The Insider 's Guide On The Value Of Horror Movies And Books

My grandma once told me, “If you stay up too late at night, the boogeyman will get you”. I never believed her but I knew I wouldn’t want to see the Boogeyman if he actually existed. Most people would actually want to watch these horrible beings. In this case, they would want to view a horror movie such as “Friday the 13” or “Nightmare on Elm Street”. It is part of our Human Condition to be attracted to the films and asking for more. Stephen King’s claims in “Why we crave horror” asserts us that humans crave horror to face our fears, to re-establish our feelings of normalcy, and to experience a peculiar sort of fun.

“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.

“Why we Crave Horror Movies” is an essay written by the most popular horror author, who works included Carrie (1974), The Shining (1977), The Dead Zone (1979) and Misery (1987), Stephen King. The excerpt originally came from his book “Danse Macabre.” “Why we Crave Horror Movies” was originally published in Playboy Magazine in 1981. The essay was an explanation of why King felt that people craved horror movies. He goes into great detail throughout the essay and gave various reasons of he felt the way he did. While reading the first the that came to mind was the ‘target audience’ because he is speaking to a certain group of people. Then ‘logos’ because King is making a huge assumption throughout the essay, which came of very strong. Lastly, ethos’ because of the tone King sets in the essay, and ‘pathos’ because overall King has a purpose for the essay he wrote.

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

We as humans all have a little insanity among us. By no means does this insinuate for one to go out on a killing spree or torture helpless animals. Simply it is a statement that as humans, we all crave the need for a basic animalistic nature that enthralls us with the lust of horror. Has horror movies become the “modern version of the public lynching” (562)? Why do so many Americans crave the need to view horror films?

Horror movies are based on humanity’s disturbing, inner thoughts that are kept hidden by sophisticated and civilized facades. The fact that people pay money to go watch their own race be slaughtered shows that civilization has two sides. There are many theories as to why humans act the way they do, such as Steven King’s “beast within” and “potential lyncher” theories and Stanley Solomon’s “exploration” and “romantic isolationism” theories. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 does a fantastic job of displaying these theories about the horror genre if one knows what they are looking for. Learning about why humans react the way they do to horror films based on the theories of well-known psychologists and horror writers can teach humans a

In the essay, "Why We Crave Horror Movies," best-selling writer of horror fiction, Stephen King talks about the "dirty job" horror movies perform for us and why horror movies are beneficial to audience. The reason for "why we crave horror movies" is that some people like to see others frightening in danger, to prove they are brave, and to reassure they are normal. I agree to King's claim that horror movies perform the "dirty job" to establish antisocial feelings for some people but not all.

“Why We Crave Horror Movies” In Stephen King’s essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” King discusses how and why horror movies attract audiences with their gruesome characteristics. King starts off with saying that individuals are confronted with their own personal insanities such as abnormalities and excessive fears. To deal with these issues one faces their fear, king explains, through horror films to prove that he or she is not afraid. King then describes how one is reinforced with a sense of normality while viewing the atrocious sights in horror movies. Another reason to go see these films is for fun: a fun that comes from witnessing the downfall of others.

In “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” Stephen King explains some of the reasons that people like to watch horror films. In his essay, King believes that people need horror movies as a method for young people to calm their psychological illness that grows within them. King also mentions, that horror movies help people differentiate themselves from the abnormal behavior of the bad guys, which establishes a sense that they are normal. Furthermore, King’s third reason is “To show that we can, that we are not afraid, that we can ride this roller coaster”(67). In other words, young people are able to demonstrate their courage by watching horror movies.

Since the first horror films were produced over a hundred years ago, they have managed to keep people shivering in terror. For a few, it is the actual monster that is the most frightening, but for the majority, what lies beneath the surface is what brings the most terror. The visually stimulated fear of the actual monster tends to fade, but the deeper-rooted fears that the monster represents tend to have a much longer lasting impression on the viewer. Horror films of the forties and fifties appealed to the publics’ fear of war and nuclear attack, and horror films of today appeal to fears in much of the same way.

Horror is designed to scare, cause alarm and dread, while also entertaining the audience at the same time in a cathartic experience (Dirk, 2016). Horror films are meant for a specific type of audience that enjoy scary films. Dirks (Tim, 2016) approach to genre horror, is that films went back as 100 years ago, from the earliest days our vivid imagination in seeing ghosts in the shadows to be connected emotionally of the unknown, and fear things that are improbable. You watch a horror film, it makes you aware of the scary surroundings, the essence of fear itself, without actually being in any sorts of danger. Dirks argues that there is a fun and thrill factor in being frightened, or watching something disturbing. It gives you that feeling of an adrenaline rush, as well as having that feeling someone is actually next to you lurking in the dark (Dirk, 2016).

Stephen King, in his essay Why We Crave Horror Movies, speaks to a love for horror, but more importantly offers King’s insight on why horror makes such enticing movies. In short, Stephen King establishes that horror is not only a popular genre because it shows fearlessness, establishes normality, or that it is fun, but because horror offers an opportunity to control an urge and leniency for violence. King compares horror movies to public lynching, stating that horror is an opportunity to sanely control violent urges society has (Stephen King, 1981). Aptly, King states that horror keeps ‘them’ from getting out and ‘me up there’; moreover, that it keeps insanity out and sanity in (Stephen King, 1981). This analysis by King makes it evident that horror can be used to control violence through a

Stephen King once said, “ We make up horrors to cope with the real ones.” There are undeniable horrors, with crimes, tragedies, massacres, among other things that life sends our way. These made-up horrors, or the ones in movies and television shows, seem to entice us in a way where it can very suspenseful. Some it absolutely terrifies, and others it leaves them on the edge of their seat, grasping for more. Values of our society tend to be good, with happiness, and the freedom to do what we please. On the other hand, with these horrors in life, our values as a nation tend to be jeopardized to a certain extent. Horror movies, all in all, makes our country liable for our values to changed negatively with certain individuals or groups wanting to make these horror movies a reality.

Ever since the advent of celluloid films, horror movies have always held a fascination for viewers. Just why do people pay good money to be scared out of their wits? Apart from its entertainment value, the horror movie satisfies certain primordial needs in man. Through the horror movies, one is able to come to grips with one's personal demons, fear of death and other irrational phobias and in the process achieve a catharsis. Far from being morbid, such movies actually affirm life for the movie-goer, for he is able to emerge from the dark into the light, both literally and figuratively, having explored the world beyond our normal perception as well as the deep recesses of the human soul and say, "It's good to be alive."