mentally ill. I think it goes back to more of an animal trait that we haven’t lost through evolution. In past society murder and death was more commonly put up with. Wars have been fought and people have died in vain. In today’s society people know at killing is wrong, but it hasn’t stopped. Horror films are exciting. Way is that? Do we want to see someone get cut to pieces? Or would you rather see them get away from the creature or killer that is trying to end their life. I know I love to see blood and guts all over the big screen. In real life I would probably lose my lunch. I think it is natural to have nightmares and it is apart of us. Horror films just put it in front of us. –mark L.-
I think it’s a matter of opinion. We all have fears inside ones self but doesn’t mean we are mentally ill like Stephen King suggest. For some it’s the thrill or tense moment when something is going to happen. Like in saw when one was given a choice to die or saw his leg off .But the weird part was at the end when the man on the floor who was suppose to be dead came to life was an eye opener. One need to separate reality from fiction. Steve
I agree with King in saying that we go to the horror movies just for fun. When sitting in the movie theater watching a scary movie and you see some pull a scary trick on another person, it always pops into your mind that would be fun to do to one of my friends. I agree with him on saying that people go to these movies to prove to themselves and others that they can watch them. Some people still jump when they get caught off guard but do they still have nightmares? I think that is it also true about the rollercoaster when he says that people just go on it to prove that they are not some little chicken and that their stomach can drop and they will still want to do it again. I know this is true for me, when I was younger I would always try and prove to my older siblings that I could do everything that they could do.
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