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Am I Evil? A Look Into The Psyche Of A Horror Fan

Am I evil?

Or more notably, are we, as horror fans evil? Let’s face it, we don’t flock to the cinemas to ogle the latest Friday the 13th or Halloween for moral connotations, and horror flicks hardly scare us anymore (with the exception of maybe Paranormal Activity 3, which I have yet to see) we go to see our favorite anti-heroes do what they do best: stab, cut, maim, mar, burn, bludgeon, hack, slash, disembowel, dismember, behead (and so much more) victim after victim until the red stuff can flow no more, or at least until the villain is (temporarily) routed anyways.

So, does that make us evil?



I’m not going to try and dissect the metaphycal aspects of why we watch onscreen violence. Everyone has their own reason why they do what they do. Instead, I want to answer the above question. Are we evil? Does our love for monsters and blood secure us a hot spot in Hell?

Does rubbernecking when we pass a grusome car accident make us evil?

Some folks go to the movies to have a good scare, which hardly makes them evil. I get it. Some people like to be scared, and that’s all fine and dandy, but I personally stopped being scared about fifteen years ago. Though these movies (for the most part) don’t really terrorize me anymore, I’m as much a horror fan now, as I was in my youth.

If not more so.

As a child growing up in a dysfunctional household not unlike Rob Zombie’s interpretation of the Myers family (just add heavy religious construction and welcome to my childhood) I scurried to these movies as a means of escaping domestic drama. After my parents thankfully divorced, I was left to the mercy of an ultra-judgmental and uber-religious dad who did everything in his super power to keep me from the films I loved. Wielding his bible like Thor’s Hammer, my dad would preach things like, “Those movies are wicked.” And “You’re soul is in danger, boy.” Believe you me, it got to be pretty goddamn (yes that was intentional) laughable after a while. Eventually, I was seen as “Evil,” “Hell bound,” and the next “Charles Manson.” Of course I rebelled, as any angst-ridden teenager would…

My love for horror was quite evident in the clothes I wore, the muc I listened to, and the images I painted. Naturally, my dad was not shy about voicing his disapproval, and tried to force me to go to church, even bringing his pastor to the house to “council” me. If anything from my childhood screwed me up, it certainly wasn’t the horror movies. That, my fellow Bidites, is for damn sure.

Needless to say, my pa and I haven’t been on speakin’ terms for some time, and not because I don’t want to have anything to do with the man. I don’t conform or adhere to his standards of living, so to hell with me. That’s fine. I’m happily married with a young Bidite-in-training of my own.

My eyes are as dry as can be, except when my daughter and I watched “The Monster Squad” for the first time together and she asked, “Daddy, what are nards?” I told her it was bad candy. LMAO!!! What else could I say on the fly?

While I’m certainly not a Satanist, I’m definitely no angel. I’ve had my fair share of ups and waaaaaaay downs, but I generally love life, respect others, and want to see people succeed and be happy. So fuckin’ what if I want to watch chainsaw wielding maniacs terrorize stupid people? Does that make me bad? I don’t get off on it. To me, Leather Face, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger etc. are akin to the shark in “Jaws”. They’re just monster movies—nothing more than 90 minutes of mindless self-indulgence. Sure, they’re a little more “red” than the Universal Monsters of yesteryear, but it’s bacally the same difference, right? Most of these movies are heavily drenched in the richest of cheese sauce.

So what?

I love it. You’ve got your 700 Club, I’ve got my slashers.

I’m not hurting anyone.



My dad was convinced these movies would turn me into a psycho killer. Apparently, a lot of misguided and clueless people out there feel the same. Obviously, we horror fans know better. Murder and mayhem have been around long before the modern slasher film. Jack the Ripper anyone?

These movies entertain. There MIGHT be the occaonal nutjob who shouldn’t be watching these things, but mental illness begins well before someone is ever exposed to a lly movie. The evil people of the world are going to do evil, regardless of horror movies.

These movies don’t warp rational minds, though they certainly are influential. My daughter likes zombies. She likes vampires and werewolves. Instead of Barbie she plays with Monster High dolls, and Halloween is her absolute favorite time of year. She has a toy assault rifle and hunts invible zombies; it’s the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen. She hasn’t seen the more hardcore horror flicks for obvious reasons because she’s only 8, but her blossoming love for horror is quite evident, and when she’s ready, I’ve got a nice collection of DVDs waiting for her to enjoy.

