Ladies and gentlemen: Once again, it is Halloween. Yes, it’s the time of year to dress up as ghouls, ghosts, and goblins. Normally, I would do a Best/Worst list or review a horror movie. But this year, I wanted to do something a little bit more…introspective. People love different kinds of movies for different reasons. Some people love romantic comedies, while the rest of us think those folks are bonkers. Others like heavy dramas that really lay on the emotion, while others like to get their adrenaline pumping with explosive action movies. But what about horror movies? What is it about that genre that draws people towards it? Why do people enjoy being scared? Is it our fear of the unknown and what lies in the dark? If you ask a 100 different people this question, you’re likely to get 100 different answers. I can only speak for myself, but to do that, I would like to take a little trip back to when I was a kid in the 80s. My first experience with horror as a genre was Child’s Play. To my mom’s regret, my dad let me watch that movie with him. It was about a serial killer who used voodoo magic to transfer his soul into a doll. I don’t necessarily think my mom had anything to worry about because 1: It wasn’t a great movie. And 2: I didn’t remember anything about that movie until I saw it again as an adult a few years back. It still sucks. The other movie was Ghostbusters. It’s about as classic a comedy as you can get with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis. It’s a great movie. There were a lot of laughs, but I have to tell you: Those terror dogs gave me nightmares. They scared the hell out of me. Even when I watch the movie as an adult, those dogs are creepy.
It wouldn’t be until the mid-90s when I actively sought out my first horror movie. The movie that I found was Warlock: The Armageddon from 1993. I found this because the trailers featured magic and a dude flying through the air. I wasn’t aware at how much of a horror movie it was until Julian Sands’ character started causing mayhem. Obviously, I liked the Alien movies, but to me those were more science fiction than horror, but it was Warlock that made me a fan of the genre. As for why? There are a number of reasons. For one, I really appreciate the artistic expression that horror can provide. All you have to is look at artists like the late H.R. Giger to understand why I love this stuff. When you look at the special effects and creature designs, making those is an art. Again, look at the terror dogs from Ghostbusters. Brilliantly designed and terrifying, hence the name. When it comes to the blood, guts and gore of the slasher and monster movies, building prosthetics and make-up effects requires a unique touch. Again, it’s an artform. Most people think it’s as simple using ketchup packets. Oh, no, no, no. When it comes to the red stuff, there’s a proper mixture to making it look like real blood. It usually involves some form of corn syrup and red dye. If you’re trying to make it look realistic, you have to get it just right. With the make-up effects, there’s a degree of anatomy you have to deal with to make it believable. The same applies to set and costume designs, especially if you want to make it a period piece like The Witch.
There’s a common misconception about horror movies that it corrupts children and it’s all about the blood and guts. On both counts? Bullshit. Can horror movies influence people? Sure, but not necessarily in a negative way. As I mentioned above, there’s a degree of artistic expression involved with the genre. Yeah, it’s dark, but it’s as artistic as a painting from Salvatore Dali. It’s just different. Blood and guts don’t make the movie. Those are components of a horror movie, but they don’t define the movie. To craft a good horror movie, you need the one thing that makes all movies work: Writing. To me, horror movies are just another way of telling a story. Granted, those stories are much darker and grimmer than other stories, but they’re no less relevant or intelligent. In fact, some of my favorite horror movies of all time don’t have any gore in them at all. Instead, these films rely on atmosphere and character dynamics to get under my skin. Jump scares don’t work on me. In fact, those are incredibly cheap and a waste of time.
That brings me to one of the main reasons why I love this genre so much: Variety. Horror is one of the most versatile genres in any form of storytelling. In movies, it’s even more so. Sure, you’ve got straight horror movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Nightmare on Elm Street, but you can combine horror with any other genre and you can end up with some really compelling stories. Ridley Scott’s Alien is a perfect example. It’s set in space which makes it a science fiction film, but it turns into a slasher movie when the creature shows up, bringing the film fully within the horror genre while still being science fiction. Horror comedies are another staple. Evil Dead 2, Ghostbusters, and The Cabin in the Woods. Horror has a tendency to follow the same beats as comedy, so the line between the genres isn’t always as clear, and when it’s done right, it’s outstanding. You have horror movies that can be dramatic without any scares at all like Maggie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s not a perfect movie, but the true horror of that movie is finding out that his child has a limited amount of time before she turns into a flesh-eating monster. It’s as tragic as it is horrific, yet it allows people to connect with a character on a more personal level, which makes it an effective movie. THAT’S why I love this genre so much. It can speak to people on different levels and affect people in different ways. Good storytelling does that.
Horror movies can be used as a mirror of sorts to reflect certain aspects of our personalities or society in general. It’s also a bit of a mask to help people cope with certain harsh realities of everyday life. Take Hereditary for example. That was a movie that dealt with uncontrollable grief and how it can take somebody over. I had been dealing with personal losses when I saw that movie on Blu-Ray. While the film is incredibly grim, it was also a form of therapy for me, and it helped me get through one of the hardest moments in my life. Don’t always believe people when they say that horror movies can have a negative impact. While that can be true for some people, horror movies can also have an incredibly positive impact. As with everything film-related, it’s entirely subjective. Unfortunately, horror movies have a kind of stigma that tends to put general audiences off. There are horror movies out there that are questionable in terms of content with shocking levels of depravity. I love this genre. I don’t think I would be the movie buff that I am without it. But there are some lines that I won’t cross, and I’ve crossed quite a few over the years.
Horror. It’s one of the most versatile genres in film and yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood and disrespected. To me, this is a genre that is as relevant and compelling as any rom-com or drama. It just has a darker edge it, and it has more of a tendency to speak to those of us that dwell in the dark. I would imagine that other fans of horror have different perspectives on why THEY are drawn to these kinds of movies and stories and each perspective is unique. Well, those are my perspectives on horror and why it means so much to me. Since it IS Halloween, I want to wish everybody a happy Halloween. Stay safe and have fun.