Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Horror Films Are Good for Body and Mind

30/10/2024

Horror Films Are Good for Body and Mind

Andy Marken October 30, 2024

0 Comments

We're a statistical improbability. And now they want to see who will be the luckiest among the lucky. - Zoey Davis, Escape Room, Columbia Pictures, 2019

With so many elections going on around the world this year - 97 countries - including the ugly one here in the US, we needed some solid/safe escape from the creepiness and grossness of the real world.

We did what any normal/smart person would do we dug into the whole idea of horror films. That included watching a couple of the new ones and revisiting some classics.

Of course, that meant we had the family room and big screen to ourselves because the wife won't have anything to do with blood, guts or gore.

Don't get us wrong, we're not really into violence, religious stuff or messy gore for the sake of gore.

But

Source - 20th Century Fox

Still, the little chestbuster in the first Alien was a helluva' shock to the system but Sigourney Weaver (Ripley) didn't back down from the challenge.

The biggest problem for us is how to categorize a film as a horror movie.

Sure, if Stephen King is listed in the credits, you're pretty sure of what you're watching because he's widely regarded as the master of horror.

Of course, if you bring up Alfred Hitchcock, it's a little tougher because most think of him as a master of suspense, not horror.

Source - Shamley Productions

But we feel classics like Psycho, Frenzy and The Birds are solid horror films because they showed us the dark side of people and showed us threats that people couldn't control. Hitchcock's use of shadows and audio signs and music put you on the edge of your seat because you knew bad stuff was going to happen.

One way to identify a movie as a horror film is that it will have sequels or even become its own sub-genre.

Source - Continental Distributing

For example, directors, actors, writers and crews can thank George Romero for releasing zombies on us again and again and again when The night of the Living Dead was released back in 1968.

We've enjoyed it every time we've watched it, even though we were really p***ed at the end. Ben (Duane Jones) did a fantastic job of trying to protect folks from the zombies only to walk out into the morning light and have some idiot kill him just to be on the safe side.

Really ticked us off!

We're not into much of the franchise stuff but we all know that when one project earns money, more will follow.

Having a creepy villain like Freddy Kruger or Jason is a place to start but what they really need is a damsel in distress or scream queen to put the film over the top.

Source - Compass International Pictures

Jamie Lee Curtis (who probably got her scream from her mother in Psycho) is our favorite, and the one who took the fight to Michael Myers from 1978 - 2022.

Being tough, attractive and driven made for a suspenseful, terror-driven and interesting story that gives people someone to cheer for when they show you that you can stand up to and take fear head-on.

There are a lot more good/great horror filmmakers and, thanks to global streaming media services, we're able to share/experience projects from around the globe.

The films have always been produced and available, said Allan McLennan, CEO of 2GDigital. However, the low-budget projects were often given limited distribution because of their being produced in a specific language.

But with today's advanced AI-enabled localization services, he continued, studios and streamers can quickly, accurately and economically make them available in any language so people everywhere can enjoy/experience them as though they were produced in their home country.

Consistent - Streaming has opened up new opportunities for folks who like to experience feature films so they can be surprised and shocked in whole new ways beyond projects being simply brutal and gruesome.

Sometimes (often) it's difficult for industry executives and experts to accurately define when a film fits in the horror genre.

But with the movie magic, advanced technology and the global reach/exposure we have with a broader spectrum of horror film types, they're becoming more important release valves for folks in every walk of life and every corner of the globe.

Whether it's filled with ghosts, monsters, masked stalkers or deep-down personal fear, filmmakers often find it difficult to pinpoint what terrifies the audience. That's rather important because it helps determine if the film gets greenlighted or not and whether the project will be profitable or another studio/streamer write-down.

The major components of horror films are spine-chilling music, precise tension and suspense and shops like A24, Blumhouse and others have gotten very good at getting the mix right.

To understand the genre better, we turned to film data research expert Stephen Follows.

It turns out he is putting the final touches on his Fellows Horror Report 2 , the most comprehensive study of the genre around.

While he's a nice normal guy, he has spent a lot of time gathering and analyzing data on every horror film ever made. The report, which we aren't promoting, covers everything from development, production and distribution as well as profitability. Fellows noted that horror films are perennial favorites with filmmakers because they are fun to make, can be developed/delivered more quickly on a lower budget and can make money.

Yes, But - Okay, so not everyone likes/appreciates a really good horror film the same way; but streaming services are able to adjust their library offerings for people in countries where interest/demand is highest so they can capture/retain larger audiences.

The final point is obviously most important and that's because folks young/old
LINK: https://creativecow.net/horror-films-are-good-for-body-and-mind/...
See more stories from creativecow

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

07/07/2026

Clear-Com Powers Ross Production Services Mobile Productions

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

07/07/2026

New Nielsen data shows Kiwis' wellbeing is shaped by fitness, finance and mental health

New Kessler 10 data now available in Nielsen CMI gives brands a deeper view of h...

07/07/2026

Vitamin brands boost ad spend by 27% as 11.8 million Australians turn to supplements

New Nielsen Ad Intel and CMV data reveals rising competition in Australia's ...

