To think horror films are horrible

[Somethingthecatdraggedin7]

I have never understood why people enjoy horror films.
By that I mean the genuine films of that genre not crime/action whatever which have violence in them.
I watched part of a horror film at a freind's place when I was much younger (late teens) and was completely freaked out and left my friend’s house. The film was so shockingly nasty that it took me years to block out the images.
If you enjoy horror, why do you like them? Is it a thrill akin to a rollercoaster for you?
I honestly don’t understand why people like watching torture etc.
YABU = Horror films are great fun and I can’t get enough
YANBU = Horror films are horrible and I avoid them

The avant garde directors mentioned on that list are the absolute standards that you'd meet on practically any university syllabus. Most these days feel the need to be selling something different and innovative in terms of their modules so I find it extremely hard to believe they'd not have moved beyond those standard examples to something broader and somewhat less obvious. There's usually a strand, or set of strands, linking film or literature together to students can follow the trajectory of the work. I'd for sure be pissed off if I'd paid out X thousands for a film course and was just served up the standard fare of Eistenstein and Lang (which have already been done to death).

You must have read a different novel - it’s a frame tale “tall tale” narrative, so makes the very opposite from any claim to authenticity — it’s sending the idea up, and the very idea of truth and authenticity. And the prose is much sharper than the deliberately exaggerated melodramatic prose style of his Gothic short stories. Poe is always very funny - lots of readers just don’t get it.

As I said earlier - the whole history of aesthetics and literary criticism is a debate around subjective versus objective value. If you think it’s just subjective, what’s the point in humanities education at all? Let’s have degrees in Saw II studies and Nightmare on Elm Street: why not 😆

I LOVE horror films. They've always made me feel better. Being scared to death is strangely comforting to me - when I'm worried about something I can feel like "well, that still stressing me out, but at least I'm not being chased by a serial killer! Could be worse!" sort of thing

Surprisingly, students actually want to be taught the good stuff. They’re also keen for the “standard fare” of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton, too! And they’re really interested in film modernism right now, especially Soviet cinema and critiques of twentieth century authoritarianism (for obvious reasons).

In horror women could fight back, stab, bite, axe men who threaten then - and win (LSF)

in Sci-fi- as a kid in the 70’s - women were in space! Doing work like computing, medicine or flying space ships or being baddies (I’m looking at you Servalan) and it opened my eyes to possibilities not offered to me in real life (and no I don’t drive a luna modual or work in coms on The Enterprise) but both genres opened the eyes of a working class girl to the possibilities that women could fight back, be angry and do interesting stuff so I love all things horror/ sci-fi and I don’t really care if it’s great art.

A degree on one text? Okaaaay.

Aesthetics and popular culture are increasingly popular courses these days, in case you missed that particular marketing niche, and there is not just one rigid 'canon' with carefully drawn boundaries around what a narrow group of professionals deem acceptable texts. You've been swallowing too much Harold Bloom.

You'll also know that for every critical argument there's a gap in the field missed, or a counter-argument. If all literature and film critics held a uniform view, then the universities would be in even more trouble than they are now. If everyone thought the way you think, there would be no point in writing any more critical scholarship - ever.

You're a hoot. 😂

I like sci-fi and often teach it and cyberpunk. I think it’s far better than horror. No?

No.

It's a purely subjective judgement. But it's been clear for several pages that you're having a laugh.

@pleasedonotfeedme no I don’t and I think, by your wholesale dismissal of it as having any value is depressing, I’d hope a teacher of film would have some basic knowledge of the genre and you don’t seem to. Also teaching sci-fi as ‘cyberpunk’ is limiting and narrow

You’ve really got the wrong end of the stick! Nobody’s reading Harold Bloom these days - not for thirty years now.

I teach loads of popular culture and non-canonical texts. But students also want to read canonical texts - they pay a lot of money and they want to be taught the good stuff. There’s a huge wealth of popular and canonical art and every shade in between out there: but horror films? Just not very good. Sorry 😆

“I often teach it and cyberpunk”

is not

“I often teach it as cyberpunk”

Read more carefully! 0/10 for close reading skills.

I'm with OP... we have a running joke that if a film is 18 it's not for me 🤣

My ex used to love them and get annoyed that I couldn't last more than 20 minutes in to a horror.

I enjoyed Sixth Sense and mild scares but otherwise I avoid. Saw or Hostel would be my worst nightmare.

I do love an emotional film that makes me cry..... takes allsorts 🤣

A film lecturer who has never seen one good horror film? God that’s depressing- and they ‘pay good money’ for you - please don’t be at The University of Sheffield- I’ll cry

God no 😆 Their literature people are nice though.

I’m still waiting for you to tell me which is that one good horror film?

Oh did I make a mistake? Well that’s a clever comeback - when in a corner attack someone’s (3 glasses in) reading skills - well done - I’m slated , literally hacked to bits in the corner covered in blood … or am I LSF

On the subject of Korean horror - for us plebs who enjoy such lowbrow crap - Train to Bhutan is great. Like 28 days later in a bullet train.

What about Pan’s Labyrinth @pleasedonotfeedme? Is that a bin-fire too?

I’m still waiting for you to name one film you class as great art of the last 2000 years - you go first

I hate horror films, each to their own though. I’m sure plenty of people don’t understand why I like to watch the things I like

I completely agree, dreadful.

I bloody love that film it’s so sad! Also The Sadness but that’s a hard one to sit through

I adore Horror films!

It’s funny, I don’t understand people who can sit and enjoy sappy, overly romantic drivel.

Give me a serial killer or an isolated cabin in the woods anytime.

But what a boring world if we all liked the same things, eh 🍿🙂

Two Sisters is a great one as well - Malaysian horror film - honestly if any horror lovers have Prime subscribe to Shudder

Cabin In The Woods! You reminded me - that’s in my top 5 - starts as one thing then surprise! Also stabby unicorns ❤️

I agree @ghostyslovesheets. Pan’s Labyrinth is a beautiful, very sad, unique historical film. And very much a horror film. How do you like them onions @pleasedonotfeedme?

I love horrors - but mostly things like the nun, paranormal activity, the conjuring.
I'll watching anything with Lin Shaye in as I think she's a fantastic actress.

I'm not a big fan of slashers though - Friday the 13th, scream etc. I'll watch them but wouldn't choose them over a haunting film.

I have, however, become really desensitised to being scared now and it's so hard to find a film that will give me the adrenaline rush I love.