Horror movies

I've never felt any qualms about watching horror films. Providing a film is well-done, I think it's worth watching. Not all horror flicks are shallow horror flicks, some have some pretty deep storylines (Rosemary's Baby, Audition, Nosferatu the Vampyre).

MyEverything said:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8

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Lots of horror films are excellently done and praiseworthy...

I've never watched a movie that was purely horror for the sake of horror. What would the point be? I have seen horror movies, but all of them have had some kind of philosophical message embedded in them, such as the importance of facing enemies, or fears, or evils that are either internal or external.

If you are sitting there watching people get mutilated and you are thinking to yourself "wow, I really am enjoying this opportunity to see blood and guts", I'd say that there is something wrong with you; but if you just appreciate a certain genre, that doesn't necessarily say anything positively or negatively about who you are, your values, or your priorities in life (religious or otherwise).

The question should never be whether something is morally right or wrong as much as whether it inspires you as an individual to be more or less upright. If watching horror movies makes you desire to kill people in their sleep afterward, I suggest that you not watch them.

'Horror movies' also encompass a lot. Some are slasher movies whose only focus is on the extreme violence, others are suspense thrillers that aren't necessarily so much about violence as threat management on the part of the characters, others still are more suspense mysteries or whodunits, and still others are predominantly some different genre that has some of the previous tropes applied to it (often these are sci-fi or fantasy, and thus often grouped into supernatural horror, like Tsukihime, or action/horror like Alien or Predator).

The appropriateness of the fare is determined by how it meets the above criteria and each person's own tolerance levels. I can't stand stuff like Saw or even the mundane crime dramas shown during prime time, but am perfectly fine with the aforementioned Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai or so on. Part of it I'm sure has to do with willing suspension of disbelief...some horror movies are portrayed as being all too real, while others start with a premise that informs the viewer/reader/listener that the following is thoroughly fantasy. The former makes it harder for that suspension of disbelief to happen in many people, which in turn causes the worse reaction. The latter starts out or develops early on into something that the audience has to engage that suspension first, making later content easier to deal with.

MyEverything said:

Personally, I don't think watching those types of movies is right for me. I think they're much too negative. I'd prefer not to be entertained by things that are displeasing to God; things like violence, cussing, etc. I always judge those situations by Philippians 4:8.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8

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I agree

I LOVE LOVE LOVE horror movies! It's my favorite genre.

Personally, I don't think *anyone* should watch horror movies. But that's because I hate horror movies and the only way to improve movies is to remind the creators of those movies to not spend $5 million or whatever on a 2-hour insult to one's intelligence.

Horror is my least favorite genre... or maybe action. I don't know. Horror movies are mostly the same to me, though the older horror movies are pretty good. Newer ones are just the same tired plots with new monsters and different characters.

Well, Audition was insanely gory. It's not the goriness (goryness?) which was why I... not to say enjoyed the film, but praised it. It might've gotten a cult following for the amount of gore (zomq, look what they get to show in JHorror!), or for simply being foreign and Japanese (because there are people who's knowledge of Japanese culture doesn't go much further than an encyclopediac knowledge of anime, yet declare themselves to be proudly Wapanese as they waltz around in Cosplay and imitation samurai sword, but that's another tangent altogether.) Anywho, the film was gory and quite disturbing to watch, but it made a lot of interesting points about gender roles and it peeved off a lot of feminists. Simply for that reason, as a person with a great interest in gender studies, I felt it worthwhile to watch.

Was it the greatest film I've ever seen? No. Do I feel a need to watch it when I can't sleep? No. Do I think it worthwhile to watch? Perhaps. I don't think someone with men issues, a history of past sexual abuse, or who's emotionally immature or some such should be watching the film, though.

It's like asking why one would watch a Holocaust/Shoah doc or film with footage of skeletal Jewish people walking into a gas chamber, or something like City of Life and Death. A film doesn't have to be vanilla, or Disney-fied to be worthy of watching. Not everything that's interesting to think about features bunnies and a fair maiden.

Trashionista said:

Well, Audition was insanely gory.

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Seriously?

I've never gotten around to watching it, know both of it and the plot, never twigged it as a gore film though.

explodingboy said:

Seriously?

I've never gotten around to watching it, know both of it and the plot, never twigged it as a gore film though.

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The problem with Audition (well, perhaps not the problem but why it's so creepy) is that it lulls you into this false sense of security and the BAM!~ The first 3/4 of the film is rather, well, dull, but the big end scene is very gory and explicit. As a film in it's whole, it's probably not that gory, but that end scene truly is something else when it comes to gore. When even Rob Zombie finds a scene difficult to watch, you know there's something there.

Philip22 said:

This post relates to lindseykales thread about halloween and my queation would be .. with halloween coming upon us .....Should christians watch horror movies?? What do you think?

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Absolutely not! I'm against Halloween and horror movies and so is the Bible and so is God!

Trashionista said:

The problem with Audition (well, perhaps not the problem but why it's so creepy) is that it lulls you into this false sense of security and the BAM!~ The first 3/4 of the film is rather, well, dull, but the big end scene is very gory and explicit. As a film in it's whole, it's probably not that gory, but that end scene truly is something else when it comes to gore. When even Rob Zombie finds a scene difficult to watch, you know there's something there.

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I shall have to bump it up the to watch list obviously, I'm most intrigued now.

Fair enough..I think people who judge others based on what movies they watch have a little too much time on their hands.

I never watched the Saw movies for the gore, those movies are like puzzles to me, I never know how they'll end. Who did what, how they got involved. That's what's exciting to me. You'll have to excuse me if you think I'm disturbed because I can stomach (most) of the blood and guts.

CrystalBrooke said:

Fair enough..I think people who judge others based on what movies they watch have a little too much time on their hands.

I never watched the Saw movies for the gore, those movies are like puzzles to me, I never know how they'll end. Who did what, how they got involved. That's what's exciting to me. You'll have to excuse me if you think I'm disturbed because I can stomach (most) of the blood and guts.

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I have to disagree with that! Folks don't spend enough time thinking these days!!! Business clutters the mind! Chill out and think! I can get that same 'exciting mystery' by watching G rated movies!

Yknow, sometimes it takes a lot of brainpower to understand the subtle nuances, metaphors, and reflections on society a director or writer sticks into a film. A film simply having a lot of gore or an NC17/R (which is a crock; see This Film is Not Yet Rated if you need proof) does not mean it's just being promoted to simpletons. I applaud those who can find deep meaning within a Disney flick (no hate, I happen to love The Little Mermaid) but you can do that without declaring the rest of to be simple minded for enjoying a horror flick every now and then.