Quick Guide to Horror

Catherine f -

Hello! I have finished and practiced my presentation! That step is completed and I only have a few minor touch ups before the documentary is complete too. It should be completely done and exported by the end of the week.

For this last post, I thought it would be fun to do a quick mini guide on getting into horror if someone is interested but unsure where to start. I will also be using my friend Sam as an example as she is the primary example I have of someone starting to get into the genre.

To start, horror is extremely subjective and everyone has different things that bother them so the key to this is being self aware. If you already have a few elements that you know bother you or might be too much then avoid those. It also might help to start with something you know you love. If you already love science fiction then try horror movies that are also a part of that genre like Alien.

For example, my friend Sam loves monsters and for the most part isn’t scared of them in media so we started with movies like The Thing as I knew she would also enjoy the practical effects. If you really aren’t sure where to start or what your limits are then horror comedies may be the best place to start.

Horror comedies split up the tension with laughs and have a super light tone compared to other movies. One of the first horror movies Sam watched was Freaky, a comedy slasher. The difference in tone between a horror comedy and a more serious movie makes a huge difference and is a great place to start.

Also ask yourself why you want to watch horror. Do you want to be scared? Do you like jump scares? Are there specific movies you want to see?

Knowing what you want from a horror movie will definitely help narrow down where to start.

Lastly, a resource I feel a lot of people don’t know about, IMDB has a section called parents guide. It has multiple categories, one being gore, and lists all of the scenes that fall under that category in depth so you can see if there are any scenes in a movie that you think will bother you before watching. I have used it many times and unless the movie is really obscure it has great detailed explanations of the scenes. Most recently I checked the parents guide before watching The Substance.

Along those lines, there is also a website called Doesthedogdie.com which has crowd sourced trigger warnings if you want to avoid more specific aspects.

I also recommend that you don’t ask people “Is this movie scary?” as horror is incredibly subjective and unless you know the person really well, what doesn’t bother them may bother you.

Thank you so much for reading my final post! I hope this was somewhat useful if you are curious about the genre.

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Comments:

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    riley_b
    Doesthedogdie.com sounds like a wonderful resource. I was traumatized by that one movie where the dog kept dying and coming back as a different dog to watch over his owner. This advice is sound. Thanks.
      catherine_f
      Thanks. I agree and personally love this resource and will check every time I see that a movie has a dog because I don’t trust it not to end tragically.
    katie_b
    Hi Catie! I was wondering if there is one specific horror movie you would recommend as a perfect "starter" for anyone who’s curious about horror but also a little nervous? Or is it not that simple? Would you recommend different movies for different people?
      catherine_f
      Hi Katie! I personally am not sure if I would have one movie to recommend as a starter. It really is pretty dependent on the person. I would probably ask a few questions to try and gauge what bothers someone and then recommend based on that. As a general rule if someone really isn’t sure I would probably recommend starting with a pg-13 horror movie or a comedy to try.
    liam_k
    Hi Catie! That's a super helpful guide. Is there going to be a way to watch the documentary once it's done?
    cindy_h
    Hi Catie! Thank you so much for the guide! As someone not well versed in horror at all, I may be adding some comedic horror to my list of movies to be watched! What is your favorite type of horror to watch? And good luck on the presentation, I'm excited to see what you have prepared!
      catherine_f
      Thank you! My favorite type of horror to watch would probably be found footage. I always find those movies to be really fun and I love the low budget qualities.

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