Why Do We Go to Horror Films?

Have you ever been scared? It sucks. You can’t breath for a second. Your heart beats really fast. Sometimes you feel like you’re going to crawl out of your skin. It is not a pleasant experience. So why do most of us plunk down twelve bucks to sit in a room with complete strangers and get scared on purpose? And more importantly, why do we repeat the experience?

The first reason is simple and obvious. We go for the adrenaline rush. Our bodies are conditioned to perform a certain way when frightened. We pump natural chemicals through our body to help in escaping from perceived threat. All those things I mentioned in the first paragraph actually make us feel good. This is goes back to our earliest ancestors who would not have survived were it not for these surges of adrenaline during times of trouble.

But it’s more than just an adrenaline high that motivates us to go to horror films. If we were solely motivated by an addiction to adrenaline we’d just spend all our time on rollercoasters. Or even just go to action films. One cannot deny that those films are also more than capable of getting our adrenaline pumping. There is something more that draws us specifically to horror films.

What is it that makes horror films different from other films? The simplest answer is the gore. Even the bloodiest of action films feels the need to draw the line somewhere (Quentin Tarantino being the exception that proves the rule), but most horror films will bathe the scenes in blood if that is what the filmmakers desire. When Sam Raimi was making his first film, The Evil Dead, an investor told him to “have the blood dripping off the screen.” And low and behold in the film there is literally a scene of blood dripping down a film screen. What better metaphor for horror films is there than that?

So if the violence is what separates horror films from others then the question becomes why do we seek out violence? This question may go beyond the simple realm of horror films. It could also include why we seek out violent sport. Why so many people enjoy boxing or mixed martial arts. The sheer aggression draws humanity towards these displays.

Long long before the advent of the motion pictures, the assembled crowds of people had to look towards gladiatorial matches for their entertainment most of the time. From the ancient coliseums to the jousting tournaments of the middle ages, violence is what was used to keep people entertained. Even executions were considered public spectacles. We still have large amounts of violence in our sporting events even though we have reached a point where such barbaric displays should not be necessary. We have plenty of things in our modern society to entertain us instead of violent sport and spectacle. But we still crave the violence.

When it comes down to it, are humans simply sadistic at our core? It seems like it, judging by our history. But it’s more than just the violence. It’s the context in which it is portrayed. We need someone to root for. In gladiator fights, sporting events, even horror films, we are rooting for someone to come out on top. In a horror film we either are rooting for the victims to survive or we are rooting for the killer to finish them off, but we invest our attention in a particular outcome and watch to see it unfold. So in the end, it is the sport, not necessarily the kill that draws us to horror.

Super Hero Relationships

(Writer’s note: Most of the relationships I reference in this entry are Pre-New 52)

In a recent blog entry I talked about how DC Comics finally hooked up Superman and Wonder Woman (see here). That got me thinking about other relationships between super heroes. What does it take to make it work between two powerful individuals? How do the sparks start flying when the fists stop?

 

Now with a few exceptions, I am going to avoid the relationships between a hero and a civilian. There was an entire TV show about Lois and Clark (aptly named Lois and Clark) and I don’t think it needs rehashing here. Besides, a super hero dating a normal human is pretty standard and boring. It is a super hero dating another super hero that I think would cause the most drama.

Among the popular super hero relationships is Green Arrow and Black Canary. I choose to talk about these two because not only did they get married in the comics but their courtship up to the wedding has also been well chronicled in the pages of the comics. These are two street level heroes who know what it takes to be a hero without powers. I believe this fact may be the cause of many of their romantic arguments. They know the dangers they face, and in turn know that their lover is facing those same dangers. They know one night they may not make it home safe from crime fighting and are terrified that their loved one might not do the same.

An odder coupling is that of Mister Miracle and Big Barda. These two are the opposite of Green Arrow and Black Canary. While those are mortals, Mister Miracle and Big Barda are gods. New Gods to be specific. They come from the pages of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World series. This series dealt with the war between two groups of advanced aliens from the planets New Genesis (good) and Apokolips (evil). Scott Free (aka Mister Miracle) comes from the planet New Genesis, though he was raised and tortured on Apokolips where he learns how to escape any trap or lock that can be devised. Big Barda was also raised on Apokolips to be one of Darkseid's Female Furies, his personal assassins. Despite their harsh upbringing, these two heroes are usually portrayed as having a storybook marriage. They help save the world and then go home to a suburban neighborhood.

