It's hard to scare people nowadays

Greenwolf103 · Oct 6, 2004

I was reading this article at Writer Online about horror poetry ( www.writeronline.us/artic...-terri.htm ) and there was a quote by horror writer Brian Knight in there that said:

Horror poets have it much harder I think. Horror is one of the strongest base emotions, but we live in a world that has been desensitized to a great degree. I know - I watched my two-year-old daughter laugh her head off during the "Pea Soup" scene in The Exorcist .

Coincidentally, my 15-year-old nephew did the same thing!!

It's true, though. We have a hard time trying to scare people with horror writing. We have to try harder to really set the mood, use new scare techniques, new monsters and new twists on old scary elements. Sure people's nerves get touched when we use innocent children, mortality, diseases and such to scare them with, but I think that's starting to become old, too.

What do you think?

spooknov · Oct 6, 2004

I agree. When the remake of Psycho came out my son was around two. My mother nearly had a heart attack when she found out I'd watched it while my son played in the middle of the living room. He watches most horror movies with me (sans sexually explicit/highly gorey movies) and for the most part, he doesn't get scared.

But, in the same token, I enjoy the challenge. Yes, it's getting harder by the day to scare the audience. But, when you do it and do it well, IMO it's that much more satisfying.

macalicious731 · Oct 6, 2004

I think there's a difference in horror as a written genre and the one in visual (film) form. I think part of the problem with scaring people in horror movies is the continual advancement of special effects. The "pea soup" scene from _The Exorcist_ is easily laughable, I think, because these days the special effects are much more seamless. (By the way - the re-released version of the movie with the "spider crawl" down the stairs scared the crap out of me.) The same thing happened with me when I watched Hitchcock's _The Birds_ for the first time. I just thought the whole thing was hilarious.

This goes for any genre, too. It's easy to distinguish special effects from the 80s, even the 90s, as the ones that are used in films today.

Jamesaritchie · Oct 13, 2004

horror

I love horror fiction and horror movies, but I haven't had either frighten me since I was seven years old, and that was 44 years ago. I read horror fiction for the same reason I read western fiction or fantasy fiction or any other fiction. . .I want a good, rousing adventure, good characters, etc.

I think horror writers pay far too much attention to scaring the reader. It's the character in the story who should be scared, not the reader.

It ain't real, folks, and once you're old enough to understand this, there isn't a reason in the world it should frighten anyone.

Greenwolf103 · Oct 13, 2004

Re: horror

It may not be real but there are times that we, as readers, can relate to some aspect of a horror story.

For example, I remember being scared to death when I read The Amityville Horror. A lot of that fear came from having lived in a haunted house (CREEPY!!) and so I could relate to it in some way.

Brian Knight · Feb 2, 2005

Re: horror

Well, wadaya know, I didn't think anybody had read that interview.

Incidentally, the daughter who laughed during the Pea Soup scene is a few years older now, and scares very easily now.

Weird.

Brian Knight

CourtneyAllisonMoulton · Feb 2, 2005

Re: horror

I agree...

I think that with movies, it's because we have a very high standard on what is able to frighten us. The graphics have to be as believeable as possible, seamless, and shocking. I will admit, the spider crawl down the stairs in The Exorcist scared the living HELL out of me. Still does..It's so..creepy.

Very few movies or books actually frighten me. As recent examples, Saw was just awful. I wanted to leave during that because it was so boring. The Grudge was awesome. Frightened me, fascinated me, and captivated me.

Everybody is different.

I am excited about new movies coming out though. Boogeyman, White Noise...

LiamJackson · Feb 3, 2005

Re: horror

I think many of us have a certain affinity for the old conventional horror story, and we continue to search out new twists on old themes. Unfortuantely, when any subject is exhausted, it's...exhausted.

There are many scary things running amok in todays world. Things that don't include wolf folk, vampires wearing black capes, or radiation-enhanced bugs aka "THEM." Many of the truly scary things transcend the boundaries of social acceptence. And, many writers won't touch those subjects out of respect for the more stable social mores.

