Since the beginning of filmmaking, horror fiction has always been popular. In many ways, classic horror movies have changed our perception of the world.

The genre of horror has given mankind a new outlook on their fears.

Classic horror movies of the past few decades have brought our worst nightmares to life. They have given our fears an image, a new list of things to be afraid of such as killers, obscene monsters, aliens, and Gods.

The genre has made a difference in the world and has affected us far more than we acknowledge.

Your Fear Personified

The far from average citizens, such as psychopaths, serial killers and rapists, have always been a fear. Movies like “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “Friday the 13th” brought us killers who were emotionless and obsessed with blood. We often tell ourselves that “it’s not real, it’s just a movie,” but it has become real over the years.

Lately, as you watch the news or you scroll through you social media feeds, you see real events of your greatest fears. People who commit malicious deeds have filled our outlets. Some of the crazy psychopathic killers you see on your broadcast are based off real killers that have actually taken lives. Ed Gein was featured in a movie, loosely based on reality, called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Here are a few classic horror movies that have set examples to the genre and gave us a new fear:

Friday the 13th– This is one of the most popular slashers of the genre. Friday the 13th is comprised of 12 films, a television show, comic books, novels, video games and merchandise. It was based on a fictional character Jason Voorhees. Young Jason drowned at Camp Crystal Lake because of the negligence of the camp faculty. Years later, the lake was rumored cursed and is a place of serial murders.

The Exorcist – A 1973 supernatural horror film and a 1971 novel. This movie consisted of a twelve-year-old girl and her mother’s attempts to regain her child by an exorcism of two priests.

Jaws – A 1975 Thriller by Steven Spielberg and based on a novel in 1974 by Peter Benchley. It is based on a story of a giant man-eating white shark that attacks the beach tourist of Amity Island.

Silence of the Lambs – A 1991 horror-thriller movie that was adapted from a 1988 novel. The movie features a Doctor named Hannibal Lecter; who is a genius psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer.

The Shining – This is a 1980 British psychological horror movie based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel The Shining. It is about a writer named Jack Torrance who travels to write in solitude when he is snowed in for the winter.

Jack’s son, Danny Torrance, has a premonition about the hotel with tons of blood emerging from an elevator door. Jack goes into sudden violent outburst and begins a murder horror movie that some of us will never forget.

The Making of Creative Psychos

So how have these classic horror movies changed the world, you might ask? The more we see, the more we become immune to things. After we see something so many times, it gets to the point where it doesn’t really seem so terrifying.

As for the people who create events of live horror, they are forced to become more creative to get attention. The more it’s viewed, the more horrific the next action must be. Billy Loomis said in the movie Scream,

“Movies don’t create psychos; movies make them more creative.”

Changing the World

Have you ever wondered why you have thought something was scary? In many cases, it’s because of movies. When Steven Spielberg’s Jaws hit the theaters, it changed us. Sharks were not thought about much until this movie was released. Now they are scary, they are faces of fear.

More currently, horror movies have been focused on the paranormal and the supernatural. Movies like the Exorcism and Poltergeist have terrified us with encounters with ghosts and demons.

It drilled into our religious beliefs and because of those, more movies like that have arisen. It directly attacks a lot of religious views and a lot of people have been offended. It is more terrifying to others because they realize they believe it.

Buying and Selling Our Fears

Horror movies are the most controversial and horrific genre. Directors create movies to establish our fears and sell them back to us.

The more we see these movies, we realize that the real horror is humans. History has given us a perspective to how much fear has shaped society. And we will constantly look for new things to be afraid of.

References:

  1. Why We Crave Horror Movies – By Stephen King
  2. https://www.psychologytoday.com

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