I had this conversation with some fellow creatives about what is Horror and how would you describe it without referring to any books, pre-existing definition.
In my opinion, Horror is one of the most complex genre among the others and over the years i think it has been tarnished in a sense that it became a junk room.
But what in your opinion Horror really is?
Is it Horror because of the hemoglobin? Therefore, does Texas Chainsaw Massacre or any flicks where the level of blood is huge should be considered as Horror movies?
Is it Horror because it appeals to the primal fears of human beings like in Alien?
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I think horror is just a fear it doesn't require ghost and blood and horrible cliched music, my one of the favorite horror is the shining and it's because of cubric and nicolson
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How do I define it?...As something I don't consider.
Erik Jacobsen but evil could be turned into a comedic way with still the same goal of being destructive. So would it still be horror according to your definition? Kay Luke , jeez man, this movie seemed to have shocked you as a kid. I feel the same, the last time i was really scared about a horror movie was The Babadook, i know Horror is a subjective matter but there're universal fears and that's why i bring up that question. More and more horror flicks emerged those past years but which one had a real effect on audience in term of unsettling emotions? Sahil , i agree. Blood, ghost and cliché music are the easy tools and fear is the overall deal with the horror genre but i think it's even more than being simply the fear of this or that. Doug Nelson what do you mean?
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I agree, it is complex. Horror is a genre that elicits fear for entertainment. It’s been around for centuries. It is designed to evoke viewers’ and readers’ terror and nightmares. There are also, say, 16 or so sub-genres, depending on how they are decided and considered. Psychological horror is one of the strongest sub-genres, in my humble opinion. Loved The Babadook, a film about grief and mental illness. The latest horror film I’ve seen that was amazing, relentless, terrifying, incredible performance by Toni Collette, was Hereditary (Aster). Pay attention to upcoming writers/directors Ari Aster and Robert Eggers. Eggers’ The Witch and soon to be widely released The Lighthouse are strong films for the genre.
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Hi Louis,
I don't think it's really that complex - maybe "diverse" is a better description, since there are so many ways for a film to express horror stories. But a horror film is meant to be scary, and to illicit fear. That diversity might also explain why there are so many sub-genres of horror, and so many mixed genres with horror, too. Some are more sophisticated and suspenseful, and some are more crude and in-your-face non-stop gore. Some are laden with creatures from another world, and in some the creatures are man.
Whether that be Psycho, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, the House on Haunted Hill, Nosferatu, The Ring, Night of the Living Dead, Diabolique, Don't Deliver Us from Evil, Possession, or The Exorcist. the horror film genre has a wide-range of dark elements that can go bump in the night; conjure evil spirits or other supernatural manifestations; or show living humans doing things that scare us. I think that adds to the diversity, too, since there are so many ways to scare us humans.
Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Louis!
Beth Fox Heisinger agreed, it is so complex and have so many sub genre, way more than the others. Which movie would you describe as Psychological Horror? Jacob's ladder for example? Don't you think Psychological horror is a tautology? In a sense that Horror is a fortiori psychological. I heard a lot about "Hereditary" and its director Ari Aster, definitely will check it out. Same thing for "The Witch", thanks for the tips. Bill Costantini true and by being "diverse" , it offers a wide range of way to make the viewers scared and express fear in them. Universal fears like the fear of death and personal fears according to each viewers like fear of drowning. Thank you and wish you the same :) . Erik Jacobsen so according to your statements, would you classify Terminator as Horror flick or at least part of it? You can't bargain with it and it wants to destroy you.
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Erik Jacobsen most def, each movies are at crossroads between many genre. They all have a main genre like Terminator as you said but there're subdivisions in it. Never watched a movie which is purely one genre.
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To me, Horror should be what shocks, revolts, macabre events, the depiction of fears/violence. Within those descriptions can be subjects that are thought provoking, funny, intelligent and unknowable. I LOVE HORROR MOVIES! From the greatest "scary picture" imo The Exorcist to the drop down funny Evil Dead 2, but the category is so wide open that it allows anything that produces genuine fear to seen (imo) as horrific. case in point, is the BBC movie Threads the '84 extremely realistic portrayal of nuclear war as a horror film? I do--even more so than the Exorcist--I never expect Pazuzu to possess me or anyone else I know, but the real threat of global nuclear war is (and still is) a real concern. Same with Paul Greengrass movie of the 911 hijackings Flight 93--I've been only able to see it once. Can Flight 93 be called a horror picture? Some would argue not in the traditional way--but I would disagree. Anything that generates abject fear in a viewer/audience either based in a fictional world or based on event from the real world can be classified as "horror".
