Horror Felonies

A detailed Summary of Horror Felonies

Who doesn't like to sit in front of his television watching horror movies in a comfortable couch while eating a fresh, hot pack of pop-corn? Most people would say that this means entertainment for them! Moreover, how many repeated times most of us have been looking for the new horror movie available in our video club, but it is rented? Many other examples can be brought such us the movies which are the highest in the box-office every year 'horror films'. Therefore, the horror movies are characterized as the most lovable and popular world-wide. However, many psychologist, scientists and filmmakers have a debate on whether horror films are a success considering the acceptance from the audience or not! Stephen King the master of horror films states that : "It may be that horror movies provide psychic relief on this level because this invitation to lapse into simplicity, irrationality and even outright madness is extended so rarely" (785). His theory of the "mentally-ill" society has been followed from many others such as Dirks and Solomon. Contrary, others believe that these kinds of films can only have negative effects on the psychology and mentality of humans such as the increasing of violence. No matter how

Michigan and Wisconsin said they suffered long-term emotional or behavioral problems from watching a horror movie or television programs"(1). Consequently, if people who really suffer from fear and still create this feeling to themselves are foolish and probably no one who has a serious problem goes just to prove to himself that he hasn't. It is very different to entertain yourself when you aren't afraid and you just like the unpreparedness of this kind of movies!

Another theory that is very much alike the above is this one of Tim Dirks who says that : "Horror films are designed to frighten us and to invoke our hidden fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience"(787). This theory's base is found in the beast within us which through watching movies doesn't come up because when watching a movie each of us is transferred to the story and all his violence is released after seeing the beast prevail. Consequently, Tim Dirks says that violence prevents violence because we release our pressure by seeing something that we might do! However, violence can bring only violence , and as Jonathan Vos Post emphasizes by quoting the words of P.H Tannebaum : "P.H Tannebaum is the leading exponent of the 'arousal hypothesis' which holds that exposure to television violence increases aggression because violence increases excitation or 'arouses' viewers"(2). On the other hand, daily violence can make us unconscious. For example, the new s channels speak continuously about wars such as the Persian golf or Yugoslavia. Families watch these terrifying events as a family gathering accompanied with dinner. Similarly, "Nosferatu" the first vampire who was horrifying in its time now causes us to laugh. Furthermore as Jonathan Vos Post quotes :" There is very little support in the scientific literature for the original, pure 'catharsis hypothesis' which held that television violence would reduce subsequent aggression by lowering aggressive drive through vicarious participation in aggression. Initial findings which appeared to support such a view have come to be viewed instead as reflecting the effects of aggres

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Approximate Word count = 1475
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies