As part of my Halloween Horror Blogging Marathon (which
begins tomorrow, or, I guess, today), I’m dedicating the next week to the best
that horror cinema has to offer. In preparation, I’ve been doing a lot of
research on various horror films, and just this moment, I was struck with a
question: how do you define what a horror film is?
Horror is defined as an intense feeling of fear, shock, or
disgust – all notions I get from Alien,
Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, Jaws,
and so on. But when I think of a horror film, I immediately think blood. I
think guts. I think sharp knives and dumb teenagers. And that’s a mistake, I
know. The slasher film is just one sect of the horror film genre, but it’s the
one I identify most with the word horror. Why then do I consider The Blair Witch Project (which has
little-to-no blood) a horror film, and Jaws
(which has much blood) a suspense thriller? I’m not sure, I guess simply
because… I do.
Alien is a
terrifying film. One that expertly capitalizes on our paranoia of the unknown.
But is it a horror film? Not in the slightest. To me, anyway. Rather, I will
always consider Alien a science
fiction film. And a defining one at that.
Psycho is one of
my top 10 films of all time, but if you asked me to list my favorite horror
films, it wouldn’t make the top 15. Or 50. Simply because I’ve never considered
it a horror movie.
And there are plenty more. Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, Audition, Henry: Portrait of
a Serial Killer, Cannibal Holocaust
– these are films I’ve continually seen on Best Of Horror lists. And while I
certainly agree that they provoke fear, shock, and/or disgust, I wouldn’t for a
second call them horror films.
So, the point of all this is to gauge what you, my loyal
readers, consider to be a horror film. Is Bruce the Shark as horror-worthy as
Michael Myers? Does the alien in Ridley Scott’s film deserve the same amount of
horror credit as George A. Romero’s zombies? I’m honestly not sure, but
I’m curious to hear what you have to say.
So tell me, how do you define what a horror film is?
Very interesting topic. I have no answer for you. Like the the first thing I usually think of when one says horror is ghost or supernatural movies, but then I do consider Psycho a horror film. Maybe it's the dread.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because the scariest film I have ever seen is No Country for Old Men. I think Anton Chigurh literally paralyzes me with fear. I watched that movie in like thrice its running time because I had to pause so much to calm myself down. But still, I wouldn't call it a horror film.
Sorry dude, can't help. Excited for the marathon though :)
Ha fair enough. It's a tough question to answer, certainly. That's really interesting about your fear of No Country. Similarly, the scariest film I've ever seen is Deliverance, which is in no way a horror film. Who knows. One of those things that's maybe impossible to define.
DeleteMy definition of a good horror film is one that doesn't rely on blood, guts and gore. It relies on suspense and only that. (Hence why I like Hitchcock so much.)
ReplyDeleteAdded bonuses include creepy as hell cinematography and the film's shot in black and white.
Interesting. So, per your definition, is Night of the Hunter a horror film? Rebecca? Touch of Evil? All flicks with no blood, creepy black and white cinematography, and unbearable suspense.
DeleteI hope that doesn't come off as sarcastic. I really am sincerely curious.
Well, not Touch of Evil. (That's purely a film noir.) I should have also included "not knowing what'll happen next" as an added bonus.
DeleteVery interesting. So, for you, it's basically most anything that's suspenseful. That's pretty cool.
DeleteYikes! That's a tough one. For me, a horror film has blood as well, but not always. Also, I completely agree on your classifications of Alien and Jaws.
ReplyDeleteThere's another problem I run into, which is the distinction between the film itself and the horror element. For instance, I consider Psycho a better overall film than Halloween, but Halloween is mt #1 horror film.
That is a GREAT topic I wanted to get into but thought it might take away from my overall point. But yes, when ranking your favorite horror films, what takes precedence: How well it defines the genre, or how good of a movie it is? Tough stuff.
DeleteI'm not sure how I would define as horror, but when I think horror, the first film that ALWAYS comes to mind is The Shining, followed pretty closely by 28 Days Later. Two other movies I love that I'd put on the line that is close to horror would be Lost Boys, which at this point is almost feels like a comedy sometimes, and From Dusk Till Dawn.
ReplyDeleteYou tapped into something else that I wanted to mention - are comedic horror films (like the excellent From Dusk Till Dawn) still horror films? Tough call there. The Shining, as it relates to horror, seems to be king. (Get it....king...? ha)
DeleteLove it!
