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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be sickened by the level of violence and gore in horror films these days?

292 replies

dontmeanto · 13/05/2013 16:41

...and the sheer volume of them??

DP and I went to hire a film Saturday night as a treat and couldn't believe just how many of these films were on the New Arrivals shelves.

Various plots on abduction, torture, force, maiming, etc.

I guess I just don't get why people are entertained by these films? I find them disturbing at best and absolutely disgusting at worst.

I just don't want those types of things in my head, and I worry there's a generation out there that will in some way become desensitised to this level of violence by making these films "cool" to watch with friends.

I remember being shocked by Scream when I was a teen, but these now are a billion times worse!

AIBU?

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiLand · 14/05/2013 11:39

Claig do you mean to be so obtuse?

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:40

Yes I do, at least with movies it's obvious that they are lying.

If you believe anything written in the Mail then I can see why you believe this stuff.

Birdsgottafly · 14/05/2013 11:41

As I said I am a gore fan. I think that watching some stuff stops us going into a false sense of security. There are seriously depraved people in the world and we need order and laws to make it safe for all. Most of us on this site are women with children, the most vulnerable in society. Sometimes we need to be reminded how bad "it could be out there" if we didn't live in such a controlled society. Compare the UK to parts of Africa and I think we would all agree how lucky we are. I would rather get these messages through horror films than by watching real life stuff, which I admitted to on another thread (via U-Tube). It reminds us of our human frailness. In the 80's there was books around, such as Mandingo etc, about slavery, they included child rape as well as torture, much more disturbing than a Saw film, that these were mainstream.

claig · 14/05/2013 11:41

Sorry, what is obtuse about it.

You said

"My daughter plays Call of Duty - I was actually expecting that to be a lot more gory than it actually is."

and I quoted a report where keith Vaz was reported as saying the following about it

"Keith Vaz MP, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said he was 'absolutely shocked' that the game contained such scenes of 'brutality'."

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:42

Good post Birds.

LadyBeagleEyes · 14/05/2013 11:44

Claig is our pet Conspiracy theorist on MN.
She/he has never fully explained who They are yet though.
I don't like violent or scary films and never have, they're not for me but unless someone is that way inclined anyway, I don't think it unduly influences people.

GetOrfMoiLand · 14/05/2013 11:44

Well, if we are being pedantic you posted a 4 year old article referring to a different game entirely than my daughter (who is an adult btw) plays.

But I wasn't talking about that - rather your quote "'I don't read the Mail, not gullible enough to believe a word that is written in it.'

But you enjoy watching horror gore movies instead."

What is obtuse is your endlessly linking the DM as fact to support your spurious arguments and comparing that with people choosing to watch horror films for entertainment purposes. There seems to be a line in your head confusing fact and fiction (certainly, if you are citing the DM as a credible source).

Morloth · 14/05/2013 11:47

Hang on, I thought the DM was the paper for 'The Man'.

Wouldn't they be the Men In Suits' natural allies?

claig · 14/05/2013 11:48

'I think that watching some stuff stops us going into a false sense of security. There are seriously depraved people in the world and we need order and laws to make it safe for all.'

The problem is that many of these filmamkers are depicting the depravity of people like that for entertainment in gory excruciating detail. It is not healthy and they know it, and they are not doing it to stop us going into a false sense of security. In afct, I think they are doing it in order to shock, frighten and traumatise us.

unfortunately, the Daily Mail online has far too many shocking reports that I think are not good for people to click on. Yesterday there was an article about what a Syrian rebel chief did to a captured prisoner. I didn't click on it, because I think it is too shocking to read about. This stuff is traumatising to even read about and should not be printed in such detail.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:50

Morloth You actually have a point there, they are the newspaper that spouts all the shite about disabled people/poor etc. The newspaper that turns normal people against other normal people.

Birdsgottafly · 14/05/2013 11:50

I worry about coming out of the Eu, mainly because of the erosion of the Human Rights Act, there's a real agenda that could spark a (believable) conspiracy theory.

claig · 14/05/2013 11:50

'Wouldn't they be the Men In Suits' natural allies?'

Certainly not. if you read the Daily Mail regularly, then you would realise that it rails against 'the Man' and the men in suits and is in fact the people's paper.

That is why it is against these type of gore films in general and is for censorship.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:52

Claig We shouldn't censor what is going on in the world just to please ourselves and pretend that it doesn't happen.

If you find it shocking how do you think the people it happened to felt? It's best we understand that these things do happen and humans are generally pretty fragile.

There is no point in trying to live on a fluffy cloud of cotton wool censoring everything that bothers us.

InLoveWithDavidTennant · 14/05/2013 11:53

holy moly! cant believe this is still going on!

and stop talking about the daily fail... its full of shite!

people really do believe everything they read it seems Confused

claig · 14/05/2013 11:54

I agree we shouldn't censor the facts. But I don't think we should report on it in all its graphic horror.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:54

Claig The Mail use lies and shock tactics to turn people against the most vulnerable members of society.

It's a load of badly written drivel.

Birds That's a good point. One thing I like about being part of Britain is that we have the EU and human rights.

AmberSocks · 14/05/2013 11:54

they dont bother me unless they involve children,i read the synopsis for a serbian film after hearing about it on here and its still in my mind now occasionally and really upsets me.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:55

Claig These things do need to be reported in all their graphic horror.

Why pretend that stuff that is happening all over the world and is proven to be true isn't happening, while sticking up for a conspiracy and trying to spread awareness of that, when you don't even have any idea who you are actually accusing of this.

Report the facts and forget the crap.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 11:56

Amber Sorry, that may have been from a thread I started. I watched it and was very upset about it and thought to warn others not to watch it. I was being an idiot and didn't think of the fact most wouldn't even know about it.

claig · 14/05/2013 12:00

'Report the facts and forget the crap.'

Precisely. That is why I choose to read the Daily Mail instead of the Guardian.

Our TV news reports do not show the result of bombings etc in all their true horror. We do not show the most horrific images, whereas broadcasters in some countries do show the injuries.

I think we are right not to show the full footage because it is traumatising. We should report the facts but not show the full detail.

I feel the same about horror movies. Horror and scares have always been written about or shown, but we should not be showing gory excrucitaing detail because it is traumatising and affects the mind.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 14/05/2013 12:02

The Daily Mail don't report facts! Most of what they print is completely fabricated, turning normal people against disabled, poor and vulnerable people. It turns neighbours against other neighbours.

I don't think most gore is traumatising because I know it is fake!

claig · 14/05/2013 12:04

'I don't think most gore is traumatising because I know it is fake!'

But all movies are fake. But we still have film censors who make sure that scenes of utter depravity are not shown to the public. We must have limits.

MomOfTomStubby · 14/05/2013 12:06

I made the mistake of letting my DC play Angry Birds when he was younger. I took his Touch away when I found him chucking birds at the fence. That game certainly desensitised my DC, at least where birds are concerned [insert Piss Taking emoticon]

aldiwhore · 14/05/2013 12:09

Storytelling is about evoking emotion, good storytelling makes you feel things that you may not like feeling. Fairytales would be shit if there was no utterly wicked baddy.

Horror films are simply stories that are lacking in a happy ending (mostly) telling stories about how bad our fears can really be. They are valid storytelling devices for grown ups.

I am more likely to feel despair when watching a slushy romance than I am watching a zombie apocolypse.

Fakebook · 14/05/2013 12:12

Claig, so basically you're saying that you'd rather read and be exposed to censored, indoctrinated bullshit, rather than be told the real truth? Confused

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