Thinking about parents, allowing children to watch scary movies is another way to be intentional about the role. As you can see from this list at Commonsense Media, selecting a good/scary movie can mean weighing the child's age, developmental ability to understand what's happening, to know that it's make believe, temperament and sensitivity to images and actions that another child might not find frightening, and the setting in which the movie is viewed. As with all media, someone should engage with the child while viewing to make it a positive experience. In part, this scaffolding can attune to what the experience is like for the individual child. It also allows asking the child questions to correct misunderstandings or to deepen comprehension of what is being viewed. Questioning and engagement can also help children understand consequences (of for instance, violence, often portrayed as cartoony and painless, or of gender representations).
As adults we like to watch favorite films and TV shows for lots of reasons. Memories, emotions, the story, who we watch it with and sometimes to just get a good scare.
In class I shared that my favorite scary movie is The Haunting (1963), directed by Robert Wise. Here's the IMDB page with information about the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057129/?ref_=nv_sr_4 . This film came out when I was 8, and I probably saw it for the first time when I was 9 or 10. I love it because it is very well done - in the pre-cgi era - showing what happens with a mixture of talent, good camera work and imagination. And for its indelible impact on me (as I still think twice at leaving my hand off the side of the bed) . Below is the trailer:
What is YOUR favorite scary movie and why? Or, if you don't like scary movies, why not?
I absolutely LOVE Halloween movies. My favorite scary movie is probably Friday the 13th. I watched this movie for the first time when I was about 14 years old. This movie takes place at a summer camp on a lake in the woods. To this day, I still get scared to be alone outside up at my cabin.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager, I loved scary movies. However, I do not enjoy them as much anymore and mostly lean towards watching Disney movies like Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown on Halloween. I think this may be because, overall, I am not a huge fan of scary movies. However, I was adventurous and risk taking in my teenage years which may have led me to watch horror movies.
I have two favorite scary movies. The first would have to be The Orphan. It is more of dramatic thriller but still pretty scary. I watched it with my family when it came out in theaters.
ReplyDeleteThe second would have to be the Insidious movies and in particular the second one. I really like this scary movie because the music would be really loud when you least expect it and if your TV volume is really loud you get a good scare. Another reason why I like it is because I think it has a great story line and it reminds me of the Hmong culture. We have shamans who travel to the spirit world in order to bring back lost souls and guide them back to their families. The same idea is happening in this movie.
I hate hate hate scary movies. I have ever since I was little. Even if the movie doesn't seem that scary (or even stupid) in the moment, it always has a way of creeping back into my head when I'm alone in bed at night right before I'm about to fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteTo me, scary movies are either unrealistic (like ghosts or witches or anything supernatural), in which case they don't scare me and then I find them boring. Or they ARE realistic and terrifying (like a murderer or kidnapper) and then it becomes something that I feel like could actually happen to me, and I will have nightmares about it for a week.
The 'thrill' that some people feel from fright or being scared is not a positive feeling to my mind or body. I simply get an upset stomach and am nervous for the next couple of days if I'm alone or in the dark.
If I had to pick some scary movies that I enjoy, I would say that they are more comical and typical Halloween classics, like Hocus Pocus, Scooby Doo, or The Witches.
Thank you, Ivy! And THIS is why parents need to be attuned to and listening to their own and individual child. Even though they may enjoy watching scary movies, or other children do, not every child does. It can seem very real and the images and sounds and experiences can live with them long after the event. For some children (and adults) viewing violence is a trauma, and like other trauma it should not be subjected to anyone unwillingly. Parents as adults can always find other times and places to watch a scary film, if its for their own enjoyment. And must take the responsibility to ensure that (all of) their children feel safe, secure and are entertained by a media choice.
DeleteI LOVE scary movies, I don't really know why though. When I'm watching them I HATE it. Hate hate hate. Why would I voluntarily scare the crap out of myself? Even though I love scary movies I don't really have a favorite, but thrillers are my go-to. I don't enjoy lots of bloodshed or gore and stuff like that. I love the suspense and things jumping out at you!