I think I’ll start her off light with some George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and John Carpenter’s Halloween--when she's older, of course.

With that said, my daughter’s no worse off for having seen the Monster Squad or sneaking glimpses of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, when she’s supposed to be in bed. She’s a pretty good kid with a big heart. Compared to a lot of her school mates I’ve seen, my selfless little girl is a rare exception indeed, and she’s a part-time zombie slayer! How much would I bet these rowdier kids aren’t even allowed to even think about horror movies? I think it’s a safe bet.

This article may imply I have a thing against religion—believe it or not I don’t. I want to make it clear I respect all religious beliefs, and was ting my dad as an example of religioty gone amuck. I was the "devil" because I enjoy a good (or bad) horror flick. Now that I'm an adult I can look back on it and laugh. I'm no more the "devil" than Al Pacino was in "The Devil's Advocate". If I learned anything from my pa, it's to do the oppote of him: not be uptight, angry, and judgmental—and to be open minded.

Also, not all fine church goin' folk are bad. My wife's parents attend chruch religiously (yes pun intended) and they have never judged my obvious love for horror.

My childhood experience may not be typical, but it’s what helped to shape me into the adult I am today. I love cheesy movies with lots of blood and screaming, but I’m happy, and I detest senseless real life violence.

So there!



Also, I can acknowledge that not every horror fan has been ridiculed for their love of all things horror. Some have even been fortunate enough to share their love with parents as pasonate about zombies as they are, and that’s beyond awesome if you ask me. Anyways, I hope to hear from you, fellow Bidites. Hopefully, most of you don’t have to defend your love for horror, but if you do, you’re not alone.

So, are we evil? I don’t know about you, but I think it’s safe to say, “No I’m not…far from it actually.” I’m just another horror fan among a legion of horror fans…

…and we are many.

Finally, I joined the rest of civilization and figured out how to include pics with my article. Eureka!!! Albeit rather large, pics. Oh well, I'll figure this mess out soon enough!!! Muhawhawhawhawhawhawhaw!!!

Not entirely. Ha. I fixed your pictures there were really tiny. Lol. Love your articles though, keep up the good work!!

Not entirely. Ha. I fixed your pictures there were really tiny. Lol. Love your articles though, keep up the good work

Thanks a million. LOL! For some reason they looked humongous on the Preview before I posted it. Oh well. Guess I'm not as computer tech savvy as I thought. LOL!!!

I went to a church and they said i was going to hell for watching horror movies and I think I watch horror movies because of the difference between other genres plus the crap load of sub-genres. The truth that churches and everybody who hates this will protest against them because " of the children".

also i'm a huge sucker for old action movies with Schwarzenegger and Stallone but horror stands out in a good way that any other genre can't compare.

For me, the enjoyment occurs for a couple of things, depending on the movie. There's, a) the scary film, which I watch because I love to get the adrenaline pumping and the hairs standing on the back of my neck, then there's, b) the awesome film, which I enjoy either for how batshit it is (Blood Diner), the action (not related to horror, like Maniac Cop), or the score (Maximum Overdrive mixes all these things), and of course, there's, c)for the kills. The reason I enjoy those movies is because of curioty. How far are they going to take this? How will the killer dispatch them? Will they show it? How gory will it be? etc. I enjoy it because of the surprise factor.

Screw those nutjobs that say it turns us into psychopaths.

I write just as I finish storyboards for a horror film which I am directing tonight (Day 2, or...night 2) it should be fun and hopefully the rain will let up. If anything I think Horror has given me a sense of humor amongst it all and it is a genre that can have everything in it, including action, drama, romance, gore, blood, sex, humor. It's just way more fun to watch a horror film than any other genre because there is way more at stake (pun intended).

I didn't have to battle like you did with your church going parents but I did have to watch a lot of old school/new school horror at my grandpas with out my parents knowing and didn't really get to watch them freely until I was much older and now I get to whenever I want (I'm 26) and not only that but I like to make my own.

lol alright, I wrote this long-winded thing that had become a dissertation on the subject of evil lol.

