And yet, it seems odd that we ask this about horror and rarely about other genres.
Why do people like thriller and action films? Danger and the threat of imminent death is unpleasant. Most people avoid it. So why are so hungry for fictions about it?
What about medical dramas? Most of us want to spend as little time in hospital as possible.
What about medical dramas? Most of us want to spend as little time in hospital as possible.
Romance films? They mostly seem to be about relationship drama, something few people actually relish.
Dystopian science-fiction films? Does anyone actually want to live in a society where faceless all-powerful rulers impose harsh living conditions on the majority and drain society of all individuality and character? Surely even the staunchest supporters of the EU don't consciously want that?
And yet...horror is the genre that perplexes everybody.
I'm not suggesting we should retire this timeless debate. I rarely want to close a conversation or a discussion-- rather the opposite. I'm simply suggesting that this is an interesting sidelight on it.
That's a good point that I hadn't thought about. It is rather strange to require this particular genre to justify itself, but much worse scenes of graphic torture and gore are normal in many other movie types.
ReplyDeleteBruce
I'm glad you agree! Horror at least frequently has an appealing atmosphere. You know, small towns, old houses, that kind of thing...
DeleteYes, why do people enjoy stories about situations they would not want to experience? It's an interesting question.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I do not enjoy stories if the whole world of the story is terrible or if the situation of the story is just horrific with no redeeming factors. I also do not enjoy some spy stories, where there is murder, torture, and corruption for some minor advantage in a war or diplomatic struggle which might even be rendered obsolete by further changes. The Sherlock Holmes stories like the "Bruce-Partington Plans", "The adventure of the second stain" or "The adventure of the Naval Treaty" do a much better job of presenting pre-WWI diplomatic struggles, because the moral universe of the story is good.
I guess that's what it is, if the overall world is good or the moral universe of the story is good, then that counts for a lot, but without that, why are you even telling your story?
DeleteI actually avoid any story with torture in it. It's just too much. And yes, I agree, the underlying worldview is hugely important. It's OK for a story to be dark, but when it exults in darkness...
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