Do A Certain "Type" of People Like Horror Movies?

[Thalassa]

I've liked horror movies since I was a kid, and the only ones that I don't like are the "torture porn" ones with extended scenes of graphic human suffering. However, I do feel a certain release of anger and tension sometimes in watching gory splatter porn, the psychological ones make me think, and I enjoy the cheesy, campy ones because I think they're entertaining and fun.

Of course some people hate all horror, even relatively mild thrillers. Does anyone think that this has anything to do with type? I suspect that Se most of all (which I have higher Se I think than I'm supposed to for my type) and possibly Ne (?) could influence a prediliction toward horror. On the other hand, for some reason I think that Fe, Si, and maybe even Ni would have the most problem with it and/or dislike it.

Thoughts? Opinions? Does anyone think this is type related at all? Seems like a question to be asking this close to Halloween...

 

[VagrantFarce]

xSTPs, objective FACT

I think different types of horror appeal to different types of people. For example stuff like Alien or Jacob's Ladder is abstract and associated with bodily-invasion, which I think can be easily associated with Si and Ni/Ne. Whereas stuff like Saw or Hostel is probably very Se since the focus is on gratuituous gore.

 

[poppy]

I love me some horror films, but only if they're a little imaginative (or alternatively completely cheesy). So I'll watch stuff like "The Haunting in Connecticut" and think that's a blast, and my Se-user friends will be totally bored and wondering why there aren't more fountains of blood spurting out of necks or whatever.

The "torture porn" stuff usually just bores me and then grosses me out a lot. Gore isn't inherently scary, and I don't watch a movie to be made nauseous, I want to be made afraid.

 

[Thalassa]

Well, bodily invasion/alien movies seem more sci-fi to me, which is something that I (perhaps irrationally) associate with TJs.

I just wonder what part that Ne plays in this, because there was a humor thread illustrating the difference between Ne and Ni humor, and someone gave what I thought was a PERFECT example of Ne humor: Family Guy... which in turn made me think of other random/risque/weird/boundary pushing humor like Frisky Dingo, which is basically like horror comedy.

I definitely think that Se is associated with horror, not just extreme stuff like Saw and Hostel, but even the more "artistic" sensory-driven old-school exploitation horror cinema.

I don't even know where I'm going with this. Ha ha.

 

[MacGuffin]

I love horror films and I'm with you on the "torture porn". That isn't scary/terrifying. Threatening it, yes, but showing it is just an exercise in what Stephen King called "the gross out". The lowest form of horror.

As far as type? I'm not sure.

 

[Thalassa]

I love me some horror films, but only if they're a little imaginative (or alternatively completely cheesy). So I'll watch stuff like "The Haunting in Connecticut" and think that's a blast, and my Se-user friends will be totally bored and wondering why there aren't more fountains of blood spurting out of necks or whatever.

The "torture porn" stuff usually just bores me and then grosses me out a lot. Gore isn't inherently scary, and I don't watch a movie to be made nauseous, I want to be made afraid.

I like spooky, psychological movies, too. Then again, I know an SP who likes psychological supernatural horror as well - he just also likes torture porn.

I actually like gore and blood. Blood doesn't make me sick. I watched a lot of slasher flicks as a teen. I sometimes find watching things like that catharctic -I felt that way a little bit about A L'Interieur, and I must admit I LOVED the final scene of Rob Zombie's Halloween.

I just don't usually like the super-duper-extended human suffering torture scenes. It evokes my pity/compassion response. I'm much more disturbed by the idea of a person being extensively tortured than quickly cutting someone up with obviously fake blood and special effects.

 

[AutumnReverie]

I love horror movies! In fact, I'm having a "horror movie night" tonight with an INFJ friend of mine. I'm not much into gore or "torture porn" though, but everything else I really enjoy.

I love me some horror films, but only if they're a little imaginative (or alternatively completely cheesy). So I'll watch stuff like "The Haunting in Connecticut" and think that's a blast

I really liked "The Haunting in Connecticut", I even watched it twice!

