A question to everyone having horror marathons right now.

[Critter]

Okay, so I am probably the biggest wimp in the world but I just cannot deal with horror films. The only time I can watch a horror is during the day with loads of people around making jokes about it.
I can't watch them by myself, at the cinemas or anytime at night. The reason for this is that I get so scared most of the time that it makes me feel physically ill.
I think I can attribute this fact back to when I was quite young (around 6 or 7) and I used to watch films with my dad. With him I watched such titles as 'Polterghiest' and 'Young Sherlock Holmes'. If I watched these films now I may very well not find them scary but to my 7 year old mind I was terrified, therefore I developed a fear of horror films early on.
So what I'm basically trying to ask is what are your reactions to horror/gore/thriller etc. Are you basically unaffected or do you see the horror side of it and just appreciate it as part of the genre, without actually being scared etc. (It's the only way I could figure out how you would watch so many in a row haha )

[Jimmy]

Not affected at all. Like I've said in the past, why something that doesn't exist would scared me? The only genre of horror film that scare me in a way are the one that can happen for real. By exemple movies like Henry Portait of a serial killer or The New York Ripper will disturb me a lot more than any zombie or vampire movies.

Even if they don't scare me, I can appreciate the cinematic quality of these movies. Even if it isn't my favorite genre, a month immersion in it is fun and if one of them scare me a little bit it's not the end of the world since fear is a normal human emotion.

Anyway, the news are scary enough for me

[Jon]

I feel just about the same as Jimmy. I've seen a lot of scary films down the years, but it's like a fairground ride; I like them trying to scare me. I would love to find a film that actually got to me properly, the way I've seen other people react. But I don't think it exists, though The Haunting, or The Exorcist came close. Lot of fun trying to find it though! Probably the scariest film for me isn't even a horror. Taxi Driver got under my skin, because it's real and dangerous.

Look at it another way. My absolute favourite film is Dances With Wolves. For some reason that film had a profound affect on me personally and you will never see me review it, because I can't rationalise it. And if I could I might break its spell. I'd love to find the horror movie I felt the same about. I'd probably review that one... just the words "Send help." 

In fact, on the very rare occasion that I've both had a nightmare and remembered it, I've also quite liked it and tried to pick it up again! Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm weird, but hey... it's guys like me and Jimmy you want watching your back when the inevitable zombie apocalypse dawns.  

[Kathy]

Oh dear now I'm worried...I'm like Jon and Jimmy! An occasional movie will make me a bit uncomfortable such as In My Skin (Dans ma Peau). But have nightmares? Nah. I deal with real blood and death on a daily basis so the stuff on film doesn't bother me.

[RossRoy]

I used to be like you Critter. Horror films used to scare me for days after watching them, and I couldn't watch them alone or at night.

But I've realised something recently. The biggest part of what made them scary to me, was me expecting to be scared and pumping myself up expecting a scare at every corner. Now that I've learned to relax myself while watching horror, I find it is much easier to get through.

I still can't play horror videogames though... much too involved, and I can't detach myself from what's happening on screen, as opposed to a movie.

Oh and as trivia.. I can trace back my scare of horror to when I was 8-10 years old and I walked into the living room on my babysitter who was watching one of the Nightmare on Elm Street.. and of course, I had to walk in right smack in the middle of a killing.

Now I find the Nightmare on Elm Street movies mostly funny.. with some part disgusting. But not scary at all anymore!

[Critter]

I see what you guys are saying. It's not even the slasher films that get to me the most but films like (you're probably going to laugh at me here), M Knight Shamlyans 'Signs'. I simple cannot hack that film, I'm terrified of it even though everyone I talk to says it isn't scary at all. Another film like that is 'I am Legend'. I was really scared in that one yet Ive heard how most people don't find it scary.

I understand what you guys are saying about the ones based on true stories having the most profound effects though. While I do get scared during the horror films with those ridiculous storylines that arent real the films that probably scare me the most are the real ones too. Two in particular being, 'Changeling' and 'Schindlers List' scared the crap outta me.