07/07/2026

DAS Disputes Wiegels 3.0 EAS Limitations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

LiveU to Showcase Q Era Innovations at 2026 IBC Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

LucidLink Unifies Adobe Frame.io, Enterprise Storage

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

ARRI Introduces ALEXA 35 Live Xtreme Camera

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Riedel and ARRI Bring Cinematic Live Production to the Eu...

Riedel Communications and ARRI played a key role in one of the most technically ambitious Eurovision Song Contest productions to date. For the first time in the...

07/07/2026

Berklee Valencia Honors Eric Whitacre at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony

Berklee Valencia Honors Eric Whitacre at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony The Grammy-winning composer was celebrated alongside this years cohort of masters degr...

07/07/2026

Disagreements Abound Over the Adequacy of C-Band Replacements

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Cameras Become More Connected to Production Workflows

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

NFL on TV: Time to Move the Regulatory Goal Posts?

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Building a Future-Ready Facility for Tomorrow's Broadcasters

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Rewriting the Control Room: How Broadcasters Are Going Remote

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Fincons Group appoints Andrea Fravega as Global BU Media...

The appointment will drive growth and innovation across the Media Business Unit Fincons Group, a leading IT business consultancy and systems integrator company...

07/07/2026

Big Blue Marble debuts next-gen ultra low latency MoQ str...

International broadcast and streaming expert Big Blue Marble has announced a multi-month Proof of Concept (PoC) for Media over QUIC (MoQ) during a major interna...

07/07/2026

Leader provides Test and Measurement for global broadcast...

Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is proud to announce that two of its leading products, the PHABRIX Qx rasterizer and LeaderPhabrix L...

07/07/2026

Clear-Com Powers Ross Production Services Mobile Producti...

Clear-Com announced that Ross Production Services (RPS), a leading provider of mobile production solutions for live events and broadcasts, has standardized on ...

07/07/2026

Q Era Innovations Take Center Stage for LiveU at IBC2026

LiveU redefined live newsgathering with the invention of cellular bonding. At IBC2026, Stand 7.C24, the company will show how that foundation is evolving into t...

07/07/2026

Camera to Cloud Meets Camera to Timeline LucidLink Unifi...

LucidLink, a leader in cloud-based file services for content creators, today announced an enhanced workflow integration between LucidLink and Adobe Frame.io tha...

07/07/2026

Comcast's Sky to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Digital Alert Systems Details ATSC 3.0 EAS Capabilities to FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

New appointments to Screen Australia board

New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026 The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board. Dr Tania Chamber...

07/07/2026

The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck to their creative guns.

The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...

07/07/2026

Seven paradoxes shaping the next era of media production - Episode 2

How MXL Connects More Than Media In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operations. Along the...

07/07/2026

Patrick Kielty in The Late Late Chair until 2028

To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show. Last season, the world's longest-runn...

07/07/2026

AI Innovators Adopt NVIDIA Vera - Why Max Single-Threaded CPU at Scale Matters

Max single-threaded CPUs at scale are a new category of CPUs built for the agentic AI era. Across the creation and deployment of an agentic system, the CPU is...

07/07/2026

July 06, 2026

Scripps Research scientists train the immune system to make antibodies against numerous HIV strains Preclinical findings mark progress toward a long-sought vacc...

06/07/2026

Inside OneSoccer's FIFA World Cup Ops: Canada's Soccer Network Goes Behind the Scenes for CanMNT's Historic Moment

Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...

06/07/2026

Lumine Group Acquires Imagine Communications, Continues To Build Portfolio of Media Businesses

The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...

06/07/2026

SVG All-Stars: Stuart Mitchell, Senior Coordinating Producer, Spectrum SportsNet LA

This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...

06/07/2026

Case Study: How IMS Productions and FOX Sports Scaled Coverage of the 109th Indianapolis 500

IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...

06/07/2026

Lumine Group Completes Acquisition of Synamedias Video Network Business

Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...

06/07/2026

NASCAR and Motorsport Network Announce Content and Commercial Partnership

NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...

06/07/2026

Versant To Acquire Full Swing for Approximately $530 Million

Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...

06/07/2026

DAZN Secures Global Rights to 3ICE Hockey

DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...

06/07/2026

Synth Anthology 5 From UVI

Bundle gains 100 new synths & more Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...

06/07/2026

MOTU 16A, 848 & 10pre gain Milan certification

Available now via free firmware update MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...

06/07/2026

Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Communications System

Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...

06/07/2026

The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the quality of packaged goods in real time

The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...

06/07/2026

INVITATION FOR SOUTH AFRICAN FILMMAKERS TO SUBMIT FILMS FOR THE 99TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS) INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM CATEGORY

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...

06/07/2026

Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice President, Operations

Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...

06/07/2026

Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development

Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development Brie Clayton July 6, 2026 0 Comments The strategic new appointment supports...

06/07/2026

Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve

Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve Michael Cioni July 6, 2026 0 Comments This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...

06/07/2026

Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro

Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro Colin Smith July 6, 2026 0 Comments Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...

06/07/2026

Flavor's FirstEver Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Executive Producer Kate Smith Rises to Lead the Studio

Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...