Good Question. I'd define it as any movie that was shown on Chiller Theater from 1963 though 1983. See link.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chillertheatermemories.com/TheLab.html
To me horror is being scared shitless because you don't know what's going to happen. Zombies, blood, and guts are always good too.
Haha AWESOME! That's a pretty solid definition of horror. From a guy who had a cameo part in the original Dawn of the Dead, I'll take it!
DeleteIt's too early in the day where I am to ask me such difficult questions, so for the moment I'll just cite Robin Wood's definition: "Normality is threatened by the Monster". Will return with more thoughts when I have time.
ReplyDeleteHa, fair enough!
DeleteI'm currently doing my own little horror marathon although there's a few films like Carl Theodor Dreyer's Leaves from Satan's Book that I just watched that doesn't fit into that description. Still, it played into the world of temptation that does drive humanity to do such things.
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying your horror marathon for sure. Interesting take on Leaves from Satan's Book... I haven't seen that one since college. I should revisit Dreyer soon...
DeleteGood question,Alex.For me,horror is both a simple and complex genre to define.
ReplyDeleteIt's simple because horror is just like comedy,if it makes you laugh,it's a comedy,if it scares you,or puts you in a mood of unease,it's horror.
It's complex because like what you said in the post,everybody feels horror differently,or people's definition of horror differs,so you can call films like Psycho or Alien horror films or not horror films,both conclusion make sense.
David, that may be the best definition of horror I've heard yet: if it scares or makes you uneasy, then it's horror. Solid.
DeleteAnd I agree, what constitutes a horror film is different for everyone. Thanks for commenting!
Yeah, this is a pretty open question, what does constitute as horror? For my money, if the film's strongest elements are the suspense, atmosphere and the feeling of dread, all coupled together to form a primal fear then it is true genre horror. Take, in my opinion, the best example of horror ever made in 'The Shining', all the scary moments and elements add to the main theme of the film, past guilt rising in terrible and violent ways. However, there are many scary movies that don't have to do that in order to be considered, recently V/H/S is scary just for it's simple shooting technique, where a pan of two people asleep meaning that a third is holding the camera scares the living crap out of you. So yes I think Psycho and The Birds should be considered, I know Hitch would appreciate it. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteFantastic comment here. Great insight on the genre, The Shining, V/H/S, and more. I actually could not agree more with everything you said. The idea of primal fear as an indictor of horror is a profund notion.
DeleteThanks for commenting!
Why thank you Alex, it is a problem at times defining a movie's exact genre. Fargo, for instance is about as far as one can take black humor while it still being a comedy. Some however, enjoy it more for the morality drama or several shades of morality drama. One doesn't have to shoe-horn films into Dramas, comedies or horror, I'll be interested in seeing your choices my friend.
DeleteYep, I couldn't agree more. The notion of labeling films into specific genres isn't exactly fair, but oh well! I'll be interested to see my picks too haha! Still trying to narrow them down.
DeleteI literally just did a vlog about this - a horror film to me is a film that scares me! haha
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, it's so hard to define - horror, thriller, suspense, slasher, they all mix and blend and it's so hard to define. I don't consider Silence of the Lambs a 'horror' film (I really love that film too), but then I was thinking 'maybe I should, because I think of Misery and The Shining as horrors, so why don't I class SotL in the same league? *throws hands in the air*
I always call Alien a horror/sci-fi by the way, haha
DeleteOh cool, I need to scope out your vid right away then. Yeah it really is a flip-flop situation. If Silence of the Lambs isn't, then why is it that Misery is? Ah, who knows. I think it's best to say that if it scares, it's horror.
DeleteDo you think you tend to categorize horror films when they make you jump? A certain, get-your-nerves up factor is involved?
ReplyDeleteI suppose that's one aspect of horror for me. But if you look at The Blair Witch Project, nothing in that makes me jump at all. Same can be said for Halloween, The Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. All great horror movies that don't "jump scare" me at all. Weird.
DeleteIt's a good question you posed. I myself consider horrors to be movies that have either 1. scary + supernatural 2. serial killers + people (mostly teens) running away from them.
ReplyDeleteSure I can see how some people can consider Repulsion, Black Swan or The Tenant horror movies, but for me those are thrillers/dramas with horror elements that are only an addition to the dramatic/thriller basis of the movie.