Lots of scary things lurking in the shadows...and some even move about in broad-open daylight. The challenge for the current and future generations of horror writers is to use these themes in mainstream or genre literature in such a way the work is deemed socially acceptable. The material is there. The approach isn't refined, yet.

Thoughts or comments?

maestrowork · Feb 3, 2005

Re: horror

A lot of horror revolve around technologies. And that's something that keeps evolving over time... but that might step over to sci-fi...

MacAl Stone · Feb 4, 2005

Re: horror

The whole science/technology-as-terrifying thing has been around a long time, though. In many ways, that's what Frankenstein was about.

Dean Koontz does a lot with the idea of science-run-amok creating monsters. Also government-run-amok.

Both of those themes are awfully close to home, lately. *sigh*

maestrowork · Feb 5, 2005

Re: horror

How about an evil cat named TEN who's been assimilated by a computer virus that wipes out... gasp!... your entire soul!

:lol

There's your idea. No charge.

drgnlvrljh · Feb 5, 2005

Re: horror

:eek :eek :eek :eek :eek

You know my cats?!

MacAl Stone · Feb 5, 2005

Re: horror

Heh--funny guy, Ray.

Lorrie--he's talking about MY cat (who's name really IS Ten, and no, it isn't a Borg reference--it's a long story)

:b

drgnlvrljh · Feb 5, 2005

Re: horror

he's talking about MY cat (who's name really IS Ten, and no, it isn't a Borg reference--it's a long story)

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

That's okay, I'm fairly convinced that all cats are secretly making plans to take over the world through mind control, anyway.

BTW? I'd love to hear the story of TEN the cat!.

Summonere · Feb 17, 2005

1/2 cent

Greenwolf103:

I don't think it's so much that it's difficult to scare people nowadays, but rather that the primary tool of the fright trade has been too often ignored and mishandled, that being atmosphere. When the atmosphere of a story has been properly developed, the reader is likewise effectively prepared to be scared. The degree to which you willingly suspend your disbelief while reading a story relates directly to the degree to which it will move you, whether to horror or hope or despair.

LiamJackson:

"There are many scary things running amok in today's world... many writers won't touch those subjects out of respect for the more stable social mores."

What are you talking about, eh? For example?

Puddle Jumper · Feb 17, 2005

I think it depends upon the person, their age and their exposure to movies and so forth and their ability to comprehend. Kids are going to be the easiest to scare. Granted a 2 year old isn't going to understand scary things on tv like a 6 year old would and most 15 year olds are going to understand that what their watching isn't real.

That being said, the kinds of movies or stories that scare me are things that I believe could happen. A serial killer, for example, as long as the killer is human and not some weird monster like in Jeepers Creepers. Movies like Jeepers Creepers to me is too unbelievable that it isn't scary. But that's how my mind works when there would be something that might seem scary, I tend to rationalize it and laugh at it. Actually, I laughed during the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" just because it all looked so unbelievable, which might have been due to the graphics looking unreal to me.

Books don't scare me that much unless I'm reading when I'm really tired.

MacAllister · Feb 18, 2005

Summonere said:

the primary tool of the fright trade has been too often ignored and mishandled, that being atmosphere. When the atmosphere of a story has been properly developed, the reader is likewise effectively prepared to be scared.

Amen--I couldn't agree more. A fine example of this is the Kubrick version of "The Shining"--the drive up to the Overlook is one of the creepiest scenes ever. The sound of Danny's tricycle tires in the Overlook hallway underpins the background music while we see the car...Right there, you are cued that this is gonna be scary.

I'm going to have to rent it again, I can tell. Haven't watched it in years.

I wonder if we think of horror movies too much as a frame of reference, and the genre should step outside that cinematic relationship, to work at its best?

