At first glance, horror titles are considered to be scary because of what we see on the surface; the blood, guts, and gore. However it’s better to move away from the thought of; what makes a horror title scary? Yet, remind yourself of fear being an emotional characteristic of oneself. Fear is within us along with a collection of other emotions that seem to be countless! It is because we see ‘fear’ as an emotion that we, as an audience, portray such a natural reaction to what we see on the big screen. It’s almost as if we react without realising it. Battista believes that evolution is what it’s all about. A natural reaction is provoked, depending on the atmosphere, that surrounds us.
“A lot of it is natural.
Evolution has shaped us to automatically be scared of
potentially dangerous things like the dark, blood, and strange
creatures. We are built to be tense when there is an unknown danger lurking
nearby, then jump when it finally pops out. Horror movies capitalize on these
natural tendencies, exaggerating the dangers or drawing out the suspense to
cause us fear even though the danger isn’t real.” He says.
It’ll be a natural instinct
to associate ‘fear’ with the visuals on screen – the blood, guts, and gore.
This is where a jump scare can be most effective, because as an audience, the
first thing we see is the visuals. In my experience, and I’m sure I’m not alone
when I say this, if I experience a jump scare, I don’t always remember the
storyline. All my energy goes towards that one incident that made me scared in
the first place.
Battista explains the ideology of behind true terror. He says; “I think
real terror–the more subtle fear that Stephen King calls “the finest
emotion”–requires a little more depth of story and character. The most
terrifying horror has layers of meaning, and that meaning requires knowing who
is experiencing the terror and how they got there.” 
There’s one thing that
directors / producers alike have in common. It’s in their best interest to
attract audiences, as they intend to bring forward every single emotion that is
within u. Fear, excitement, anxiety, courage as well as others; but fear being
the most important characteristics to bring centre stage. How is this even
possible? A solid storyline; pure and simple! Once there’s a storyline in
place, the connection between the audience and the characters on screen start
to evolve, as if by magic! This connection opens the door to endless
possibilities. Audiences begin to feel sympathy for on screen, for people who
are actually non-existent. Watching the story unfold is strengthening the
connection between the audience and movie characters. There’s almost this sense
of urgency to find a solution to the situation the on screen character is in.
As an audience, you feel like you’re in it together. The more you watch, the
more it feels like you’re doing everything you can to make sure that character
is safe! It’s like you’ve been taken out of your comfort zone (behind the big
screen) and sucked into the situation.
My curiosity got the better
of me. I asked the one thing that maybe on everybody’s minds. What are the
three main denotations / connotations in the horror genre which encourage fear?
The answer to this question leads to a doorway that encourages one to think
outside the box. Instead of focusing on the ‘in your face’ facts about the
horror genre and how fear emerges, we are invited to take the magnifying glass,
and look closer, analyse it, and understand it. When you’re sitting in front of
a big screen, with a bucket of popcorn and a cold drink sitting comfortably in
its cup holder to your side, the lights fade into pitch black darkness, you
find yourself automatically drawn to the big screen. The scene is set, and your
atmosphere is adjusted. It’s when the adjustments are in place; that these
three elements come into play very easily. These are as follows, just as
Michael Battista suggested.
- Exaggeration. Because horror is only on a screen, it has to exaggerate to have any effect. Real knives are pretty dull (hah), but in horror movies they make metallic swishy noises every time they move, they sparkle even in the dark, and they’re accompanied by discordant violin music. Horror kicks everything up a notch so you feel unsafe even when you’re sitting comfortably in a movie theatre munching on popcorn.
- Expectation. Horror, perhaps more than other genres, relies on our previous experience of horror. Everyone knows that slowly building music is going to end in a jump scare. They know that the bad guy lying on the floor isn’t actually dead yet. Good horror movies use this expectation to add tension. Great horror movies know when to break from expectation to take it even further.
- Extrapolation. (I probably could’ve used a different word, but I liked the three “ex” words. What I mean by this is that a lot of horror is in the viewer’s mind. Low lighting, claustrophobic camera angles, fast cuts…they all obscure what is actually going on, so we the viewers have to fill in the details ourselves. Half of horror is in our own heads.
“The following is based on
a true story!” How many times have we seen this sentence on a black screen,
most of us are left with an eerie feeling, and the movie hasn’t even passed the
one minute mark. Horror movies that are based on true stories seem to have a
powerful and deeper impact on the individual. The possibility of experiencing
similar encounters to what you see on the big screen, suddenly the impossible
becomes possible! Highly educated, as well as a research analyst at present.
Mike Battista is dedicated to uncovering the secrets of the horror genre, as if
it was ‘The Blair Witch Project’ reincarnated and agrees that horror movies
that are based on a true story carry entirely different weight on one’s
shoulders.
“…It’s another method of
closing the psychological gap between knowing it’s only images on a screen and
being frightened by it anyway. Knowing it could happen in reality drives that
primordial voice in your head that says it could happen to you.”
Do movie lovers go to the movies because they enjoy
being scared? Just how crazy is this question? it’s crazy enough for
anyone to think outside the box, and reach the end of a horror movie with a
sense of relief.
“One theory of horror enjoyment states that people do not actually enjoy the horror part of horror movies. It’s genuinely unpleasant for them. But then the relief that comes at the end (e.g., the good guys overcome the horror, or at least the movie ends), and that is what people actually “enjoy.” Some people “enjoy” being able to hold their girlfriend’s hand and act brave throughout the horror. Does that count as enjoying being scared? It’s enjoying the movie when you look at the big picture, but I’m not sure it counts as enjoying the fear itself.”
Let's make this article a little personal. I asked horror enthusiast Mike Battista to name three
favourite horror movies of all time. His were as follows, although his choices
may vary on a regular basis just like everyone else;
- The Exorcist
- The Descent
- Monster Squad
My horror favourites are;
- The Exorcist
- The Amityvile Horror
- Paranormal Activity series
The 32nd US President
Franklin D. Roosevelt once said; “There’s nothing to fear but fear
itself!” Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have just uncovered ‘The Horrific
Psychology!”
