1/3 seeks ‘rush’ from scary movies
T.J. Tranchell watched his first Dracula movie at the tender age of 5.
He still remembers the terror he felt when a female vampire ambushed two of the main characters in the 1979 film adaption of Bram Stoker’s classic novel.
“They’re down in the catacombs and the vampire comes after them. She’s all in white, with big fangs,” Tranchell said. “I had nightmares about that scene.”
It was fear, but a good kind of fear, said Tranchell, who became a fan of horror flicks. His mom worked at a video store, so the Moscow, Idaho, resident had plenty of opportunity to watch scary movies when he was growing up. As an adult, Tranchell still indulges in films and books designed to instill fear.
Some of us are drawn to horror films. We crave moments of suspense and hair-raising events that make our heart pound, our muscles tense, our palms sweat and our blood pressure shoot up. We count scenes from “The Shining” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” among our favorite moments in film.
Why do we like to be scared? The answer has roots in how certain personalities respond to adrenaline-charged situations, said Glenn Sparks, a professor at the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, who studies the effects of frightening films and TV programs.
About one-third of the people Sparks surveys say they seek out scary movies and related entertainment, such as haunted houses. More men than women fall into this group.
“That adrenaline rush is something these people enjoy,” Sparks said. “They’re sensation seekers. They may be biologically predisposed to seek out this kind of experience, whether it be a horror film or jumping out of airplanes”/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.
Question: Which horror movie is your favorite?