Summonere · Feb 18, 2005

atmo-scare

MacAllister:

While you're at it, you might also try a copy of Ridley Scott's Alien. Notice, for instance, the long silences and how the camera moves in scenes in which absolutely nothing is going on. This points to one of the problems modern Hollywood seems to have with achieving atmosphere: it takes time. It takes deliberate attention. Woe betide the director who wants to turn in a movie a few (or several) minutes of such material over limit.

Kevin Yarbrough · Mar 7, 2005

Summonere said:
Greenwolf103:

I don't think it's so much that it's difficult to scare people nowadays, but rather that the primary tool of the fright trade has been too often ignored and mishandled, that being atmosphere. When the atmosphere of a story has been properly developed, the reader is likewise effectively prepared to be scared. The degree to which you willingly suspend your disbelief while reading a story relates directly to the degree to which it will move you, whether to horror or hope or despair.

LiamJackson:

"There are many scary things running amok in today's world... many writers won't touch those subjects out of respect for the more stable social mores."

What are you talking about, eh? For example?

Abuse of all kinds come to mind when I read this. In some of my stories I tend to use sexual abuse on teenagers because it is a dark side of our human nature that is more real than any goblin or ghost. It shows just how evil we humans can be and what the outcome of the abuse can have on children when they get older. I have a story in the Share Your Work section that delves into this. Take a gander at it and see what you think.

I also find it very difficult to be scared anymore. And that saddens me. I have yet read a book that scared me and only a few movies have made me jump in the past decade. I think we have all been desensetized to horror. We know that the monsters aren't real and that mindset makes it very hard to be scared. I find it much easier to scare people with real life situations and a bit of the supernatural thrown in than just have a monster jump out at you. We need to find a new way to scare people.

I do need to mention that little rhymes seem to be really spooky. Remember the little girls singing about Freddy Krueger?

"One, two Freddy's coming for you."

That got me and it still is a bit freaky. Boogeyman has something like that as well. I do agree with whoever said that when childen are involved it makes it spookier.

Alphabeter · Mar 7, 2005

There was a movie called Mr Boogety (could be spelling that wrong) and later a sequel Bride of Boogety that were ABC Movie(s) of the Week (used be on at 7/6 pm Sunday evenings for the Whole Family).

They were about a family moving into a house in an old New England town. Father opens a joke store and somehow angers a ghost (of the house or town I'm not sure. I was like ten when these came out.) named Boogety who takes him over and tries to destroy the town during the big carnival.

They think they exorcise him in the first, only to have his long-lost love inhabit the human wife in the second and try to bring back her little brother as their love child (did I mention I was little?).

These were funny, scary and stupid in a big bow. And if I watched them today I would probably still be as scared as I was those two weeks many moons ago. But watching the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) a few days ago had me laughing like I was watching The Mask.

Good horror (for me) is about building suspense with imagery, sound and sound characters. A good plot helps too. But if I can't see myself in there, doing those things, then I'm not scared. If I'm going "oh please, I would so not go up the stairs with the knife-wielding killer when the front door is wide open" then I am not scared.

I can be scared with a tap and a creak. But I will laugh at a bucket of blood. Unless I'm wearing a pink dress on an old gym stage.

:Sun:

MacAllister · Mar 7, 2005

Hmm..I've missed the Mr. Boogety movies.

Thought Wes Craven's Scream was friggin' hysterical, though.

Fractured_Chaos · Mar 9, 2005

Puddle Jumper said:
Actually, I laughed during the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" just because it all looked so unbelievable, which might have been due to the graphics looking unreal to me.

You know, while Sam and I were watching that, we were making horrible jokes about survival of the fittest, and the stupid people who left the library. At one point we decided that the best thing to do, was to let the stupid people go, let the get flash-frozen, and when the smart people needed food, they had it available to them.

OKay, I know...that was sick and twisted. But really, neither of us could take that movie seriously!

Wolfyn0911 · Mar 15, 2005

Y'know it's funny that you say that about "The Day After Tomorrow", because I saw it and felt that the theories and thus the disasters were all too real, all too possible. I won't go so far to say that I was scared, but I did offer a healthy portion of respect and attention -- for the most part. To be brutally honest, I tend to respect the hollywood vision of disaster, ever since the brutal attacks of 2002, which initially made me think of movies like Independence Day -- that is until it came crashing home to me how completely real and true those tragic events were.