I usually watch horror movies for one of two reasons: to be genuinely afraid (which happens usually only with haunted/spirit/ghost/demonic possession-type horror films) or just to be entertained (everything else) I just think horror movies are really fun to watch, especially with a group of people or with a friend.

Tonight we're watching (at least two of these): Drag Me to Hell, The Descent, The Exorcist, and Halloween.

I like spooky, psychological movies, too.

Spooky, psychological movies are fun too. I think the scariest ones, for me, are the things that might (even if unlikely) actually happen in real life. So, "monster" movies don't scare me, but I still love watching them for entertainment value.

 

[mockingbird]

I don't know if this has anything to do with my type, but I absolutely, hate, hate, HATE, horror films of every kind. Being freaked out is NOT my idea of a good time. If that's how you get your kicks, though, then more power to ya... Just don't try to force me to watch, please.

 

[poppy]

I actually like gore and blood. Blood doesn't make me sick. I watched a lot of slasher flicks as a teen. I sometimes find watching things like that catharctic-I felt that way a little bit about L'Interior, and I must admit I LOVED the final scene of Rob Zombie's Halloween.

I just don't usually like the super-duper-extended human suffering torture scenes. It evokes my pity/compassion response. I'm much more disturbed by the idea of a person being extensively tortured than quickly cutting someone up with obviously fake blood and special effects.

That's very F of you I don't find particularly violent scenes that cathartic, nor am I that likely to be emotionally touched by extended torture scenes (there are plenty of things that are likely to evoke an emotional response from me, but none of those are typically found in horror films).

I usually watch horror movies for one of two reasons: to be genuinely afraid (which happens usually only with haunted/spirit/ghost/demonic possession-type horror films) or just to be entertained (everything else)

Tonight we're watching (at least two of these): Drag Me to Hell, The Descent, The Exorcist, and Halloween.

Those are pretty much the reasons I watch those movies too.
And I think the desire to be afraid thing, at least for me, has a certain aspect of bravado. For instance, I sat all the way through The Exorcist because neither of my parents had, so I saw it as a challenge (as Mathew Z said, "Everything's a challenge when you've got Te"). Also that movie is easily one of the most disturbing I've ever seen. Can't be beat.

 

[Randomnity]

xSTPs, objective FACT

I think different types of horror appeal to different types of people. For example stuff like Alien or Jacob's Ladder is abstract and associated with bodily-invasion, which I think can be easily associated with Si and Ni/Ne. Whereas stuff like Saw or Hostel is probably very Se since the focus is on gratuituous gore.

I hate horror movies and now I outright refuse to see ones along the lines of Saw (I don't like "suspense" horror either but once in a while I can be dragged to see one).

I just don't like how I feel when I watch them. It doesn't make me happy or make me think, which to me are the two major reasons for watching a movie.

I don't know if it would be type related. I think the last thread on this topic speculated (rightly or wrongly) that it was a TvsF thing.

 

[Thalassa]

Tonight we're watching (at least two of these): Drag Me to Hell, The Descent, The Exorcist, and Halloween.

The Exorcist is definitely one of the best. I assume you're watching the original Halloween? The newer one contains more gore, but it's also deeper psychologically with more character development.

 

[Oaky]

I hate suspense... Can't stand it. Just awful.

 

[AutumnReverie]

Those are pretty much the reasons I watch those movies too.
And I think the desire to be afraid thing, at least for me, has a certain aspect of bravado. For instance, I sat all the way through The Exorcist because neither of my parents had, so I saw it as a challenge (as Mathew Z said, "Everything's a challenge when you've got Te"). Also that movie is easily one of the most disturbing I've ever seen. Can't be beat.