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Horror is not exactly a genre. We call it a genre because it is easier to treat it like that - and that's perfectly ok. However, Horror is more an area; a region to where most other genres convene once their stories meet certain criteria. Said differently, Horror is like a color other genres get once their stories check a number of very specific boxes. This subject is fascinating. I teach a course about Horror at Lisbon's Film School. We have lots of fun along the course. As an area, it is easier to define Horror by its themes, tones as well as its unique domain of the SUBVERSIVE content. Of course, not everything that is subversive is Horror... but I'd say that all Horror (with some exceptions) is subversive by nature to some extent. The themes, tones and controlling ideas will just make the region (Horror) clearer to those who are about enter it. :-)
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Louis, what makes it complex is that most films do not fit perfectly into one box or one genre or subgenre; they may have elements of many and even that determination can be subjective. So, no, it is not a tautology. Psychological horror is defined as a subgenre of horror and fiction that relies on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle. Psychological horror also tends to share elements with other horror subgenres and thrillers and their subgenres and vice versa; some thrillers contain horror elements. Both often share drama elements as well. The films I mentioned above, The Babadook, The Witch, Hereditary, are great horror films that definitely lean towards psychological. Compare them to "slasher" films (not a favorite of mine) or action horror and you can easily sense the difference. Sure, Jacob's Ladder is an example too, although it's not a favorite of mine, personally. A wide sampling of other film examples with psychological horror elements, just to name a few: We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Shining, Gerald's Game, Misery, Session 9, Hush, Identity, Oculus, The Gift, Split, The Silence of the Lambs, Seven, The Sixth Sense, Psycho, The Ring, The Others, etc.
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Damn Beth! Good answer.
Horror definitely covers a broad scope. And that's what's so great about the category. I've successfully competed in several horror film festivals and contests such as Shriekfest and Screencraft and 13Horror.com. I've never worried about conforming to any horror guidelines.
I think a good horror film should frighten and most certainly entertain the audience. Like Beth, I'm not a big fan of slasher movies and have seen enough films that proliferate mindless slaughter and torture to last a lifetime. For my money, The Exorcist is the gold standard of horror. That film has stood the test of time and is still as powerful as it was in 1973.
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In my high school "Seminar of Science Fiction" AP class, the final exam was simply: Define science fiction - we all had two hours and a blue book. None of us walked out early.
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Horror should take you to a place where you never want to be. A horror viewer has a need to feel fear, raise their level of attentiveness and capture their imagination. In the end, it must shock and exhilarate the viewer. When the credits roll they need to be relieved they are watching comfortably from a safe place. However, good horror will leave them with the lights on with a keen eye toward what may lurk in the shadows.
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I feel like horror went from being more cerebral in the past (pre-CGI) to being more shock and awe visual. I call it The Bikini Effect - take off the bikini and the fantasy disappears to naked reality.
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Gary Keyes i love them as well :) and indeed, it is a pretty wide category with a lot of drawers. Horror is as well a point of view like you mentioned regarding "Flight 93" because what can be scary for you might not be scary for someone else. Paulo Leite interesting concept but i do think Horror as a genre because as you said, "subversive" doesn't mean Horror a fortiori, therefore Horror is a genre apart from other. For example according to your definition "Nightmare on elm street" should not be considered as a movie classified as Horror? If not, how would you classify it? Beth Fox Heisinger , i join you on your statement, the determination is subjective and most films do not belong in one category, i never encountered any movie that belong to a specific category without having archetypes from other genre. Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique , hundred percent "The Exorcist" is the gold standard. Do you think Slasher films are dead? Todd Bronson true, if after watching a horror piece or at least what they call Horror, you let the lights on and keep an eye on the darkness, the job's done. That's what happened to me with "The Babadook" haha. Brian Shell nice term, you should copyright it but agree with Erik Jacobsen , they explore and exploit it.
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Life sure works in mysterious ways at times.
The Exorcist Novel Would Have Never Been Written Until....
As fate would have it, William Peter Blatty appeared on the Groucho Marx show You Bet Your Life in the early 1960's, posing as an Arab prince. When he won $5,000, he took off for a year and wrote The Exorcist. The novel was rejected by every publisher for almost ten years. Groucho jokingly apologized years later for "financing The Exorcist."
The Exorcist Film Would Never Have Been Made Until......
William Peter Blatty was by 1971 an established screenwriter. His novel The Exorcist was finally published, and wasn't selling well. The publisher stopped spending on advertising, and stopped arranging publicity appearances by Mr. Blatty.
Mr. Blatty also had written a screenplay version of the novel, and it was rejected by every studio and producer in Hollywood.
As fate would once again have it, Mr. Blatty then appeared as a last-minute replacement on The Dick Cavett Show. The novel had a surge in sales after the show, and a studio exec noticed the best-seller status, bought the book and read it. He then bought the film rights and screenplay, and even hired Mr. Blatty to be a producer on the film. The Power of Dick Cavett Compels You! Heh-heh.
Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, horror lovers!
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Hey, Louis Tété. All horror films fit into my definition - especially "A Nightmare on Elm Street". What made you think ANOES should not be classified as horror according to my definition?
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Bill Costantini thanks for sharing those stories, didn't know about them. Paulo Leite because you said Horror is more an area, a color, a region than a genre by itself but ANOES is strictly horror to me, no other genre can be attached to it. I actually meant that i see Horror as a genre by itself but looking at some Horror flicks i get what you mean about being a region, an area and a color. I bet you classify ANOES as Horror but i was actually talking about your definition of Horror as a genre. Dan MaxXx , so true, they're doing a great job. Thanks for sharing. Erik Jacobsen damn, hopefully you're still among us, you could have spray chrome on your mouth and say "what a lovely day".