These first two couples are interesting because they both show heroes in which the other half of the relationship is the same type of hero as they are. A street level vigilante attracted to another street level vigilante, and a godlike man attracted to a godlike woman. They say opposites attract but judging by these pairings that would not seem to be the case. Could a street level vigilante make a relationship work with a godlike being?

My next relationship should be a little bit closer to that. I am talking about Nightwing and Starfire. Nightwing is Dick Grayson, former Robin and sometimes Batman fill-in. Starfire is an alien princess with enhanced strength, flight and energy projection. As far as power sets and personal histories go, I cannot think of two more opposite ends of the spectrum. Though my previous point may be correct because the comics have always portrayed this relationship as very off-and-on. Nightwing has been romantically involved with a number of other costumed heroes including Huntress, Batgirl and Tarantula, all of which are similar costumed vigilantes.

The final couple I am going to discuss in this blog entry is the reason why I don’t enjoy reading stories about super heroes and civilians in relationships together. That is the tragic story of Ralph and Sue Dibney. Ralph Dibney is a hero known as The Elongated Man. He is a detective with the ability to stretch his body. He was never a major hero in the DC Universe but was always portrayed as a beloved member of the Justice League. He and his wife. Sadly their story ended in the pages of the brilliant mini-series Identity Crisis. In that series Sue Dibney was brutally murdered and the investigation into her death brought about disturbing secrets about the Justice League’s past.

 

While I don’t want to spoil the storyline, suffice to say Sue Dibney died because she was married to a super hero. Her life, and the life of anyone in a relationship with a hero, is constantly at risk. They become a target. While in a previous blog entry (see here) I explored the downside of a secret identity, it can never be forgotten the main reason why heroes choose to hide who they really are. To protect their loved ones. Ralph Dibney’s identity was public and thus everyone knew who his loved ones were.

Apollo and the Midnighter

Relationships are complex things under the best of circumstances but add the pressures and difficulties of being a super hero and you can see a whole new set of problems. And yet, nearly every hero in the comics has a significant other. Sometimes it is another hero, sometimes it is a civilian, but in each case it is someone the hero cares deeply about. Which makes sense. Heroes have made a choice to defend the world and it helps if there is someone in the world worth defending to them.

Don’t Mess With Klingons

Throughout Science Fiction there are a myriad of various alien species of all shapes and sizes. Some are strong, some are tough, but no alien represents the perfect ideal warrior than the Klingons from Star Trek. And why not? Every portrayal of them shows that they love to brawl, love to drink and love to sing. They’re Vikings in space.

Klingons were originally introduced in the original Star Trek series. The original Klingons were not the ridged forehead aliens that we now recognize. They were originally just portrayed as having bad tans. They initially were intended as an allegory for the Soviet Union, being that the show debuted during the height of Cold War tensions. It wasn’t until Star Trek: The Motion Picture that the modern version of Klingons appeared. The studio could afford the make up to truly make the aliens look menacing.

Much of the warrior like behavior of the Klingons is owed to The Next Generation. It was the addition of Lieutenant Worf, a Klingon adopted by humans, to the crew of the ship that allowed us to get a continued view of this warrior culture. While raised by humans, Worf was always struggling to be as Klingon as possible, even adorning his Starfleet uniform with a Klingon sash that displays the markings of his traditional Klingon house.

Feklar

Through Worf we learn all about the Klingon culture. In many ways, Klingons are modeled on the samurai. Although originally modeled after the USSR, Klingons began to evolve into noble warriors who valued honor above all else. Instead of loud and violent enemies they are more alien samurai. The greatest glory a Klingon can achieve is die in battle. They even consider dying in battle to be the pre-requisite to getting into Sto-Vo-Kor (Klingon Heaven). Otherwise you are condemned to Gre’Thor (Klingon Hell) to be tortured by Feklar (Klingon devil) unless their relatives fight a great battle in their honor.

Kahless

The entire Klingon religion is based around violence. Their greatest inspiration is Kahless, a messianic figure, who is the greatest warrior in Klingon society. So much about their rituals are based on stories about him. Klingon weddings are re-enactments of his wedding. Klingon swords are modeled after the sword he carried. Everything about their society is based on this one individual.

