Fear Diosage

There is something about Horror movies that capture people's attention. The type of movies that people keep coming back to (not me, crazy ex boyfriend traumatized me with so many horror movies). So what is it about horror movies that have the audiences coming back for more. In Noel Carroll's Paradox of Horror is the question of "how is it that we can enjoy being in a state of horror." He talks about two elements of horror movies, fear and disgust. Monsters are portrayed as disgusting things and they incite fear in the viewers. 

Carroll also talks about a need to satisfy "a need to know" instinct that horror movies bring the audience. Movies like The Exorcism, Halloween, Scream, and Nightmare on Elm Street that have sequel after sequels, have provided people with the rush of feeling scared. However, we cringe at the idea of even being in that situation. 

However, horror elements have been in a lot films even though they are not horror related. Monsters and villains are portrayed in several film productions. While the Lord of the Rings production was not a horror movie it did have the horror elements. The audience sees monsters throughout the franchise but still these horror elements are presented in our everyday lives. So what is our fascination with horror? Carroll talks about how we need "to temporarily suffice the desire for disgust and fear that we often hide from our alter-ego."