Horror/Macabre film: Psychologically, is it having an effect on our moral attitude?

[dollyhorror]

Hello, I am looking for opinions regarding my dissertation on the subject of horror and macabre film. I aim to research macabre and fear provoking cinema at its most infamous, outrageous and thought provoking, in order to find an fair answer to the question: ‘Horror/Macabre films- With the key ingredients deemed necessary for today’s commercial success to satisfy its audience, psychologically, is it having an effect on our moral attitude?’ I will delve into the history, marketing and psychology within this to reach my conclusion and was hoping that you may be able to lend an opinion. If you are interested in my topic and would be willing to share with me something that may help my investigation I would be most grateful to hear from you!

I personally am a huge fan of the genre, adoring the weird and wonderful and the feeling of fear. However I am unsure what makes me and so many others enjoy this. I ask myself: If evidence suggests audiences have become desensitized to violence, sex and fear, which begs the question, how far will film makers go to install shock into their perspective viewers and why? Have we created a norm for macabre to include comedy, allowing us to accept the morbid to be humorous? The more realistic imagery is shown to us, is this killing our imagination? Are modern days morals being exploited or is this art/freedom of speech? What is the raison d’être that demands a filmmaker to take it to the next level. and where will it end?

Thank you for reading!
Hope to hear from you,
Dolly

[Bob Gray]

I know for myself I have always had an interest in the genre and for the darker side of life in general, I didn't grow up watching horror films all of the time because I wasn't allowed to as a child, I grew up in a very staunch Christian home and anything that was horror or had magic or even dragons in it I was not permitted to watch. Halloween was not celebrated in my household and even at school I was not "supposed" to participate in anything having to do with Halloween, I was suppose to leave the classroom and go to the principal's office and sit there until that particular activity was over. Crazy right, but even during this time period, I still found ways to enjoy what I have always been drawn to. I would watch horror movies at sleepovers at my friend's houses. I would wait until my parents went to bed to watch Sammy Terry and his Nightmare Theater and the Universal monster movie marathons that ran every Halloween. I did participate in the Halloween activities in school, what they didn't know didn't hurt them. I left the books I liked to read at school, they would have just been torn up and thrown away at home. I guess what I'm getting at is that some of us are just drawn to the macabre and there is nothing weird about it, it doesn't mean we're psychotic, it doesn't mean we've become desensitized, we just except death a little better than most. The macabre is something humanity has enjoyed since mankind has been documenting history and probably before that, no reason to stop now.

[MichaelMyers]

I suggest consulting this text for your dissertation: http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Id-Rise-Horror-Fiction/dp/1890626066/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=UD5ED1TYWD4F&coliid=IX9T54BRXDDZ

[Ferox13]

If evidence suggests audiences have become desensitized to violence, sex and fear, which begs the question, how far will film makers go to install shock into their perspective viewers and why?

I would be interested to see what evidence you are refering to to.

Speaking personally, watching horror films (and exploitation movies) hasn't desensitized me at all. If anything I am more sensitive to onscreen violence - in particular real gore/mondo stuff. I used to be able to sit through videos like Traces of Death but I can't or don't want to stomach this kinda of material at all these days.

If you are looking for some good reading material on Influence of Horror films I would suggest picking up some of Martin Barker, Julian Petley or Guy Cumberbatch articles/books.