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about scary movies. I used to completely refuse to watch them because I am so easily scared, and such a wimp. But my boyfriend and his siblings LOVE scary movies, so I've ended up watching quite a few of them. I still refuse to watch any without him, and a pillow to cover my eyes with. To be honest, I usually end up watching them with one eye, or between my fingers. When they aren't unnecessarily gory or revolting and have an interesting plot I actually find myself enjoying them quite a bit. They still do, and probably always will keep me up at night and force me to sleep with a light on for the next week because I have too wild of an imagination sometimes. Ones I have not enjoyed are Blair Witch Project (because I love to camp), Room 1408 and Is Above As Below (because of all the references to hell and the devil) and the Woman in Black (because it was downright terrifying). Ones I did enjoy were Signs and the Village which aren't all that scary but have really good stories, and Conjuring 2 and the Insidious movies which were incredibly scary to me and made it sooooo hard to sleep at night but I got really drawn into them and I thought they were in that category of "a typical modern scary movie" but were about more than just scaring you. The paranormal activity movies, for example, were just an hour and a half of making the audience terrified, and had no plot to speak of. So I think to summarize I like scary movies that have a purpose, and use the scary/ horror aspects to get creative with a story line.
ReplyDeleteIf I really had to pick my favorite scary movie, it would be one of the Scary Movie films because they really aren't scary at all. I would consider them to be more of a comedy than anything else. They are all spoofs on typical scary movie plots. I am the kind of person that you truly don't want to watch scary movies with because I will be a paranoid mess for days afterwards. Like Ivy said, even if in the moment, something in a movie doesn't seem scary or maybe even realistic, somehow it always finds a way of rising to the surface of my thoughts when I am alone. I even had to cut myself off from watching Law and Order: SVU. I've never really understood the concept of watching something with the intent of becoming afraid. I personally do not enjoy that feeling.
ReplyDeleteI have long been a "scaredy cat", as my family fondly named me. I jump very easily and I was afraid of the dark all the way through graduating highschool. I often slept with the lights on because I was convinced that my house had ghosts and I would see too many things in the dark. I could never shake that feeling of being watched. Despite this, I always watched scary movies when my friends decided we should. I never wanted to be the weird one that was actually afraid. I watched them frequently and most I could laugh off or reason that they wouldn't happen to me, but anything with demons or ghosts stuck with me. My house always made the creepiest noises and I had tons of nightmares. I only watch older ones now since they don't scare me and I can appreciate the art of them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the movie that scared me the worst was not even a "scary movie". It was "Derailed" with Jennifer Anniston and Clive Owen. It is an R rated film that is very violent and I saw it when I was about 8 in theaters with my father and brother. I was so scared I remember covering my ears and facing the back of my chair until I ran out of the theater and hid in the bathroom until my family was done watching the movie. This relates to the earlier part of this post, that engagement with children is necessary when presenting mature content to them. I did not know this would be a violent film and for my 8 year old self seeing a woman beat and hearing her scream was too much for me. I was (and am) a deeply empathetic person and this was one of the first times I had witnessed much physical violence besides slapping or maybe one punch; I had never seen a person's face bleed profusely. I remember my dad trying to calm me by saying, "Its not even real, there's no reason to be scared" At the time, I knew it was not real but that did not horrify me less. I understood that this was fake but that violence isn't always fake and people really do get beat up like that, and it was too scary and sad for me to handle at that age.
It would have served me well if my parent understood my temperament and would not have attempted to get me to "just try it and stop being a scaredy-cat", at least until I was much older and could handle the mature content more.
I'm not a huge fan of scary movies but i like to think that i'm tough and i can watch them. MY favorite scary movie would have to be Halloween. I have had many bad dreams about Micheal Myers and it gives me a thrill to see him go down in the movies even though he never dies. I think i hate him but his mask is cool and scary at the same time. Now every time i go out on Halloween, i think he watching me :(
ReplyDeleteI've never been a fan of scary movies and I've always been able to trace back my fear to a memory when I was younger... When I was around 6 years old and my brother around 8, we went to my babysitter's house and she had just bought the Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets DVD and was dying to watch it. Of course, being only 6, I was very against the idea and made that very clear with my babysitter. However, she reassured me that everything would be fine and that it's not that scary. Boy was she wrong. To a 6 year old, a giant snake and giant spiders is not exactly rainbows and butterflies, so I was scarred for life! I had nightmare for probably a month afterwards. This is all very ironic because today I am a HUGE fan of the Harry Potter series, both the books and the films. However, I still find the 1st, 2nd and 3rd movies to be the scariest!! After seeing those, I'm convinced I wouldn't be able to watch anything even slightly scarier! I have seen a few others that I have detested, but I often enjoy watching them and laughing at the parts that are so unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite scary movie has to be The Shining with Jack Nicholson. Seeing Jack's character slowly descent into madness in the film is chillingly captivating; a role he plays quite well. The movie keeps you on your toes as Jack's wife and son hide from their psychotic father who is out to kill them. It really is a film that has stood the test of time, and the hotel in which the movie was shot is an actual famous hotel in Europe where you can stay.
