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
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Among other tweaks to coverage, the broadcaster added announce positions in the ...
22/07/2026
The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has reported a sharp acceleration in Australia's sportstech sector, with revenue growth rising from 10% in...
22/07/2026
From a retrofitted broadcast bus to packed Match Day Live! events, Bennett detai...
22/07/2026
TMRW Sports has named Brendan Donohue as President, Flag Football, where he will lead the company's professional flag football business in partnership with ...
22/07/2026
Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) designed and produced soundtracks for nine projection...
22/07/2026
Harmonic has announced a $25,000 donation to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) fo...
22/07/2026
Telemundo has announced it has acquired from UC3 exclusive U.S. Spanish-language...
22/07/2026
The Rest Is Football, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards, ...
22/07/2026
Sports Studio has announced a partnership with TheSoul Group to distribute Free ...
22/07/2026
Daktronics has concluded its 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day hybrid event combining virtual sessions with hands-on host school visits across the countr...
22/07/2026
FOR-A America will exhibit at the MMCA Show in Pensacola, Florida (July 21-24), marking the company's first appearance at the house of worship AV event. FOR...
22/07/2026
The New York Yankees have selected Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) to connect Ya...
22/07/2026
Calrec will exhibit at IBC 2026 (Stand 8.C47) with demonstrations of its IP-native audio ecosystem built around the Argo console range, and will announce two ne...
22/07/2026
Solid State Logic has announced the appointment of Algam EKO as its distributor for SSL large format consoles in Italy, covering the Live, Broadcast, and Studio...
22/07/2026
FloSports has announced the launch of the FloSports Channel, a free ad-supported streaming channel premiering on Prime Video in the U.S. on July 21. The channel...
22/07/2026
Banana Ball TV (BTV), the broadcast operation of the Savannah Bananas, has insta...
22/07/2026
SiriusXM and Audacy have announced an agreement bringing 42 Audacy sports, news, and talk stations from 29 U.S. markets to SiriusXM. Twenty-three Audacy sports ...
22/07/2026
The collaboration produced more than 500 short-form videos across four cities th...
22/07/2026
At 2,600 sq. ft., the new home of digital content houses a main studio, podcast space, and an auxiliary control room
NFL franchises are accelerating their prod...
22/07/2026
Library now available in Engine Player
Another of Eduardo Tarilonte's popular sample libraries has just been moved over to Engine Audio's Engine Pla...
22/07/2026
All-in-one mic & DSP interface overhauled
Cloudvocal have just refreshed the design of their all-in-one mic, audio interface and DSP processor, introducing ...
22/07/2026
The final boss of the lost dual-op-amp circuit
Electro-Harmonix have just introduced the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2, which they say offers their latest take on t...
22/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
A poisoned spy, a secret war, and a small English city contaminated by a deadly chemical weapon. Available on Sky Documentaries from 4 AugustWednesday 22 July 2...
22/07/2026
Audio at Parity: Comscore Launches Transcript-Level Targeting and Measurement wi...
22/07/2026
Arvato Systems and Lobster Enter into a Partnership and Combine the Integration Platform and Managed Services
Flexible integration solutions for cloud, hybrid...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
Horror Films Are Good for Body and Mind 
