Do horror films scare you?

[Illbethewriter]

I am a MA-HOOSIVE horror film buff, and although I don't believe in God/the afterlife/ghosts etc. I still get scared by ghosts/possession in films, and I always have to watch a light hearted film afterwards (if it's before I go to bed). Last night I went to see 'Insidious' and I ended up watching 'The Swan Princess' when I got home to cope with my mental images of demented and crazy-eyed ghosts. My boyfriend doesn't get scared by horror films and moans about there never being any plot (I sometimes agree, but I love them anyways).

I was just wondering if you lot are a bunch of fearless atheists or if you're like me and find it hard to maintain the courage of your convictions when it comes to spooky movies!
What types of horror films do you find scariest? (ghosts, gore, monsters, vampires, mentally unstable people - that is a category, believe me!)

[Cecilie]

I love all kinds of horror movies, but no, they don't scare me.

[hismikeness]

I don't scare at the gory slasher flick type movies categorized as horror, but the psychological dramas, if done correctly, will creep me out. The last movie that gave me chills was The Ring.

I like a good "jump scene" too, but my wife hates the fact that I tend to see them coming and don't jump too much. She startled easily, though, and will sometimes let out a tiny scream.

[Lizarda]

Yeah iv actually wondered this myself haha but yeah even though I'm an atheist I still get creeped out by certain horror movies, it dosent matter whether or not you believe in god/spirits, it's the atmosphere in the film that easily scares (not to mention getting ready for something to jump out) always gets me haha, I remember playing tomb raider on the playstation years ago but alot of the time I was a tad scared of things jumping out round the corner, so I got my mam to do it......she soon became champion at it, which was rather hironic as she never wanted to let me have a PS in the first place and never had a care for video games whatsoever haha

[The Black Jester]

I can be startled, surely, by unexpected pouncings, slashings and shoutings, but scared?  Not often.  Which is different to when I was a child.  I remember being like 12, and sneaking into one of Elmstreet movies with friends.  They were all cheering for Freddie...I couldn't stand the violence - it didn't frighten me exactly, now that I come to think of it, it just morally offended me.  I seemed to have a difficult time understanding why it was desirable fantasy.

But I differentiate between those movies that are "shock" flicks, that seem to thrive on your lizard-brain startle response, and which do NOT impress me, and those that are atmospheric, and function by the slow mounting of dread.  Those are cool.

[Cooper20]

Personally, I like to spend a night laughing at low budget 70's or 80's 'Horror' films.

Like 6 teenagers have a cabin by a lake for a week, and two decide skinny dipping at midnight would be a 'great idea.' 

[Cecilie]

In slasher movies NOTHING is a good idea.

[Will37]

I am a MA-HOOSIVE horror film buff, and although I don't believe in God/the afterlife/ghosts etc. I still get scared by ghosts/possession in films, and I always have to watch a light hearted film afterwards (if it's before I go to bed). Last night I went to see 'Insidious' and I ended up watching 'The Swan Princess' when I got home to cope with my mental images of demented and crazy-eyed ghosts. My boyfriend doesn't get scared by horror films and moans about there never being any plot (I sometimes agree, but I love them anyways).

I was just wondering if you lot are a bunch of fearless atheists or if you're like me and find it hard to maintain the courage of your convictions when it comes to spooky movies!
What types of horror films do you find scariest? (ghosts, gore, monsters, vampires, mentally unstable people - that is a category, believe me!)

I like horror movies.  I find them funny.  Specifically I enjoy making fun of them while watching them with scared friends. 

I do like psychological thrillers. 

[Stevil]

I used to watch them to get scared in my preteen, early teen years. Loved the first couple of Omen, Loved most of the Nightmare on Elm Street, The first couple of Hell Raiser, Loved all the Alien movies.

But now I don't get scared at all. I watch for the artistry of them. Some are pretty inventive.
I am not into super gore I find it stupid, although my all time favourite gore is Bad Taste by Peter Jackson, it is well made considering and has a humor that I can relate to.

[Illbethewriter]

hismikeness - I'm pretty similar in the sense that I don't get scared by gore. I mean obviously I think "ew that's not very nice" but I kind of get a thrill from them. Okay, that sounds weird. But I always find that they do something gorey.. but (probably due to the fact that I watch so many horror/gore films) I can always think of something worse. There's only one film I've seen where I didn't think they could have made it much worse, and that was the remake of I Spit On Your Grave (my film of choice on Valentines Day!) I agree about The Ring though, and it actually has a half decent storyline. It's the way she moves that goes through me - I once reinacted it with my friends on an old video camera by just stopping and starting it as I moved forwards with my hair bedraggled over my face!
Lizarda - I completely agree with you about the game thing! Silent Hill - omfg. Literally.. even now playing it I actually scream out loud. And I've watched my friends play F.E.A.R. a few times and that's another one that gets me going!
I can't disagree with anyone to be honest - I think I just appreciate them all because I grew up on them (although my Mum wouldn't let me watch The Exorcist until I was 12, which turned out to be a waste of time because I found it hilarious). You also get some crackers on the horror channel 11pm onwards. I once saw this one where this bloke was spanking a school girl whilst her head was over a guillotine and the rope to hold the blade up was in her mouth, so when she screamed (because of the pain) the guillotine dropped and chopped her head off and the dwarf started using her head to.. basically perform fellatio on her (I kid you not).
A good build up is always appreciated as well as jumpy bits that happen when you least expect them.
The films I find the scariest though are the ones which are about 'real' things. Like films where girls are raped (I Spit On Your Grave, Last House On The Left) and ones about serial killers which reflect some of the real serial killer stories we know of in the UK (Mum and Dad) and films like Eden Lake, which isn't a horror but is basically about child violence - of which there's been several incidences in the UK over the last 20 years.

[Will]

The one thing I regret about my deconversion is that I'm not scared by movies anymore. I get startled by sudden movement and noise, and I can get grossed out, but I doubt I'll ever have another experience like watching The Exorcist or Jurassic Park as a child. I adore a good scary movie, like Alien or The Thing or Silence of the Lambs, but I can't turn of the analytical, objective, problem-solving part of my brain. You can only fear what you do not know, after all.

[Melmoth]

Movies that scare me can build tension, and hold it. They don't try to make you jump because that would be a sort of release. They don't offer any false climaxes or 'safe points' in the narrative. A great example is Silence of the Lambs. Another one I saw recently is A Room For Romeo Brass, which isn't a horror movie as such - it's a dark comedy - but it is bloody unnerving in it's own special way.

[PapistItalian16]

Horror films scare the crap out of me. I refuse to watch them.

Actually, one of my brother's nick-names for me is S-Cat. Short for scaredy-cat. Of course that's only one of the many nick-names he has for me...and they all are quite entertaining. Lol.   

[The Magic Pudding]

I'm not likely to meet an alien or a zombie.
Jaws was disturbing.
I don't like seeing documentaries with great whites breaching.
Someone should tell these things their place is under the water, not in the sky.
The Ghost and The Darkness was creepy.
I'm glad I don't live anywhere I might be considered prey by a land animal.

[Asmodean]

Horror movies don't scare me. I, on the other hand, tend to scare those watching with me.

"OOOH! Guts! Oh look! Look! I think I saw a bit of pizza there! YEAHH!! *rubbing hands in glee*"