ReplyDeleteI love scary movies. My roommate and I have been watching them all week before Halloween and still haven't stopped! On a bit of a different note, though, I want to talk about literally my favorite book EVER which is "The Shining," by Stephen King. This book was not only so terrifying that it gave me nightmares, but also an amazing book. Stephen King writes it in such a creative way by inserting what characters are thinking at times in parenthesis, and it was a book that kept me looking forward to turn every page. Let me say this, though -- I watched the movie afterwards and it was so bad in my opinion. Half of the plot was made up and 98% of the book was not included in the movie. You can still read the book if you've seen the movie and I would 10/10 recommend it!!
ReplyDeleteI like scary movies. When I was younger and used to have a paper route, I would stay up on Saturday nights and watch " Horror, Incorporated," on KSTP. They would air one or two black-and-white movies each week. They showed many classic movies as well as obscure ones. I liked Lon Cheney, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi. I think my favorite scary movie though, is "The Exorcist." The satanic possession concept really intrigued me. The acting helped move the story forward. When the Father Karras character is in the room with the afflicted girl and is wiping her brow, she speaks in his recently-deceased mother's voice, "Demi, why you do this to me, Demi," and I was hooked. Then there is the Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells" contribution. That music reminds me of the movie every time I hear it.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE scary movies. One of my favorite scary movies is jeepers creepers! It was one of the first scary movies that I watched with my childhood best friend in middle school. I was intrigued by the music choice and the mysterious man like bird who got to eat/hunt every 23 years. Everyone at school was talking about the movie and I still have fond memories of watching it with my best friend. Whenever I watch this movie I get a rush and I feel like a middle school kid all over again.
ReplyDeleteI don't like scary movies at all, I prefer a lighthearted comedy or romance movie. I don't know what it is about me but I can't handle anything scary. Any slight noise I hear in my apartment I get nervous and start turning on all the lights. I honestly wish that I liked scary movies because those are the ones everyone wants to go see in theaters but instead I'm the oddball out that doesn't go because I wouldn't be able to handle it.
ReplyDeleteI’m personally not a scary movie fan, but I do watch them every once and awhile with my friends. I prefer the movies that use mental capabilities to scare us instead of blood, gore, or something popping out at me unexpectedly. I find that movies that don’t just use physical scare tactics are less interesting and often lack plots. Movies that use mental scare tactics really get your brain wound up and your body fully engaged in the movie.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I was never allowed to watch scary movies, or anything at was PG-13 or above for that matter. I watched my first R-rated horror film around the age of 13, and now I have seen several movies in the genre, some being scarier than others. Because of the way that I was raised, I think I would also regulate the kinds of movies that I will let my children watch. I would never let them watch movies like The Omen which has scared me to this day. I feel that certain movies may be emotionally damaging to young children which is why I will not be showing them to my children.
I do however believe that children should experience a scary movie or two under my supervision so that they can learn to see them in a more positive light. I would personally wait until my children are around the age of ten so that they can use their reasoning abilities to figure out what in movies is actually accurate and what is not real life. I would start my kids out with a mildly scary like Halloween. I feel like that movie is not too scary, but will open up an opportunity for conversation and learning. In the end, I don’t want to shelter my children, but I also don’t want to stump their development by being a neglectful parent and let them watch every scary movie that there is.
My favorite (1991) thriller would have to be Cape Fear! I know its not specified as a horror film, but momnets in this film will give you goose bumps. The movie stars stars a young Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis. Each actor in my opinion did a fantastic job depicting this dark tale. The reason I find this movie so terrifying, is because the events in the movie could actually happen to me. I usually don't find scary movies scary as I do comical. Movies that actually make me ponder my safety in reality is what really gets my heart going. It is an old film, but worth watching.
ReplyDeletePersonally I am not a big fan of scary movies. In fact I would watch the chucky movies as a kid and my mother would have to hide all my stuffed animals. In honor of Halloween I watched the movie "It". It was one of the ones that also scared me when I was younger but watching it now really made me realize how lame it was and made me wonder why I was ever scared.
ReplyDeleteI really like Hitchcock films. My two favorite are The Birds and Psycho. They both use lighting, camera angles, and music to really amp up the tension.
ReplyDeleteI like some types of scary movies. I like the ones that make me jump but some of them can cross the line for me if they are too extreme. I don't have any favorites. I have a friend who wants to watch the movie Don't Breathe sometime in the near future and the trailer looks pretty scary. I wonder what it will be like!