I think that answers the original thread as well -- we may seem jaded and experienced, immune to the shock of horror, but IMHO I think that's because we are so good at compartmentalizing and annexing "horror" and attrocities away from us and our everyday lives. We may not fear vampires or witches or soul-stealing cats, but only because we call them other things now. Blood-thirsty monsters are now called psychopaths or serial killers, and those that would steal innocence and violate sanctuary are called rapists or child-molesters. In short, I doubt seriously that we have become less fearful or lack some quality necessary to feel terror. Rather we hide well behind thin veneers of civility and rationality, cowering under the protection of "it's not going to happen to me", when in fact the monster could be just around the corner. Or waiting in your mirrored reflection.

MacAllister · Mar 15, 2005

It seems like there is an upswing in conspiracy-theory based chillers, too. At least, that's my general impression.

QuietDreamer · Mar 16, 2005

My views.

Horror. I love it. What makes something scary? The mood, the atmosphere, it has to surprise us, yet it has to be at least 'almost' beliveable. The problem with horror movies (most, not ALL) is the fact that it isn't really a story anymore. It's a story set to a 'formula.' What's in this formula? A series of rehashed ideas, in fact, I'll make a list.

Chris' list of horror cliches (That if he sees again he'll puke.)

#1) The girl running from the monster/killer, trips and falls and gets butchered.

#2) Or you trip and get back up, you think he may be catching up so instead of running more, you decide to hide behind a tree (genius idea) and suddenly, the monster/killer appears behind the other side of the tree and nabs you.

#3) The killer is chasing you, you're running, he's walking, yet he always manages to catch up. I'd find it a bit more scary if he were running at me like a bat out of hell. I understand that a walking killer seems more scary then someone running to most people, but it doesn't really make sense. I mean honestly, the guy is trying to kill you, not take a stroll in the frickin' park!

#4) "The Fake Scare" Y'know, the part where they think the killer is in the closet and they slowly open it up and get scared by something that falls out or scared by a friend that grabs thier shoulder. There is also the "Double Fake Scare" inwhich you think it's a fake scare, but it's really the killer/monster.

#5) This has been said before but the "Killer is dead, but not really dead part." If I don't see this in a movie, I find myself scratching my head thinking "Man, that monster/killer is actually pretty weak."

#6) Making the characters in the story like mindless sheep incapable of common sense. I really hate this. It always seems there is one hero surrounded by her group of moronic friends that get butchered one by one.

There are more, but these are the main ones I can think of. The reason we aren't scared anymore is because we know at least one or these tricks will be used and a part that is intended to be scary now just becomes predictable and boring. So please, if you're writing a horror script, do your best to leave these things out or at least be a little more creative in where/how you place them.

I find books more scary than movies because of the fact that you can use your imagination to fill out the scene and humans, as you know, will let horror and thier imagination scare the crap out of them. (I'm sure it's happened to most of you at least once, you just got done reading your new horror book and decide to sit it down and get some rest. While laying in your bed you begin to think about the things in the book and the things that will happen and then you realize something "Could I be next?" Better turn on the light.

Chris

It's hard to scare people nowadays

Greenwolf103

spooknov

macalicious731

Jamesaritchie

Greenwolf103

Brian Knight

CourtneyAllisonMoulton

LiamJackson

maestrowork

MacAl Stone

maestrowork

drgnlvrljh

MacAl Stone

drgnlvrljh

Summonere

Puddle Jumper

MacAllister

Tired and worried.

Summonere

Kevin Yarbrough

Will write for peace of mind

Alphabeter

Player of the Letters

MacAllister

Tired and worried.

Fractured_Chaos

Distra-- Ooh! Shiny!

Wolfyn0911

MacAllister

Tired and worried.

QuietDreamer