Stephen King: Author of Reality Most see the horror genre as a pariah of the literary world, as a discriminate notion inescapable to change. Stephen King, the phenomenal author, strives to obtain the same serious consideration that is awarded to non-genre authors throughout his work. His work first and foremost is for the satisfaction of the reader and provokes emotions such as terror, horror, and disorder. Many of his novels inspired filmmakers, such as Stanley Kubrick, to produce high grossing films. This is
Figure 1 A photograph depicting Stanley Kubrick, famous filmmaker, on set of the film adaption of The Shining (“Cinephelia & Beyond”). most illustrated by The Shining, one of the most famous horror movies to this day and an adaption of a narrative by Stephen King. His influence is extensive and attracts readers of all different categories. Beyond his work, his life provides an easily understood and sympathized quality that has shaped his writing to great extent. Stephen’s childhood misfortune, poverty, and alcohol and drug addictions activated his career in writing and inspired him to create novels rich in groundbreaking horror, opening new opportunities for genre-based authors such as himself. From a very early age, Stephen King was burdened with depression while growing up in poverty in Portland, Maine. Born on September 21, 1947, King 's childhood was burdened with unhappiness as a product of his father 's misdeeds. His father Donald left him and his family in
Stephen King wrote the short story “Why We Crave Horror Films” explaining why our mind gets so excited during horror movies. He continues to make the statement “the horror film has become the modern public lynching” (paragraph 6) showing that no matter what generation a person is in the excitement of gore will always exist. King proves this statement discussing emotions and psychiatric points in his work.
King creates the ideas behind many horror films and books, he’s liable to support the
“Why we crave horror movie” is a type of mini review written by Stephen King in playboy 1981 in which he had discussed, various features of the horror movies. Stephen King is an American writer well famous for writing the horror movies and is popular in the world of literature as Richard Bachman. In this mini-review King had used an ethical approach to delineate the differences between the some of the horror movies and to highlight certain psychological factors responsible for people’s craving for the horror movies. In this piece of writing, King had spotted certain emotions that become reason for this psychological drive. Moreover, he by using his straightforward approach
Do you enjoy watching murder, the paranormal, and any other morbid scene which makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, your palms sweat, and your adrenaline surge? Why people enjoy watching murder, tragedy, and carnage in their spare time has been a mysterious phenomenon. If these gruesomely horrific scenes would not be enjoyable in real life, why is watching a recreation of it so riveting? Stephen King, a world-renowned horror novelist, wrote “Why We Crave Horror Movies” to give insight as to why horror movies, although gruesome and morbid, captivate audiences. King also aims to persuade readers to continue to watch horror movies, arguing that they are a crucial part of keeping sanity. King delves into this psychological aspect of humans and believes that the desire to watch horror films is a normal tendency of humankind. “Why We Crave Horror Movies” includes appeals to emotion, logic, and author credibility in order to convince readers of the positive, normal desire to watch horror films, why it is important to watch them, and why the reader should believe what the author is saying. King utilizes the rhetorical devices—pathos, logos, and ethos—in an effective way through the use of metaphor, logic, humor, and emotion to persuade readers that watching horror films is normal.
If somebody asked me what my favorite type of movie is I would probably say horror. I would say horror because it provides a thrill in me that no other type of movie sparks within me. When reading Stephen King’s article I realized there is more to a horror movie than just thrill, there is anticipation, and even suspense shown. In “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, Stephen King uses a mysterious tone and pathos to successfully persuade his audience of kids and adults into watching mysterious horror movies that will let you re-establish your feelings.
Wes Craven’s horror movie “Scream”, inspired the gruesome murder of Gina Castillo. Castillo’s sixteen year old son and his fifteen year old cousin killed Gina Castillo. Why would anyone wish to watch the petrifying film, “Scream”? What would trigger a person to take inspiration from the horror movie, “Scream”. Stephen King describes horror as a piece of the human condition. Author of several horror novels, Stephen King wrote an essay titled “Why We Crave Horror.” In this paper he thoroughly explains why the human species craves horror and how it makes humans feel. In this essay, Stephen King precisely claims that humans desire, horror because horror pushes them to face their fears, renew their feelings of normality, and to expose
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine on September 21, 1947. When King was two years old, his father left home and never returned. , leaving him to be raised by his mother. The family moved around to Wisconsin, Indiana, and Connecticut before returning to Maine so his mother could care for her parents.
