Atheists and Horror Films

[Crossless2.0]

Um...it's a movie.


If you watch a porn flick are you concerned about getting a blowjob in the middle of the night?

Sadly, that's a 'concern' that doesn't afflict me.  But I'm brave and prepared to be scared senseless.  Any night now, honey -- any night . . .

[Jericho]

I fainted watching a B/W horror movie many years ago. Don't recall the title, but the scene involved skinning a woman's leg. There was a big knife, she was screaming, and the bad guy was peeling her leg.

I'm still not overly fond of scenes that are that gross and gore-filled. Watch the Raid and the Raid 2 for some good old-fashioned bloody fight scenes. If they don't make you cringe at least once, then you aren't normal.

[RobbyPants]

Everyone knows that creationists make the best horror films:

[Nope]

Okay, so I recently saw, The Babadook and it freaked the everloving shit out of me. For the past week or so I've been barring my closet with a chair, looking under my bed, and sleeping with the light on. So, I'm just wondering, even though I'm an atheist and I don't believe in the supernatural, am I being hypocritical in my nonbelief by being spooked by a horror film?

I haven't read through the thread yet but I just saw that film on Netflix yesterday! It might help if you realize the Babadook was just a manifestation of the mother's grief over her husband's death and hidden resentment that her difficult son lived. She had to come to terms with those feelings to get banish the monster. The reason he lived in her cellar is because you never get over grief and loss but overtime you can start living your life again. 

So, as long as you don't have repressed grief and anger, the Babadook should not be paying you a visit.

Whenever I go use the bathroom in anyone's house, I always look behind the shower curtain.  When I am alone in a public restroom, I check all the stalls. Why? Because I have watched one too many freaking horror movies over the years. 

[Jericho]

The scariest movie I've ever seen is still Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

[Angrboda]

Killer Klowns is awesome. It's a mix of funny and scary.

[Cyberman]

Great, now I've got the Killer Klowns song stuck in my head.

Awesome film, though. A klassik.

[paulpablo]

Okay, so I recently saw, The Babadook and it freaked the everloving shit out of me. For the past week or so I've been barring my closet with a chair, looking under my bed, and sleeping with the light on. So, I'm just wondering, even though I'm an atheist and I don't believe in the supernatural, am I being hypocritical in my nonbelief by being spooked by a horror film?

I feel like this sometimes, and I feel hypocritical about it.

What I think though is that instincts impact you instantaneously a lot of times whereas logic and reasoning are more long term decisions. 

Like being afraid of a balloon popping is instantaneous even if you know its a balloon popping, some people still just get scared of the anticipation of the bang because instinctive to be scared of a short sharp loud noise like that. 
In the long term though having thought about the lack of danger from a popping balloon its not scary.

So in the long term if you asked me about going into the woods at night do I believe something will happen to me while I'm there I'd say no. 
But in the short term while I'm in the woods at night my instincts will take over, it's dark, my senses are on high alert and every single horror film will instantly be on my mind and I'll be thinking of clowns, zombies, serial killers and the sound of squishing corpse feet running after me.

[Cyberman]

Well, my nerves are so shot, I practically have a heart attack every time my phone goes off. Yet I do sometimes distract myself with a horror film, the scarier the better. I think it's because it's a controlled sort of fear, invoking the same primal fight or flight reactions but perhaps as a lightning rod to channel pent up emotions which otherwise would have no avenue of release. I'm a product of my species, with all the racial memories that implies, and I see no shame in embracing that.

[Jericho]

For some reason, I have no issues watching horror films with friends or family, though it scarcely induces the same reaction that it used to. I'm not sure if my sense of fear is dulled or if I have recognized all horror films to follow the same patterns, but they don't affect me that much anymore.