Upon re-reading it, it sounded completely insane.

So I changed it to this. Short & sweet is better.

No, you're not evil. You're very normal. And so are we :)

I was raised in a household that didnt censor horror from very young kids. Though i wish the genre was introduced to me less harshly like you do with your daughter, i dont regret that my whole family loves Halloween, or that i saw Scream at 7, or that when Halloween: H20 came out the whole family gathered around the bootleg. it was traumatizing yes, but I grew to love the boogeyman that terrified me the most, Michael Myers. I think horror has the most dedicated and loving fans, we're not evil. If evil means loving the art of a wonderfully crafted suspense sequence or the art of special FX, or just plain loving our favorite anti hero and his many adventures--- then thats just plain ridicoulus. Judging and isolating horror fans and deeming us disturb for loving a particular genre of a particular creative medium thats more evil than enjoying any horror film. i really wish the genre got the respect it deserves, or at least one college course. i hate being a film major and having my fav landmarks being passed right by. some horror can be studied as much as the next drama, because no matter what, something in our society and in our world, at the time, gave birth to that particular nightmare. to me its just like looking at 70s vigilante films and observing how corrupt the cities were, is the same way you can look at Last House on the Left--- a group of people dressed in cloths that hinted that they had hope at some point, that had that hope stolen from them in the corrupt, dirty grime of the 70s and not to mention the war. with girls feeling the woman's movement accidentally falling upon not the big bad wolf but a bunch of bored, victim of the surrounding elements of society.

I kind of have had people object to me being a horror fan due to their religious beliefs..But not like what you would expect. I am Pagan. I have been nce I was about 16. I have also been a horror fan nce I saw the original King Kong at age 7. Also, I wouldn't exactly label myself a goth, but I do like black clothing..I have tons of black horror movie or band t shirts in my closet. Many people I know who are also pagan have no problem with how I choose to dress, or what I like to watch. Infact, some of them like to come vist and watch horror movies with me. But, there are many forms of paganism, and certain people who label themselves Wiccan seem to have a problem with me.

These individuals are afraid of anything they conder dark, and I guess I am dark, and evil and negative enough to scare them into not wanting to be friends with me.

I probably sound pretty fucking bitter saying this, but, for people who preach that everyone should "harm no one" the way they treat other people who are slightly different than themselves is pretty fucking hurtful.This is one reason why I don't see people who love horror as evil. Everyone has a dark de. I feel like watching horror movies is a way of confronting one's dark de, and people who don't confront that part of themselves end up stabbing a lot of people in the back, while lying to themselves about how nice they are to everyone. The people I have known, who are afraid of anything dark, seem to end up doing and saying very cruel things to other people..And then rationalizing why it is ok for them to act like that. But, most of the horror fans I have met are very nice people..So are most of the actors from horror films I have met at conventions.

So no..You are not evil. Someone isn't good of evil because of the entertainment they like.

Or their religion. They are good or evil based on how they choose to treat other people.

I kind of have had people object to me being a horror fan due to their religious beliefs..But not like what you would expect. I am Pagan. I have been nce I was about 16. I have also been a horror fan nce I saw the original King Kong at age 7. Also, I wouldn't exactly label myself a goth, but I do like black clothing..I have tons of black horror movie or band t shirts in my closet. Many people I know who are also pagan have no problem with how I choose to dress, or what I like to watch. Infact, some of them like to come vist and watch horror movies with me. But, there are many forms of paganism, and certain people who label themselves Wiccan seem to have a problem with me.

These individuals are afraid of anything they conder dark, and I guess I am dark, and evil and negative enough to scare them into not wanting to be friends with me.

I probably sound pretty fucking bitter saying this, but, for people who preach that everyone should "harm no one" the way they treat other people who are slightly different than themselves is pretty fucking hurtful.This is one reason why I don't see people who love horror as evil. Everyone has a dark de. I feel like watching horror movies is a way of confronting one's dark de, and people who don't confront that part of themselves end up stabbing a lot of people in the back, while lying to themselves about how nice they are to everyone. The people I have known, who are afraid of anything dark, seem to end up doing and saying very cruel things to other people..And then rationalizing why it is ok for them to act like that. But, most of the horror fans I have met are very nice people..So are most of the actors from horror films I have met at conventions.