Also, Klingons love Shakespeare. As established in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the only way to truly experience Shakespeare is in the “Original Klingon”. Yes, Klingons love Shakespeare so much that they have not only translated it into Klingon but claim it as part of their own art. That, and Operah. Klingons love Opera and throughout the series (TNG and DS9) Worf and other Klingons are heard belting out loud and epic songs about glorious battle.

The one area where Klingons do not seem to surpass humans is their cuisine. Klingon cooking seems to consist mainly of eating their food raw and freshly killed. And usually the hearts, lungs or livers of the animal first. There are no Klingon vegetarians. Of course there is also gagh. Gagh is a type of worm Klingons eat. Alive. According to a season seven episode of Deep Space Nine there are multiple types and varieties of gagh, each with its own unique flavors and behaviors (some wriggle and some have feet).

The Klingons have had a long complex association with the Star Trek series. They went from being the Federation’s greatest threat to being its greatest ally. And as such they have become an important part of science fiction fandom. At your average Star Trek convention you will see multiple Klingons. There is an English to Klingon dictionary. Fans have performed Shakespearean plays in Klingon. They have surpassed just being characters to being a social phenomenon. 

Leave the Smart People Alone

I’m taking a break from talking about make believe to talk about a real and important issue, thought I’m sure I’ll weave in and out of fantasy as I talk. I recently read a news article about people condemning Bill Nye for trying to encourage the teaching of evolution. Evolution. A theory that is accepted by every respectable scientist, regardless of his/her specialized field of study. And my response is, leave the man alone.

I spend the majority of my time with my head in the clouds. Amazing scientific worlds where famine and disease have been eradicated from our society, and anything we desire is just a thought away. And do you know who gets us there? Scientists. And people like Bill Nye encourage scientific exploration and discovery. As much as I admire the muscled men of comic books, it’s the people with brains that are the ones who solve the problem in the end. So it is in fiction and so it is in real life.

The greatest heroes in fiction are all portrayed as intelligent. Sherlock Holmes, Hamlet, Buckaroo Banzai, the list goes on. It is a cruel irony that the intelligent are praised in fiction but condemned in reality. Science is the revelation of truth. Sometimes truth is harsh. Denying it makes it no less true, it just makes your opinion false. Just because people call it “Intelligent Design” does not make it intelligent.

Stephen Hawking was both blessed with incredible intelligence and a crippling disease. Yet his detractors seem to feel this is reason to ridicule the man. Of course most of those same detractors have never even read a book written by him and could not name the field of science in which he works.

Artist's rendition of the Higgs Boson particle

I hate to feel like I am slagging on religious people, but I’m sorry, they are the ones who are leading the attack on science. Stem cell research, evolutionary biology, the Higgs Boson particle, these are things that can help mankind immensely and answer some of the big questions about human existence. The only reason religious people oppose these things is because it shows the many many falsehoods they have built their belief systems on.

"The big yellow one's the sun"

I would like to correct what I wrote in my first paragraph. Not only are people condemning Bill Nye for encouraging the teaching of evolution, he was actually booed for talking about the Earth revolving around the sun. Yes, you read that right. Now, I’ll admit that evolutionary theory is still not complete. Scientists are still learning new facts about our history and advancement from single cell organisms to what we are now. But I’m pretty sure that whole what revolves around what issue has been closed for a while now. And these are not obscure people making these anti-science claims.

Members of the United States Congressional Committee on Science are claiming that “evolution is a lie” and that “scientists read too much”. And we wonder why we don’t have a manned space program anymore. Frankly, with the amount illiteracy in this country we don’t deserve a space program. We barely deserve a chemistry set. There are people in this country who still believe that mixing Pop Rocks and soda together will kill you (and that it killed Mikey).

America used to be one of the leading countries in scientific discovery. Sadly we have abandoned the commitment to science and discovery. Now America is number one in the world for number of creationists who are also citizens. People say that Atheists are damaging to a society but one of the most Atheist countries in the world, Switzerland, just discovered the Higgs-Boson particle this past year. Meanwhile America discovered Honey Boo Boo. Something is wrong here.


(WRITER'S NOTE: I am well aware of our recent accomplishment with landing a rover on Mars. But considering what this country spends on Churches and what our government spends on needless military expenditures we should have been able to put an entire colony on Mars. Hell, we could have terraformed Mars by now if we gave all the money we give to the Religions to the Sciences instead. That's just my opinion.)