Why do audiences watch horror movies?
Jeffrey Goldstein, psychiatrist, believes that "modern horror film serves many of the same functions for the adolescent that the fairy tale serves for the child, for instance to warn of evil in familiar places. Horror films are designed to elicit strong emotional reactions from viewers, including fear and dread; and this they do. Nearly everyone reports having been disturbed at some time by an image from a film or television program."
The viewer and the film
Researchers have identified various motives for viewing horror films, including the need for excitement, the desire to feel intense emotions, and distraction from everyday concerns. Although dramatic films can fulfill some of these needs, movies depicting violence and horror have features that other forms of drama do not, including the violation of social norms and the portrayal of events seldom seen in real life.
People rarely view horror films alone. Violent entertainment appeals primarily to males, and it appeals to them mostly in groups. For many young people and adults, horror films are a topic of conversation, a source of shared experience, and a means of self-presentation. Not everyone will like the blood and gore, but many may continue to watch because of other goals, such as demonstrating their ability to tolerate it, or the desire to master the threatening images.
.To explore our own roles as an audience & analyse audience theories
Effects on audience reaction:
Changes/factors
Desensitised by similar horror movies
Age
Personal experience
General knowledge of horror movies
Technology used
Own beliefs/worries
Critiscism
Imagination
Rebellion
Gender
Actors
Curiosity/escape from reality
Emotional responses/rest of audience