So no..You are not evil. Someone isn't good of evil because of the entertainment they like.

Or their religion. They are good or evil based on how they choose to treat other people.

I totally agree with you man! I'm not a very religious person and plenty of people that go to church frequently (not bashing religious types in general) seem to think that it's okay to be mean or even hurtful to others mply because they go to church and that some how negates their ns for them.

These are my personal views of "Good" and "Evil". Good and Evil are mply perspectives. And horror movies do nothing but illicit emotions, such as fear and uneaness, awe, shock, dread, sorrow, contempt, etc. Much like Chick Flicks, comedies, dramas...They illicit nostalgia, comfort, glee, giddiness, etc. It's in the

human condition to create and to share. That's all movies are, sharing ideas, emotions... That's all everything is, once you really look at it. So in that sense, are horror movies evil? Not at all. How could they be? Are we evil for watching them? How could we posbly be? Is it evil to feel emotions? No. If you watch a boxing match, is it evil to root for your favorite fighter? Well, a slasher flick is kind of like that. And I think as long as the material being viewed is fake, and you're not personally taking part in the phycal or mental hurt of another human being, what posble harm could it be?

And organized religion....don't even get me started. The Catholic church for example is tting on trillions of dollars. While many of their parishioners live in poverty. They're a corporation now; a corporation that covers up acts of child molestation, preys upon the weak-minded, and has the most tainted history of corruption in the history of the world. That is not to say that ALL churches are evil, they do quite a bit of charity work. I'm specifically targeting large, organized facilities. And the Vatican is scared shitless because Islam is growing all over Europe at a faster rate. No one likes competition. They want ALL the money. So they can buy the fucking planet. It's like they're trading stock and their worldwide congregation are the shareholders - The stock is their claims on offering you a pleasant afterlife. After molesting altar boys, buying off victims to keep their mouths shut, a history of violence and corruption...Oh and the tax free status must be nice. Why shouldn't a corporation that is worth trillions not have to pay taxes? That to me, is evil. Wonder how much the Pope's miter cost? How about his wardrobe? The gold candle holders? His entire entourage? How about the Pope mobile? If you've ever donated to a Catholic church, you should know. Ultimately, you paid for it.

I was raised in a household that didnt censor horror from very young kids. Though i wish the genre was introduced to me less harshly like you do with your daughter, i dont regret that my whole family loves Halloween, or that i saw Scream at 7, or that when Halloween: H20 came out the whole family gathered around the bootleg. it was traumatizing yes, but I grew to love the boogeyman that terrified me the most, Michael Myers. I think horror has the most dedicated and loving fans, we're not evil. If evil means loving the art of a wonderfully crafted suspense sequence or the art of special FX, or just plain loving our favorite anti hero and his many adventures--- then thats just plain ridicoulus. Judging and isolating horror fans and deeming us disturb for loving a particular genre of a particular creative medium thats more evil than enjoying any horror film. i really wish the genre got the respect it deserves, or at least one college course. i hate being a film major and having my fav landmarks being passed right by. some horror can be studied as much as the next drama, because no matter what, something in our society and in our world, at the time, gave birth to that particular nightmare. to me its just like looking at 70s vigilante films and observing how corrupt the cities were, is the same way you can look at Last House on the Left--- a group of people dressed in cloths that hinted that they had hope at some point, that had that hope stolen from them in the corrupt, dirty grime of the 70s and not to mention the war. with girls feeling the woman's movement accidentally falling upon not the big bad wolf but a bunch of bored, victim of the surrounding elements of society.

It's funny...horror speaks voulmes about the human condition. The genre deals with every emotion. It terrifies you. It gets the adrenaline flowing. It makes you laugh for a number of reasons. We laugh at ourselves for being scared. We laugh because its cheesey, or there is intentional comedy. A person can learn a lot about him or her self just by watching a couple of horror movies. SOme of us can even relate to the tragic monsters onscreen.

