{"id":10878,"date":"2024-10-28T11:55:12","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T11:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/?p=10878"},"modified":"2024-10-29T10:13:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T10:13:56","slug":"the-evolution-of-cinematic-horror-our-enduring-love-for-horror-films","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/the-evolution-of-cinematic-horror-our-enduring-love-for-horror-films\/","title":{"rendered":"The evolution of cinematic horror: our enduring love for horror films"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As we get ready to \u2018trick or treat\u2019 this Halloween, Thom Burgess discusses<\/em> the evolution of the horror genre and why audiences seek a thrill for being kept on the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horror has long been a staple for mass entertainment. Ever since those ancient humans first sat around fires theorising all the terrible things that could be lurking in the darkness around them. We\u2019ve always found common grounds in the macabre and a love of sharing unsettling stories to thrill and excite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s thought that love might stem from \u201cordeal simulation hypothesis.\u201d The idea that those who theorise something terrible happening, are arguably better prepared should that danger suddenly strike. Maybe that\u2019s why studies show how for many horror fans, their love of the genre made the height of the pandemic somewhat more bearable compared to those who dislike the genre. All those years of watching disaster scenarios play out in film having somehow rewired our brains to better cope for a real-life worst case scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, data shows there was a surge of interest in people watching horror during lockdown. People opting to distract themselves with safe contained horrors, away from the sheer horror of lockdown life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That and the plain and simple fact is – it\u2019s fun. Like a rollercoaster or ghost train, when it works best, horror delivers that same thrill. A direct, emotional response to your brain\u2019s amygdala. A short burst of adrenaline and cortisol. A direct reaction of the horror you\u2019re witnessing on your TV or cinema screen – all the while, knowing you\u2019re safe and protected from the danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970\u2019s, Dolf Zillmann’s published his theory on \u2018Excitation Transfer\u2019 to help explain why we enjoy horror films. The theory proposed how our enjoyment is born from witnessing a negative, affected followed by a positive outcome on film when that primary threat is resolved. That rush of dopamine when the danger has passed flooding your system and reaffirming that \u2018everything is ok.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me it\u2019s the \u2018frisson,\u2019 that literal chill up the spine when you hear or read a great ghost story. Or witness something on film\/TV or online which absolutely chills you to the bone. The inverse of a belly laugh when you hear a great joke. As a horror writer, I\u2019m always chasing it \u2013 the \u2018buzz\u2019 that hooks people in. Once you have that, you know your audience will come back for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cinema has always offered a unique environment to enjoy those thrills. A safe space to observe the fantastical and terrifying.  From the very first horror film  \u201cLe Manoir du Diable,\u201d ( \u201c The House of the Devil,\u201d ) back in 1896 when Georges M\u00e9li\u00e8s incorporated various props and cutting edge techniques in an attempt to convince audiences what they were witnessing, bordered on the supernatural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the 1950\u2019s, when director William Castle famously integrated props into his film screenings. The including flying fake skeletons and bats on wires in order break the fourth wall and push that envelope even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today Horror is a broad genre. From Body Horror, Sci-fi, Supernatural, Folk\u2026 the list goes on and continually expands. It\u2019s also a genre which consistently pulls audiences back in droves. Even today, amidst the mass walkouts<\/a> of the gore-laden Terrifier 3, to the tension ramping, supernatural horror of Paramount\u2019s Smile series. Or even the unsettling analogue murk and grain of indie hit Skinamarink. It\u2019s a genre which constantly defies critics and expectations \u2013 persistently reinventing itself. Along the way often reflecting cultural trends and touchpoints. Something unlike many other genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

At the same time, horror writers and filmmakers are constantly finding innovative new ways to push our buttons and keep us on edge. Ensuring that when a horror film delivers, you\u2019re left feeling breathless – truly haunted. That image on the screen, suddenly transposed into your brain. Following you home and just waiting for you to close your eyes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Journalists will often praise horror for \u2018being back in fashion\u2019 or celebrating with \u2018bouji\u2019 terminology such as \u2018post-horror.\u2019 But the fact of the matter is, horror never went away, it NEVER goes away<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u2013 and just like the thing in the darkness, it always comes back stronger when you least expect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T.W. Burgess is a Sessional Lecturer in Motion Graphics and Games in the School of Creative Arts and Industries.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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