I had never thought about it in that way before, but you're right, there's definitely an aspect of bravado there. In fact, just recently I've been hearing everyone talk about the movie "Paranormal Activity" and how it was so scary that they couldn't sleep at night or how they backed out at the last second because they were afraid to watch it. And after hearing that, I've added it to my the list of movies I must watch by the end of the year. I'm excited!

The Exorcist is definitely one of the best. I assume you're watching the original Halloween? The newer one contains more gore, but it's also deeper psychologically with more character development.

Yeah, The Exorcist is definitely the best on the list. I can't wait! We're watching the original version of Halloween. I don't think I've seen the newer one though, but maybe I should based on your comment!

Speaking of remakes, I watched the newest Friday the 13th over the summer and it...was not good.

 

[Thalassa]

Yeah, many remakes are crap. Halloween is the best one I've ever seen. In fact it won an award for best remake in 2008. I think it's because it's more of a prequel than a remake. It's the same concept, but in many ways a new movie.

 

[Winds of Thor]

I know of an INFJ who's SO is TOTALLY into slasher films. Seedy. This guy's job is to review these sorts of movies.

She was looking for a way out of her relationship (relationsh*t) and took interest in another man. I don't blame her. What a horror all by itself. I mean, INFJs having unbridled imagination..these torturous, gruesome movies can't be pleasant to INFJs let alone other F types.

Her SO is heavily STJ.

I bet being in her house they share feels creepy to her all the time. The number of movies he reviews..it must feel on edge in there.

 

[Thalassa]

I know of an INFJ who's SO is TOTALLY into slasher films. Seedy. This guy's job is to review these sorts of movies.

She was looking for a way out of her relationship (relationsh*t) and took interest in another man. I don't blame her. What a horror all by itself. I mean, INFJs having unbridled imagination..these torturous, gruesome movies can't be pleasant to INFJs let alone other F types.

Her SO is heavily STJ.

I bet being in her house they share feels creepy to her all the time. The number of movies he reviews..it must feel on edge in there.

Uh...I'm an NFP and my ex is an SFP and he's a horror collector. Like Poppy said, I think F's might be more inclined to have a cathartic experience from watching certain types of horror.

You bet being in their house feels creepy all of the time? Why? Does he bring home bodies and store them in the basement?

I dunno. My ex likes really artsy horror and old horror, some of the stuff he's into is really high brow, and other stuff is cheesy, fun exploitation stuff from the 70's and 80's. Sure, some of its disturbing, but ...

Does he especially like torture porn or something? Where is your judgement of this scenario stemming from? Am I missing something? From what you've said, the guy just reviews horror movies.

 

[NewEra]

I absolutely love horror movies. It's not a type-related thing, and the same is true for a lot of other 'stereotypes' that are thrown around here.

I mostly love the kind of horror movies involving suspense, which I crave for (in movies, not in real life).

Favorite horror movies:

The Shining
Nightmare on Elm Street
Friday the 13th
Dawn of the Dead
Halloween

That kind of thing. This is not related to type or cognitive function, in my opinion.

 

[Winds of Thor]

Does he especially like torture porn or something? Where is your judgement of this scenario stemming from? Am I missing something? From what you've said, the guy just reviews horror movies.

What you are missing is that I am offering you some knowledge by adding to your thread that type is related from the standpoint of which types do or don't like horror movies.

The reason is, horror movies present a conflict of interest, values and need for harmony. All three of these qualities is inherent to INFJs.

So, therefore, INFJs, by process of elimination, are not generally included in groups of types who like horror movies.

I won't charge you for the extra entry to your thread

 

[poppy]

I'm willing to bet that there are plenty of INFJs who are into horror movies. Probably all 4w5's

 

[Winds of Thor]

I'm willing to bet that there are plenty of INFJs who are into horror movies. Probably all 4w5's

See there^..if this were true, which, who knows..(btw let's see some rationale for this)..would show that an enneagram or two type of INFJ may be into that sort of thing.

So again, predominantly, INFJs find horror films unpleasant as INFJs can't tolerate conflict well.