Desire for Dread

Amidst the dead silence of night, when the shroud of darkness covers the weary eyes, far away in the distance, a constant barking of the dogs augurs the fear of the ‘unknown’… It is time for an evil to arise and spread its reign of terror. <br><br>
In a dim alley, a frightened man is running - panting heavily. He is frantically crying for help but to no avail. Haunted by the saw-wielding zombies, death is written on his pale face. Petrified; he writhers in pain, as his nemesis hacks him to death and disappears into the mist. Kill them and they do not die, they feast on the blood of innocents, on a full moon night, they turn into grisly beasts… <br><br>
This could be a plot from a classic horror film or a rip-off of any scary novel, graphically portraying an abominable Frankenstein, a blood sucking Dracula, thousand-year-old mummy, cursed werewolf, a disturbed psychopath or mutilated zombies – part of cult Hollywood horror machinery. However, when it comes to the horror cinema, Hollywood is any day better than our rickety Bollywood ‘fear factory’ (spearheaded by none other than the Ramsay brothers). <br><br>
A genre that originates from fantasy, fear, bloodlust and death, one wonders how one can have an appetite for such lunacy. For those who loath violence and disturbing images in cinema, horror is an ostensibly nauseating genre, which is the wellspring of malevolence. <br><br>
In all the horror films that I have watched over the years (mind you, not alone, eh!), I was hell scared by ‘Friday the 13th’, ‘Psycho’, ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Hellraiser’, ‘The Evil Dead’ and ‘The Omen’. Yet, despite all the goose bumps and jittery nights, I still look forward to the horror feast. <br><br>
If the genre of horror induces fear, why is it that we are besotted by the very same? Well, there can be umpteen raison d'être behind such desires – ranging from sadomasochism to being a movie enthusiast. Of late, various psychologists have come to the conclusion that the love for horror arises from the uncanny. Odd it may sound, but in all propriety, it is discomfort that arouses pleasure. <br><br>
For us, anything which is unknown or unfamiliar gravitates into terror or horror. True, horror is a work of fiction, a genre of fantasy that provides momentary escape from realism. However, deeply disturbing imageries have a sublime effect on human consciousness. Anything that is mystified raises bewilderment and so does the genre of horror. A horror film or novel may scare us, but ultimately the very knowledge of it being a work of fiction offers immense pleasure. Thus, in horror, pain becomes pleasure. <br><br>
Yet, despite the fact that horror films terrify us with their dread, the genre of horror evokes some seminal issues on our present-day society. Horror cinema often paints a dystopian world, devoid of society, ethics and spirituality. Finally, the dark and menacing world of horror portrays the debilitating humanity haunted by demons lurking within us. <br><br>
So, the next time you watch a horror film, don’t be afraid, just relax and enjoy the dread!