Despite speaking of how much I enjoy horror, until recently I had not watched a horror film for a long time. With all the TV series (including anime), books (including manga and comics) and video games consuming my time, I found myself letting my films fall by the wayside. Recently I caught up with the MCU and decided to dedicate time in my week to watching films. As I perused the DVDs/Blu-Rays that I had yet to watch my eye was drawn to the sole horror film.
I had watched The Cabin in the Woods back when it came out in cinema in 2012 but I had yet to rewatch it since then. Described as a “loving hate letter” to horror, I had forgotten what a joy the film was to experience as a horror fan. With sharp writing, clever characterizations and numerous homages to horror, I was quickly reminded of why I came to adore horror in the first place.
There are three aspects of horror that I view as crucial. The first are protagonist(s) who are powerless compared to the villain(s) and struggle to survive (maybe) through quick thinking, good fortune and sacrifice. The second is the atmosphere generated through camera, music and editing to create tension. Finally, the surreal nature which feels bizarre and otherworldly. This last aspect in particular is what specifically draws me to horror over other genres.
I quickly researched recent horror movies that I had missed as well as films that had either been unavailable before or hard to get. Soon after, I amassed enough money to splurge on close to 20 horror films at an affordable price. The plan is to watch 2 films a week and, as of this article, I have seen 3 of the films that I have purchased. Watching these particular films, it also occurred to me that there is another aspect of horror that I enjoyed.
When making a horror film, your goal is to generate tension and unease throughout the film. Of course, you run the risk of causing the film to feel overwhelming and, more importantly, kill any chance of the audience enjoying the film. Instead, a skilled director/writer will release some of the tension through comedy. This has been compared to a rollercoaster ride as the tension can be compared to the rollercoaster going up and the release through comedy to the rollercoaster going down.
The combination of horror and comedy seems like an unusual combination and yet when I think of moments that have genuinely made me laugh, I quite often recall moments from horror that have been more effective than full-on comedy films. I also wonder if it’s a case of expectation where the “black humour” is heightened by how contrasting it is to the horror. By working together, the horror and comedy are able to accentuate each other and function more effectively than by themselves.
I know this genre isn’t for everyone (and it must seem strange that someone into anime and manga is so passionate about horror) and yet I find myself driven to argue for this genre and why I enjoy it so much. Let me know what you think of horror, whether you like it or not and why.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!
I just don’t enjoy horror movies or entertainment overall. I like to enjoy something quite stress free even though some videogames can give you the chills. However, I usually tend to think and convince people that a good horror videogame can be more scary that movies just for the simple fact that you have to do the actions to continue. On the other hand, you can just close your eyes while watching the movie. 🙂
That’s fair enough. Different things entertain different people.