Sunday, February 24, 2008

More Genres: Horror

I've been focusing the latest series on genres. There is a lot written for genres, including books, courses, and web articles. Horror is an interesting genre, it is not a genre defined by struture or characters, but by 'feeling.' The horror writers say 'horror is an emotion not a genre.' And, in some ways, they are right.




Horror movies: Horrifying your imagination!

Horror movies are unsettling films, designed to frighten and panic, because dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsion, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment or loss of identity. These movies effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events.

Horror movies go back as far as the onset of films themselves, over 100 years ago. Often in our thoughts, we use vivid imaginations to see ghosts in scary shapes, to be emotionally connected to the unknown and to fear things that are improbable. Watching a horror movie gives an opening into that scary world, into an outlet of the essence of fear itself, without actually being in danger. Weird as it sounds, there's a very real thrill in being scared or watching disturbing, horrific images.

These genres of movies are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when earth is threatened by aliens. Also known as chillers, scary movies, spook-fests, and the macabre, these movies are usually liked by every generation. The best horror films only imply or suggest the horror in subtle ways, rather than blatantly displaying the disruptive figures and faces. When done well and with less reliance on horrifying special effects, it can be extremely potent film forms, tapping into our dream states and the horror of the irrational and unknown, and the horror within man himself.

Early horror films were Gothic in style - meaning that they were usually set in spooky old mansions, castles, or fog-shrouded, dark and shadowy locales. Characters including dualities, demons, zombies, evil spirits, archfiends and satanic villains are the ones taking the lead.

Films like Saw, Demons, Evil Dead and The Ring, are some of the most critically acclaimed movies in the recent past. Now, with online shopping, these movies have become more easy and convenient. Today, Horror movies DVDs could easily be availed online. One just has to order at the website and the DVDs would be right at your doorstep

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