You Scream, l Scream...and We All Love It - Our Fascination With The Horror Genre


It's official - the majority of us simply can't get enough of being scared half to death. The horror genre has long been a staple of the movie fanatics diet and with the release of a number of modern classics such as 2012's The Cabin in the Woods and the recently released clownfest which is the remake of Stephen King's IT, this is a trend which looks set to the continue for the foreseeable future.

While it's difficult to pin down exactly how, at which exact time and why we've fallen in love with horror movies, there's little doubt that the genre has left an indelible impact on popular culture.

MUSIC



There are a number of songs which have been directly or indirectly inspired by films within the horror genre and some of them are delightfully subtle. Early Sunsets Over Monroeville by now-defunct emo-rock band My Chemical Romance for example is a homage to the late George Romero's iconic Dawn of the Dead, with lyrics such as "Not knowing you'd change from one bite/I fought them all off just to hold you tight" succinctly encapsulating the feeling of attachment that one feels towards a loved one despite the fact that they're turning into one of the undead.

For a more obvious nod to a more recent film, Eminem's song Buffalo Bill is a direct reference to the cannibalistic serial killer featured in the 1991 movie Silence of the Lambs. When one delves deeper into the lyrics, it's clear that the song is a play-by-play of Bill quest for what can only be referred to as a "woman suit." Interesting enough, this is not Eminem's first foray into Buffalo Bill's psyche, as the Detroit rapper also referenced the serial killers famous "lotion in the bucket" line in his song 3am. Obsessed much?

MERCHANDISE AND MEMORABILIA




Popular specialist chains such as Forbidden Planet and Red Bubble have a humongous catalogue of merchandise relating to horror movies of both the past and present. While we're not quite sure that walking around wearing a t-shirt with a giant clown's face on it is the best way to make new friends, there are more subtle ways of showing your appreciation for the horror genre, such as mugs, keyrings and even duvets with your favorite scary characters imprinted upon them. Rather you than us.

For those who fancy truly immersing themselves in their favorite horror movies, there are numerous events relating to specific films which you can attend all over the country. The upcoming Freddy Fest, for example is essentially a film festival based on A Nightmare on Elm Street, where fans can watch a full screening of the franchise as well as meeting special guests such as the director of Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Jack Sholder.

GAMING



Whether it is console games or online titles, gaming and the horror genre have always gone hand in hand. There are a number of games directly based on the films of the same name, such as the surprisingly intense Saw video game developed by Konami, which features the guttural tones of Jigsaw himself, Tobin Bell. In addition to this, 888casino features an absorbing Nightmare on Elm Street slot game, where you must stay one step ahead of Freddy Krueger in a series of mini-games as you attempt to fight your way to one of the game's progressive jackpots.

For a more subtle interpretation of a horror classic, you need to look no further than the PlayStation 3 classic The Last of Us, which is loosely based on the 2009 movie The Road starring Viggo Mortensen. While The Road features a man and his son traipsing across a post-apocalyptic wasteland, The Last of Us largely follows the same premise although the character roles have been switched around a little bit. In any case, The Last of Us takes an already solid plot and beefs it up superbly, resulting in one of the most absorbing gaming experiences of the last decade.

THE HORROR MOVIE REFERENCES... THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!

When Private Hudson so eloquently observed that the Aliens were "coming out of the goddamn walls" in the 1986 film of the same name, he could well have been talking about the references to the horror genre in popular culture.

However, we're not complaining. There's something extremely satisfying about the adrenaline rush associated with jumping out of your skin and recent horror movies have done an extremely good job so far in ensuring that it's never safe to come out from behind the couch. You may need to move eventually though - even zombies can't survive without nourishment.