Halloween and How We May Feel About Being Scared

Fall. It brings upon us the Halloween season. Before September even ends, the stores are full of costumes and candy. Time to pull out your scary movies and gather your friends around for a night full of fear of the unknown. Horror movies are great fun no matter what time of year. Its that thrill we experience when we get scared, its fun, it reminds us that we are not always in control of whats happening.

Where doubt and possibility meet.

The saying goes, there is a time and place for everything under the sun. A time to laugh, a time to share, a time to work and a time to rest. But is there a time to be scared? Should we allow ourselves to be frightened? Why do some people avoid horror films? A lot of people will tell you its fun to be scared, but how much fun is it? There are varying degrees of fun, fun that makes us laugh out loud. Fun that makes us cry, and fun that exhausts us, like after riding a roller coaster.

But what about the kind of fun sitting in a theatre watching a scary movie? Is there not a time for that, a time to let our minds relax and let our worries fade away into the darkness of the theatre? After all, you plan to walk out and carry on as usual, so why not give yourself a couple of hours away from your own worries and thoughts. They don't call it movie magic for nothing.

Thriller or Horror?

The difference between thrillers and horror movies is, say for example, your next door neighbour wants to terrorize and/or kill you. (Lakeview Terrace - starring Samuel Jackson and Disturbia - starring Shia LaBeouf) are excellent examples. Its quite possible that your next door neighbour may be a little strange and doesn't want to make any friends.

Horror or Thriller?

Unlike in a horror movie, where you have a menacing figure that silently roams among us usually appearing after dark, and never dies. Even if they fall off a balcony or are shot in the head, they always "walk" away. The camera turns its focus on the "hero" that was attempting to save the day, then it pans back to the spot where the evil force has fallen. But, the figure is no longer laying there, he's gone.

So, where did "IT" go?

That's the question on everyone's mind. This maniac, this thing, was just shot and fell off a balcony, how could he possibly get up and just walk away? That's when real terror sets in, when you discover you're battling an indestructible force. At this point, you, as the viewer, try to convince yourself, its just a movie, there's no way. But is there?

Fear

Our fear of the dark as adults never really goes away, we just pretend its gone, and stop there. So rent, buy or borrow a horror movie and let your imagination decide.

Happy Hunting.