Horror can be defined as a genre meant to psychologically trigger individual fear with the presence of certain supernatural or abstract characteristics. The genre is dependent on people’s fascination with unrealism and the sensation that comes from experiencing fear personified into tangible elements on a screen. Horror films have thrilled audiences for decades, revealing stories of the more sinister parts of life. The popular allure that stems from the genre comes from the tension moviegoers experience when aroused by specific stimuli uniquely present in these cinematic features (Walters). Over time, as the genre progressed, the standardized elements found in a typical horror movie began to shift in different directions primarily due to changing societal circumstances and increasing consumer demand for cinematic innovation. The expansive nature of the different codes and conventions within the horror genre, coupled with the evolution of society’s fascination with these characteristics, has led to the mutation of the genre itself in order to allow for unique approaches to a familiar style in response to both economic developments and taste shifts within the consumer industry.
In Stephen King’s somewhat subjective essay in the 1984 Playboy magazine, Why We Crave Horror Movies, King describes his reasoning behind why so many people are fond of watching movies residing in the horror genre. The content of his essay, though inserted in an unconventional area for
Stephen King’s The Shining has maintained its cult status since its release in 1977. The Shining begins with Jack Torrance receiving a position as the winter caretaker for The Overlook Hotel, an isolated hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Jack hopes the stay will be therapeutic and allow him to focus on writing, family, and less on alcohol. As time progresses, unsettling events begin to transpire for Jack, his son Danny, and his wife Wendy. The intensity of the gothic novel came to life by the legendary Stanley Kubrick in 1980. The book was admired by fans, but Kubrick’s reimagining made it the iconic classic that it is today. Stephen King was not as fond of the movie. Although some of Kubrick’s take on The Shining complements the book, King
Stephen King is one of the best selling and famous American authors of the modern era. King has written many heavily detailed stories that are used in realistic settings which allow the reader to engage in the reading. His use of real world observations to inspire his writing cause his work to be so powerful. King is primarily known for his fiction novels which many seem to love. However, he has also excelled in creating pieces in genres such as screenplay, children’s stories, autobiographies, and nonfiction. Horror and psychological themes are prominent in Stephen King’s novels and short stories.
Born on September 21, 1947 in Portland, Maine, Stephen King was a surprise to his family. Stephen was raised by a mostly single parent. Stephen’s father “left the house to buy a pack of cigarettes…but never returned. Stephen
Television today serves as a method to confront our societal fears in a comfortable setting, like books and oral tales did hundreds of years ago. The film The Shining directed by Stanley Kubrick, although a modern medium, still draws from the original gothic novel. Compared to The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, The Shining plays on the same classic and applicable anxiety of finding terror within the nuclear family. Kubrick uses the gothic theme to address horror originating from family relationships, additionally taking the idea of “the gothic novel” to a heightened level through invoking despair in his audience rather than hope as Walpole did in his novel. Despair in The Shining is conveyed by
Stephan King is easily one of the most well-known writers in the horror genre. Often regarded as “The Master of Horror,” King’s impact on the horror genre is remarkable, and he has written both books and screenplays. Many of his works have been turned into movies, further increasing his popularity. Most people at least vaguely know who Stephen King is, but not many know his real story. In today’s time Stephen King entrances audiences and his classic books are converted into screenplays for movies.
Based on Stephen King’s horror novel of the same name, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining features hallways filled with butchered daughters, and their guts and blood splashed down the hall. Horror and realism fuel Kubrick’s notoriously disturbing films and The Shining stands clear-cut amongst them. Although in the case of this movie, Kubrick shifts emphasis from visual horror to psychological fear and instills mounting dread from the sequence of disturbing events. Kubrick states, “one of the things that horror stories can do is show us the archetypes of the unconscious; we can see the dark side without having to confront it directly.” Never falling flat, The Shining provides a psychological horror masterpiece complete with brilliant acting, tight camera angles, haunting score, and unanswered questions.