Gingerbread Man on 10/10/2009 at 16:36
I kinda feel the same about the "You'll be terrified because look at these people!" approach, but at the same time I get a warm little tickle of nostalgia for the days when it was honestly and truly possible to frighten the shit out of people with a movie. Old trailers for classic (usually gimmicky) horror films are chock full of audience reaction shots, and I'm inclined to treat it as a stylistic thing more often than not... besides, there really isn't a lot you can show that would be interesting / attention-grabbing without its proper context in Paranormal Activity.
And whether you're being dead serious or not, I agree with your assessment of torture-porn horror. Plus I don't give the "it's not 100% graphic, most of it is implied, etc etc" rebuttal much credit -- I think it's disingenuous or ignorant, depending on my opinion of the person offering it to me.
Morte on 10/10/2009 at 18:14
While I agree about the general stupidity and rubbishness of the so-called torture porn genre, claiming that the people who watch take pleasure in torture seems a bit dodgy to me. Horror is primarily a masochistic exercise. I'd say the majority of the audience emphatises with the victims, not the perpetrators.
Unfortunately I've read a few spoilers more than I should have, but Paranormal Activity seems pretty interesting, and far more substantial than Blair Witch. (I liked Blair Witch mind, but it's more concerned about putting you in a situation than stuff like character.)
henke on 10/10/2009 at 18:28
Quote Posted by AR Master
I'm glad to see a horror movie depart from the modern day depravity of torture porn that seems to be popular. People who see those movies are, I believe, sick, either of moral, soul or mind. People who take pleasure in torture are barbaric and uncivilized and honestly lower than animals
You're confusing "taking pleasure" with "being entertained". Noone is sitting there with his dick in his hand the way you seem to be implying by terms like "torture porn", rather having the shit scared out of you now and then is a (wierd) human craving that goes unfullfilled in modern civilized society. There's nothing sick or unhuman about it.
edit: or, what Morte said.
Aja on 10/10/2009 at 18:42
you guuuuuuuyss
Harvester on 10/10/2009 at 19:20
Yeah, I get wanting to be scared when watching a movie; I love getting scared myself. But movies like Saw and Hostel aren't the least bit scary, that's the thing. So I also don't get why people are entertained by watching people get tortured. I wouldn't know if the fans of those movies are all depraved (though some of them certainly are), but I personally don't get the attraction myself either.
AR Master on 10/10/2009 at 19:31
If you are "entertained" by essentially watching surgery and torture you are bereft of moral fortitude and are experiencing what I believe is essentially sociopathic tendency, if not just complacency with images of extreme violence and gore
"Horror" movies have moved beyond pulp stabbings and hilarious decapitation and whatnot, beyond medical forensic such as those in CSI shows and the like and well into the realm of "whats the most disgusting thing we can show you" and then spending a million dollars to make sure you really believe that person's eyeball is being sliced open with a razor or their gastrointestinal tract is really piling onto the floor
i will agree that modern society does leave one wanting for baser instincts, having removed almost all struggle and hardship from our survival but I do not agree in the slightest that torture porn snuff is at all related to those instincts and desires
Ostriig on 10/10/2009 at 20:13
Put me down as another one who's not entertained by the all the torture and mutilation shit. It's made me stray away from various titles in the past, and the suggestion that this is an actually good horror movie, without any of that crap, makes me genuinely interested.
fett on 10/10/2009 at 21:11
AR - I totally agree. It's something that bothers me too. I think people should be able to make such films all day long, but their popularity is disturbing and I think it speaks to something darker than varying tastes in entertainment.
Harvester on 10/10/2009 at 21:37
Especially when you read comments on the internet like 'Jigsaw from Saw is actually a good and praiseworthy guy, because he really makes you value and appreciate your life n shit'. That really makes me wonder, what the hell is wrong with these people? I've even read such comments coming from christians, that baffles my mind.
Thief13x on 10/10/2009 at 21:48
I'm a huge SAW fan and actually pretty much won't watch any other "horror" movies because I feel like most of them don't actually 'scare' you as much as simply 'startle' you.
SAW on the other hand actually unnerves me which is why I like it so much, can't speak for anyone else though. Bottom line is that I'm jumpy enough as it is, I don't need to pay for it.:cheeky:
