What frightens you in Horror films?

[the December King]

Anything psychological, or horror without form. The second the 'monster' becomes real/tangible, it just ceases to scare me. I get more freaked out by the ghostly/supernatural aspects.

Pretty much this word for word.


Also anything where the bad guy is human. I mean seriously the thought that a person could theoretically, possibly even if its highly unlikely scares the crap-o-la out of me.

It's interesting to note that I feel the opposite. Once it is human, it ceases to be scary to me- people are fallible, foolish, and prone to other aspects of mortality. After that, if the murderer/antagonist slaughters a hundred people in combat in seconds, or seems to appear and disappear at the plots' convenience, I just scoff, because the aspect of 'realism', in most cases, is shattered- it makes no sense. Sadly, most of my favourite horrific moments in movies involve special effects that, while to me conveying the idea, often fail to maintain the plausibility. I also tend to find that if an entity can be dispatched by a person with their bare hands, I am no longer impressed. The antagonist is no longer threatening at all to me, even if it comes in swarms- it becomes a splatterfest usually.

Yup, I love monster flics. Big, hideous, unspeakable, cosmic- horror type monster flics.

 

[Burningsok]

Any kind of horror that gives me a really eerie feeling.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Gore, torture, dead things, the living dead, sudden scares, I could go on and on. The fact that I'm somewhat paranoid doesn't help either.

(A word of advice: NEVER watch "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments" from start to finish late at night. It's not good for your sanity.)

 

[JayDig]

To be 'scared' by a videogame or movie, I have to be immersed and invested in characters enough to worry about them dying, as if they were real people.
A cat jumping out of a closet accompanied by a loud music sting makes you jump, but thats different than simulated fear of death.
Many horror movies have annoying characters that deserve to die. Many horror games have, well, checkpoints, making fear of loading screen more than mortality.

L4D gives me simulated fear/adrenaline response better than any movie.

 

[Tharwen]

It stops being scary when you realise that it all could have been avoided if they hadn't split up.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I'm gonna go with things that startle, or that take the normal things and tweak them out. The Cell comes to mind, with the horse scene where it gets split into bits. No so much frighten as freak the hell out, which is much more efficient than just startles and spooks.

 

[kleft101]

Stuff thats linked to everyday life, for example that film called "mirrors" with the creatures in the mirror, and also i saw a trailer for a film were this kid walks post a scarecrow and you see its head move, the kid turns around and it just looks normal, that was kinda freaky.

 

[Generator]

The movies like Blair Witch Project and the like which essentially put you there with the characters can be very scary, if done right.

Other than that, movies that enter my comfort zone by taking place in a normal neighborhood or something similar that I can relate to tend to stick with me.

 

[JokerCrowe]

Three things scare me in horror films: 1) when the things happening are happening to people you can relate to, and the things happening seem plausible, (Silence of the Lambs).
2) when you get shown extremely viceral (SLEDGEHAMMER!!) things, not necessarily "jump scares" but in the realm of "Saw"; self mutilation and such.
And 3) when there is a mystery/unknown, and you don't really get to REALLY know what's going on. That mixed with a general creepyness (The Shining) scares the Bajesus out of me.
Can't sleep for weeks...

 

[The Big Eye]

For me, it's simply that there are so many people who enjoy such films. Isn't it kinda disturbing that moviegoers will pay money to watch random people suffer horribly for no reason?

 

[Marmalade]

Everything.
I can't watch any movie that have been labeled horror (almost, I've seen Alien)
It's mostly when there's like a little ghostly looking girl or something that just stands and look at someone.

 

[ninjajoeman]

basically the BLARGH ATKJAWELK ARARARARRARARARA

nom nom nom blarg?

BLARGHLKAJTRLEJ ARGAGAGAGR!

the constant yellings kind of freak me out

 

[Skratt]

I'm having a really hard time remembering the last time I was scared during a movie. I suppose if I can relate it to something that could happen in real life where no matter how smart you are there is no escaping it, that would freak me out. But those tend to be more in thrillers or movies based on real life events rather than "horror" flicks.

I generally refuse to watch horror flicks because they more often than not have protagonists that are dumb as a pair of tube socks that I couldn't give two shits about. Add to that the gore levels are so ludicrous, it actually detracts from the movie.

For example: SAW 1, Wolf Creek & Vacancy were all good horror / thrillers. SAW 2 through 19, The Hills Have Eyes and Texas Chainsaw were all shit.

 

[Spineyguy]

In a good horror movie, silence is the most powerful tool of all.

I'm not scared by the monsters themselves, or the dark, or anything gory. But silence and suspense are intolerable.

 

[Skarvig]

It's got to be atmosphere. Sounds and something unexpected happening is the thing I get most scared of. But I love it.

 

[Skooterz]

Honestly I haven't been more than startled by a horror movie in like 10 years. I don't like modern horror, anyway. All this "Saw" crap does nothing for me.

 

[primitivescrewhead]

Little girl zombies, such as Rec. and the Dawn of the Dead remake, and espically clowns, IT scared the hell out of me, not as much as the book did though

 

[Klarinette]

For me, it's the tension and anticipation. I haaaaate those scenes where the music gets louder and tense and dissonant, and then goes SILENT... sometimes, you'll see something move in the dark, blurry background... the protagonist looks either confused or relieved... and then BLAHHH!! O_O my poor nerves. I think that's the point, though.

 

[rabidmidget]

Japanese horror/ lovecraftian horror, because the protagonist is usually facing some kind of omnipotent supernatural force, which they could never hope to defeat.

Also creepy, long-haired asian girls are fucking scary