JackDaniels624 has 121 chronicles

1. Psychology of Fear...
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Sep 10 2009

   Quite a coinky-dink. I watched Rob Zombie's take on Halloween, then Wolvatron wrote a chronicle about the cliche's in horror films, which I totally agree with. And now I shall give my personal take on the matter, and mainly why Rob Zombie's remake has officially put all the other Halloween movies to shame.
   
   First, a little backstory. I never get scared from horror movies. Litterally, I mainly watch them solely for the gore and to watch others get scared. I'm not trying to brag or anything, but it's true. The movies are just far too predictable for me to get sucked in, and I just really don't care at all. Plus, I won't lie, there was movie that petrified me as a child, so scared of even the thought of it that nothing else was scary anymore I suppose...Then I got over it (and actually kind of like the movies now and laughed at my young self). The only time I jump or whatever is when there's a sudden loud noise and something happens on screen (though it's not always guarenteed to scare me), but honestly, that's just human nature, I never get scared from a stalking killer or anything. Point is I don't get scared from horror movies, and that's important to know.
   
   Anyway why is Rob Zombie's take so much better? First of all, it shows you his childhood of where everything went wrong. An innocent child who lost his father, gets called homophobic names by his drunken step-dad, mistreated by his sister, only showing love towards his mom and his baby sister, a fascination with masks, and killing small animals. Then he goes to school minding his own business, then gets harassed by some bullies...The kids got a messed up childhood, and Rob makes it very, very apparent. This comes into play quite often because there are times when little Mikey's killing someone, and a part of you cheers him on! Think about that for a moment? I understood this a while ago, but when you realize that your cheering for someone committing such a terrible act against someone, you question yourself and it's quite a creepy feeling.
   
   I feel this shows that psychology is the most important part of a horror movie, not the gore, not the killings, not the killer, not the stupid teenagers that are being killed, not even the nudity, it's all about the psychology. And Rob shows many interviews between Dr. Loomis and Michael, and how over time he went from a child who was so polite and open who had no idea he hurt anyone, to a demonic child without feelings, who hid behind masks he made, a child who never spoke anymore. There was even a part where his mom gave him a picture of him and his little sister, then when his mom and Dr. Loomis left a nurse was sent in to watch him. She looked at the picture and said there's no way he was related to such a cute baby...so Michael stabbed her in the neck with a fork, and for the first time in over a decade I actually was chilled at that moment! Not from the blood or anything, but because that was the moment where every last chance Michael had to go home was obliterated right then and there...All innocence was lost...The child is officially a demon.
   
   Another thing that made this movie a whole lot better was the character development for his victims. Sure not everyone had a major background to them, but you knew enough about most of them for it to have some sort of an impact. Like the security guard who was a complete A-hole to Michael, or the one who was retiring who treated him with respect, but still got in the way of him finding his sister. You see, actually knowing about the character who gets killed is important. If you don't know anything about someone, it's kind of hard to really care about them, or in some cases hate them (again the whole cheering for the killer comes into play). And that's why other horror movies suck, because you know nothing about the people other then they're going on vacation or whatever, then they get a machete in the back. I really don't give a flying ****! Now let's say a person who you learn (I'm completely making this up on the spot by the way) just graduated from college, is a bit shy, wants to work as a veterinarian, and is planning to propose to his girlfriend on their little vacation, but ends up getting killed. Which death has a bigger impact to you? The guy you know nothing about, or the one I just described? That's what I thought.
   
   So overall, I think that writers and directors need to get it through their thick skulls that fear is not caused solely by blood and gore, a true horror movie is a movie that hits you mentally. Don't use old storylines, and obvious kills, play with our minds, make us question ourselves and our morals, mind**** us into asylums! Thank you Rob, you're truly a genius of horror!

   
   

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JackDaniels624 has 2 comment s on this chronicle.

1. A-Thon X
   Posted On Sep 11 2009

   Exactly! Horror became more about the blood and the shock with the advent of special effects. I like some of the classic black and white movies, when they actually had to rely on plot. Body snatchers is pone of the scariest movies in my opinion. Because they were'nt just going to kill you, they were going to destroy you and pervert you. H.P.Lovecraft is my favorite author because he understood what fear was and how to make people afraid.
   
   As far as cheering on the bad guy, the last time i did that was when the Constructicon was sucking in the Twins. *sigh*
   
   Anyway, Great read.

2. SweetIceCream
   Posted On Sep 11 2009

   I get what your saying about cheering them on then thinking wait what im i doing!