Alien however is horror for me - it has a bizarre creature, people trying not to die and plenty of scares. But it's as classic horror as it is classic sci-fi.
LOVE your insight here. Your thoughts about movies like Repulsion, Black Swan and The Tenant are spot on with mine. Perfect way to define it.
DeleteThe more I think about it, the more I think Alien does fit my personal definition of horror. Thanks for commenting!
Interesting debate, and I don't think there is an easy answer.
ReplyDeleteFor me, music (and sound-effects) are vital. Think about all your favorite horror films, and I guarantee most of them had a memorable score/sound. (of course there are many exceptions, and lots of other genres are famous for music too)
Also, horror movies nearly always have something go wrong (again, that's a storytelling device that is not just within horror)
Wow, really interesting take on what defines horror. I honestly hadn't even considered the music/sound aspect of it, but that makes perfect sense. Cool insight, Chris!
DeleteCame across this article from your "Top 10 Home Invasion" posts and it's an interesting idea, because I've had similar dilemmas - I don't regard "Psycho" as horror, I do regard "Alien" as horror, and I have no idea when it comes to "Rosemary's Baby" without further thought.
ReplyDeleteI think what distinguishes horror for me is a sustained attempt to control mood. "Psycho" undeniably has horror/slasher elements, but a large part of the movie is a crime drama, another part an investigation, another part a psychological thriller of sorts - and there's no sense of scares around the corner there. Meanwhile I regard "Alien" as horror since, after about 20 minutes into the film, there's a consistent atmosphere of tension and imminent danger, evoked by the enigmatic lethality of the xenomorph - it hangs over the film even when we get into the corporate espionage/android bits. It's very much a subjective definition, as whether the mood is sustained or not throughout the film may vary from viewer to viewer.
I am still unsure on the gory horror-comedy films. If they're trying to create fear and failing, it has to count. But if they're just going for funny, gross-out moments, is that horror? It's a fine line and there's plenty of films that I remain uncertain on which side they fall.
(I agree with you on "Jaws" not being horror, by the way: I think any film where you're only in danger when you're in the water has to do a lot of legwork to sustain a sense of fear, and "Jaws" instead goes for an adventure tone in the last act, to its benefit)
Hey man, thanks for the comment.
DeleteYou're so right, this conversation is all so subjective. No easy definition. Although, "what distinguishes horror for me is a sustained attempt to control mood," is very very well put. I'd agree with that. You know, thinking about it all these films months later, I think I would consider Alien a horror film. Crazy how perceptions shift.
Hi Alex. Horror is very subjective as it relies heavily on tapping into peoples fears. I would classify Alien as a horror because it scare the bejesus out of me when I first saw it. Whereas Psycho intrigued me more than scared me so called it a thriller. Yet, it appears on a lot of horror lists. There is another part of horror to be discussed too. The difference between Horror, which I would categorize as something horrible to watch (gore, blood, rotting flesh, exteme violence etc) and Terror, which I would categorize as being in fear for ones life (or another persons life in the movies case). I also think that the more fearful one is of "terror" films means that you are particularly empathetic and moral person as you clearly feel for the character(s). Some people categorise horror fans as strange wierdos that must have Psychopathic urges but in my experience the complete opposite is true, I find horror fans to be the moat heart warming and genuinely caring people I ever meetalso. The most horrific film I saw lately was 12 Years a Slave. It was hard to watch, had genuinely horrible situations and was full of monsters preying on innocents. Surely it is a horror film disguised as a drama!? Great topic
ReplyDeleteGreat comment here, Mike. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving it. I too think terror is more fearful than straight horror. In fact, I am very, very rarely scared by out-and-out horror films. But a good, terrifying psychological thriller.. yeah, that'll get me every time. A completely subjective topic, certainly, but a rather interesting one.
DeleteThis is a great topic. For me, where is fear is horror. So all the films you listed would be horror films for me. The Exorcist isn't a horror film for me because I had an amazing feeling because it was so well made. I was disturbed but not so scared. And I'm still disturbed. I watched it in the dark without pausing it. But it wasn't something so scary for me. I was more scared (or maybe thrilled) by Jaws right from the first scene. But both are masterpieces anyway.
ReplyDeleteHere's an idea, Top 10 horror films made by non-horror directors. The Shining, for example.
I like that idea for a list. Who else could there be... hmmm.
Delete