And RossRoy I havent played any really 'horror' video games but I have played a lot of the Resident Evil series and I know what you mean about getting involved. Those games often get the heart fate up a bit haha. I don't even think I'd be able to play them alone, I always play them with someone.

[Jimmy]

M Knight Shamlyans 'Signs'. I simple cannot hack that film, I'm terrified of it

Just Think about this : They aren't frightening they are probably the brainless alien in the galaxy...

Spoiler (hover to show)

Attack the planet composed of 70% of water when your weakness is water. My little niece is brighter than that

[Critter]

Haha that's a fair point, they really didn't think that one through hey. I didn't like the way the aliens looked in that. I much prefer the design of the ones in Distrcit 9.

[Dragonfire]

It has only been in the last several years that I started watching more horror type movies.  I don't want any part of Saw or any of the others like that...Hostel...whatever.  I saw part of an edited for television version of Saw and it freaked me out so bad - not really scared me, just freaked me out - that I did have bad dreams. 

I have been ...nervous to watch some movies before because I thought they would scare me.  Heck, I thought The Mummy was going to terrify me, but I watched it anyway..and really liked it. 
As for some of the slasher type..those don't seem to bother me too much.  Yes some of it gets a bit gory, but the stuff going on is so unbelievable, that it doesn't get me that freaked or scared.  I seem to remember finding some of one of the Friday the 13th movies funny when I saw it on tv.  No clue which one now though.    

The movie that are more realistic do freak me out more, though nothing that I've seen has really scared me a lot.  I don't even think the Saw movies would reallly scare me...just gross me out.

[Critter]

Ive only seen the first Saw movie and it both freaked and grossed me out heaps. I never want to watch another again. Im okay with violence/gore just not in a horror sense.

[Boomstick98]

I'm not really effected by the them. Gory movies really don't bother me at all. The only horror movies that can still make me a little uneasy at times are the religion based horror films like The Exorcist or The Omen. There is something a little eerie about those films. When it comes to slasher films like Friday the 13th I find myself pulling for Jason. I know its not real and I want to see some inventive kills. 

[Rich]

No film affects or scaes me, I'm as hard as nails 

Spoiler (hover to show)

And I've found sticking my head behind a cushion, avoiding the genre, or pretending to look at the screen whilst actually looking at fireplace works well also 
Scary films makes my better half fart and gves her a stomach ache.  She sometimes reads this forum so I may be dead after revealing this to everyone 

[Jimmy]

Spoiler (hover to show)

She sometimes reads this forum so I may be dead after revealing this to everyone 

Spoiler (hover to show)

Just hope that she will not get Hell Hath No Fury that I've reviewed today to get some idea for a revenge. I can tell you that it wouldn't be a good time for you

[Jon]

M Knight Shamlyans 'Signs'. I simple cannot hack that film, I'm terrified of it

Just Think about this : They aren't frightening they are probably the brainless alien in the galaxy...

Spoiler (hover to show)

Attack the planet composed of 70% of water when your weakness is water. My little niece is brighter than that

Spoiler (hover to show)

Empire included Signs in a recent rundown of stupid twists for this very reason. They just printed a letter in the magazine from someone defending it, and it's not a bad explanation (much as I like kicking Shyamalan, he'd have to be very stupid to do this without good reason). He says that if you listen to the radio broadcasts during the film and other clues, you're left with the impression the aliens aren't staying. They're harvesting humans and leaving, not trying to stay on the planet.

To be absolutely fair, the only alien we see get killed by water was trapped while his mates pissed off, so maybe this guy has a point. Still, while it had it's moments, ultimately I was disappointed because Night couldn't direct an action sequence if his life depended on it...

[Critter]

Empire included Signs in a recent rundown of stupid twists for this very reason.

What other stupid twists were on this list? I'd be interested to see it. I subscribe to Empire magazine but the Australian one.