ReplyDeleteThe movie that I watched as a child that scared me the most was Poltergeist. I slept with my parents for a couple of days because I was traumatized and really little when I watched it the first time. I remember being scared that a tree was going to fall on me in the night and eat me because in the movie the tree tries to eat the little girl's brother. I don't watch scary movies for fun but around Halloween or if new ones are out, I will sometimes watch.
ReplyDeleteI have a bit of a love/hate relationship with scary movies. I sort of enjoy getting that thrill that comes from watching a scary movie, however, I recall each and every scary movie that I have ever watched!!! I never forget. Even worse, movies are getting scarier. So I try to stay away from them. One of ones that sticks out to me that most is "The Ring". It wasn't exceptionally well done or anything (don't watch the Japanese version!!!!), but that image of a thin woman in white with her face shrouded by her hair always and jerky movements has stuck always stuck with me. Another one that particularly sticks with me is "Drag me to Hell"; all kinds of scary.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE scary movies. Even so, I did not have a great introduction to them as a child. I was not allowed to watch scary movies, so the first two I saw took place at my neighborhood friend's house. We watched 13 ghosts and Texas chainsaw massacre (the jessica beal one), and then I had to walk home alone. I was scared out of my mind for weeks! Now that I am an adult and have seen so many horror movies, I enjoy them a lot more. For the last two years, my boyfriend and our roommate have held October Horror Fests. This October we watched 36 horror movies! After seeing so many it is really hard to think of my favorite one, but I really enjoy the ones that are more on the silly and creative side. Scanners, 28 days later, Virus, Trick or Treat, Critters, and Slither are currently some of my top rated.
ReplyDeleteI have a love-hate relationship with scary movies. I love the idea of watching them, and I enjoy the adrenaline induced thrill I get while watching them. However, I really don't like the nightmares I get after watching them, and I definitely have to watch them with friends. With that being said, I still really like watching scary movies. However, I like psychological thrillers rather than bloody, violent, gory films, as those tend to make me feel sick to my stomach. I don't necessarily have a favorite scary movie, but I did really like the first season of American Horror Story. It is definitely thrilling and scary, and it forces you think...I have to admit that it sometimes made me question my sanity.
ReplyDeleteI love horror movies in general, so it's so difficult to pick a favorite. So I'll say, at the moment, my favorite horror movie is "A Cabin in the Woods" (2012). I love true horror movies, but I can also appreciate a horror/comedy mix, which is exactly what this is. I appreciate the numerous references to other movies, shows, and video games that this movie includes.
ReplyDeleteTo this day, I have difficulty watching horror movies; it seems like every horror movie I have ever watched it in my memory bank, ready to be brought out when I'm alone or in the dark. My sister always tries to get me to watch one with her, but by this point I know that I just can't handle something guaranteed to frighten me. To illustrate how bad it can get, I even now think of the scene in "The Haunting" that you shared; suffice it to say, I am a huge chicken. One horror movie that particularly comes to mind is "The Ring". That movie continues to give me the creeps and I can't watch movie that has small children, or thin, pale women with long dark hair, as the main antagonists. The also happens to be a Japanese version that promises to be even worse.
ReplyDeleteJust like with onions, I've ALWAYS had a fascination and love for horror movies--largely result of my grandmother's doing. I remember nights I would spend with her and my grandpa watching classics like the first "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Friday the 13th," and "Halloween." If I had to say, the Nightmare on Elm Street series would perhaps be my most favorite of the horror genre when it comes to feature films. It was the first of the aforementioned films to give me nightmares, and have an excuse to stay up and play video games or watch something calming like Animal Planet or Discover Channel once the cartoons stopped running. Still, I love it--especially when it comes to sharing the scares with others. If any of you are fans of gaming, I HIGHLY recommend trying the Dead Space series. Like Elm Street, it is a favorite of mine in regards to horror not just for the medium, but all horror overall.
ReplyDeleteI love scary movies. I don't really have a favorite scary movie, but I think the scariest movie I have ever seen was "The Ring." It's about a young girl who was suffocated and drown in a well. There is a video of this happening and if anyone watches the video, they become haunted by the young girl. I saw this movie at a young age, probably too young, when my older cousins showed it to me after a family party. I remember having bad dreams for a while about the girl crawling out of my bath tub instead of a well. Yikes! I think my favorite thing about scary movies is the adrenaline rush you get while you are watching them. They are usually very poorly made, but are thrilling to watch!
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