Hello, night owls! When I was younger (and I mean ages "since as far back as I remember" until about 16), I thought I could never watch horror movies. Back when Blockbuster stores were still around, I remember being terrified by the VHS and DVD covers of slasher movies, supernatural movies, and any other horror movie there was. And every time someone said, "Hey, why don't we watch a horror film?" I would always be one of the ones who said nothing but silently prayed that some other movie would be chosen.
Years later, I have now seen a few horror movies and watched countless reviews on the ones I haven't seen and I can safely say now that none of these films scare me. It surprises me, however, to see a fair number of my peers whose response to horror films is fear, panic, and all the "nope" hashtags they can find. Perhaps you are one of them.
In that case, let me lay out for you a survival guide in case your friends decide to throw in Final Destination, The Ring, or The Grudge.
1. Know the tropes!
If you're unfamiliar with the way that horror movies work (e.g. cliches, character types, and pacing), then walking into a horror movie will be like wading into a murky lake...without knowing if there are leeches in it. The first and most important thing you should do before you watch a horror movie is become familiar with the genre's tropes. Tropes are themes or conventions that are used in all genres of film. In horror, though, the tropes tend to be very specific. You know how several horror films happen in a cabin in the woods? That cabin in the woods is a staple horror trope. How about creepy children singing a nursery rhyme? That, too, is a trope. And as for that creepy basement, the mysterious hitchhiker, the extremely slow killer, moving into an old house, dolls, gore, curses, seances, and jumpscares? All those count as tropes as well. If you watch reviews of horror movies and hear the reviewer lay out the story, you will begin to see these tropes appearing. And the more they appear, the more you expect them to appear.
The trick behind this?
Once you know the tropes are there and you expect them, they don't seem so frightening or new anymore. If you're going to watch Insidious, you can expect there to be creepy ghosts/demons, a dark netherworld, a seance (or seance-like event), a possession, and numerous hauntings. When you know that those things are part of the story, you're all set. And conversely, once you know which horror stories use which tropes, you can look at a trailer and say, "Demons? A kid getting possessed? Ghost experts? Sounds like Insidious!" From this point on, you can look at a trailer or the first 10-15 minutes of a horror film and you can get a general idea of what's in store for you.
With that, you are already halfway ready to survive a horror film!
2. Embrace the jumpscares!
One thing about the first tip, though - knowing may prepare you for the story, but it might not always save you from the jumpscares. I mean, after you've seen scene after scene of a scared woman walking towards a closed door, you kind of know what to expect. But for some people, that doesn't lessen the effect of jumpscares. And while horror films can be very cliched, they can have clever scares that take you off guard because you didn't see it coming.
So what in the world are you supposed to do?
This might sound crazy to some of you (and by "you" I mean the people who hide in the comments section on YouTube whenever they watch scary videos or horror gameplays), but this is the best method I know.
Embrace the jumpscares!
When you're about to watch a horror film, whether it be serious like The Grudge or silly like any of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels, you can't think of this movie as a torture fest (unless it's a really bad movie). You've got to see it as an experience - exactly like walking into a haunted house attraction. Sure, it's going to scare you, but that's what makes it fun! Once that sudden jolt passes through your heart, you are free - for the moment - and you might even find yourself laughing because of how good that jumpscare was. Or you'll be laughing at your friends' reactions. Either way, the only way to survive a jumpscare is to face it and embrace it. After a while, you'll find yourself becoming a jumpscare connoisseur because some jumpscares won't get you anymore!
Trust me, it works.
3. Stay calm!
With horror movies, we know bad stuff is going to happen, regardless of the story. People will die horribly, disappear mysteriously, and there's a chance that the protagonist might not survive. That alone is enough to give our minds a grim outlook on a movie. But for those who are really scared of horror films, it's more than enough. Because they know that bad stuff will happen, they're already curled up in the fetal position on the couch before you've even started the movie.
If you're one of those people, I have one thing to say to you: breathe.
If you come into a horror film all tensed up for terrors and spooks, you're not going to fully experience the movie and you'll just end up feeling uncomfortable the whole time. You need to be calm - at least for the beginning. Once you get sucked into the story and you start caring about the characters, any tension you feel has been created by the movie, not your anxious mind. Which is as it should be.
4. Watch out for gore!
Some people love films that contain lots of gore..............for some reason.
However, if you're queasy or don't like seeing characters you love getting killed slowly and miserably, I have two tips for you:
1. Read some reviews
2. Close your eyes
If you've got your heart set on seeing a movie and you want to know if there's anything in there that might get to you, always look at some reviews. Regardless of the critic's perspective, he/she will at least tell you if things like gore and violence get a lot of emphasis. Then when those scenes come up in the film, my advice would be to close your eyes. I personally don't like tons of gore and long scenes containing it, so if a character starts getting torn limb for limb, I simply look away and say, "Tell me when it's over!"
5. Watch with friends!
This might seem like a given, but really, it is the only way to watch a horror film...and not just because watching a horror movie by yourself will give you the creeps. Regardless of your fear levels, horror movies are meant to be a group experience. Your friends will laugh with you, whimper with you, and occasionally they might try jumpscaring you, but having them with you will enhance the wild ride. If the movie seemed scary before, I can guarantee that your friends (unless they're terribly scared, too) will make the experience a lot more enjoyable.
And there you have it! If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to becoming a horror movie survivor...as a viewer.
If you're in it as a character?
Come again next Friday to see what you should do as a character with The Horror Movie Survival Guide: Character's Edition!
~Maud,
Official Night Owl
No comments:
Post a Comment