My daugter is naturally curious because I'm a proud horror fan. I don't hide it, but at the same time I don't force it on anyone. She'll sneak in my bedroom to look at the DVDs on my shelf and was especially curious about "The Monster Squad". And it's her choice to watch these movies. So, we'll watch them, but at a pace she can cope with. It can be brutal and too much, especially for an 8-yr-old. Believe me I know.

I remember I first saw John Carpenter's Hallowen at the tender age of 8. It was to come on TV when I was supposed to be in school. You know how kids are, they're impatient and don't think they'll ever get another oppurtunity to do something if they don't do it right then and there. I felt the same way about Halloween. I had to see it for fear I would never get another chance LOL! So, I faked being ck so I could stay home. Little did I know my dad would go to work and leave me home alone. It was day time but I was all alone and watching this freaky scary flick that gave me nightmares!!!

But yeah, there are a ton of reasons why we watch horror movies. We're curious in nature. We love to be terrified. We also want to see great special effects in action. Some are artistic and want to see the F/X in action. Also, we want to escape from a reality where the evils of the world are often more terrifying and despicable than any onscreen villian in a mask.

And yes...horror does deserve more respect.

It's a legitimate art that commands a legion of devoted and very forgiving fans.

I kind of have had people object to me being a horror fan due to their religious beliefs..But not like what you would expect. I am Pagan. I have been nce I was about 16. I have also been a horror fan nce I saw the original King Kong at age 7. Also, I wouldn't exactly label myself a goth, but I do like black clothing..I have tons of black horror movie or band t shirts in my closet. Many people I know who are also pagan have no problem with how I choose to dress, or what I like to watch. Infact, some of them like to come vist and watch horror movies with me. But, there are many forms of paganism, and certain people who label themselves Wiccan seem to have a problem with me.

These individuals are afraid of anything they conder dark, and I guess I am dark, and evil and negative enough to scare them into not wanting to be friends with me.

I probably sound pretty fucking bitter saying this, but, for people who preach that everyone should "harm no one" the way they treat other people who are slightly different than themselves is pretty fucking hurtful.This is one reason why I don't see people who love horror as evil. Everyone has a dark de. I feel like watching horror movies is a way of confronting one's dark de, and people who don't confront that part of themselves end up stabbing a lot of people in the back, while lying to themselves about how nice they are to everyone. The people I have known, who are afraid of anything dark, seem to end up doing and saying very cruel things to other people..And then rationalizing why it is ok for them to act like that. But, most of the horror fans I have met are very nice people..So are most of the actors from horror films I have met at conventions.

So no..You are not evil. Someone isn't good of evil because of the entertainment they like.

Or their religion. They are good or evil based on how they choose to treat other people.

Some of the nicest people I have ever met are piereced up, heavily tattooed "freaks" at horror conventions.

From a bac psychological standpoint,

""According to gmund Freud, humans have a life instinct—which he named "Eros"—and a death drive, which is commonly called "Thanatos". This postulated death drive allegedly compels humans to engage in risky and self-destructive acts that could lead to their own death. Behaviors such as thrill seeking and aggreson are viewed as actions which stem from this Thanatos instinct. ""

(from wikipedia)

If you buy into any of that it could be argued everyone has a different way to fulfill their "death drive". It could also be argued that horror fans are smarter than the average human for finding a way to satisfy our Thanatos instincts that aren't harmful to ourselves or others.

Loving Horror movies is completely normal, as is a love of metal muc or violent video-games. The mple fact is media does not make killers, killers may be drawn to violent media, but that media did not make them that way. That crap makes me want to smack people when I'm in a store and I hear a parent say no to a child about a videogame because "it will make them grow up to be a mass murderer" this is in quotations because I have heard these exact words more than once. When I was 5 my older brother taught me how to play DOOM, when I was in elementary school I got sent to the counselor for drawing a space marine blowing up zombies people tried over and over to say I would grow up to be a killer. My mother tried desperately to keep me away from anything slasher related because she thought I would 'perseverate' on them (I DESPISE that word). I am glad to say that as I write this more than 10 years later, I have yet to commit a murder, my room is filled with weapons (I make knives), and I own the entire collection of the great slashers.

I do feel however that a sharp eye should be kept on those who are obsessed with and intensely enjoy torture movies. This is indicative of sadistic tendencies and goes above and beyond mply enjoying a scary movie