Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films

» Sarah B. Hood - Horror & sci-fi evoke different responses

I think horror naturally works with humour because there's nothing so effective as being lulled into laughing, then being scared out of your socks. You could make an argument that whole canons of horror (zombie movies, teen slashers) were essentially comedic.

Jaws works brilliantly on this level; many of the most startling popcorn shots are preceded by laughs.

Perhaps I'd postulate that horror makes us respond physically, primally, from a place where a lot of humour also resides, whereas sci-fi appeals to a different level of the brain; it's less visceral, more cerebral. The humour is drier, likely to be limited to quips between characters.

It's hard to think of a truly funny sci-fi. Even Buckaroo Bonzai is pretty dry and arch and cynical. There aren't a lot of full belly laughs. I'd certainly call Ghostbusters a haunted comedy rather than a funny sci-fi.

And what works better than a funny, spooky ghost story, after all? Just ask Bob Hope.

(As an aside, there are probably long essays to be written about laughing at monsters. We all know subcounsciously that our bodies will someday go through a terrifying metamorphosis – into ashes, dust, slime, bones – and how scary is that! I think we laugh at skeletons and zombies because there's no other possible response, really.)

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» Puppetmaster - Horror & sci-fi evoke different responses

In response to Horror & sci-fi evoke different responses posted by SarahBHood:

As always, good points all Sarah.

I suppose that there must be a correlation between the "fight or flight" response and humor.

Maybe it's just a case of whistling in the graveyard, a way of taking some of the edge off of the terror.

Puppetmaster.

-- posted by Puppetmaster

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» lokeydaniel - Horror & sci-fi evoke different responses,funny sci fi

In response to Horror & sci-fi evoke different responses posted by SarahBHood:

If you havent seen it, JOHN CARPENTER'S DARK STAR. Johns first movie co-writen by Dan Obanon of Alien/Dead & buried/Return of the living dead fame.
Hilarious low budget sci fi, and if you define science fiction as an examination of technologies affect on humans, the film is certainly that. Woody Allen's SLEEPER.
Pedestrian #1: "hey watch where your going"
Pedestrian #2: #you watch out!!! you got your horror in my comedy!!
P# 1: "you got your comedy in my horror"
P# 1 & 2: MMMM GOOD!
American version of THE RING & original tv version of SALEMS LOT: "Hey!! how we get some comedy!!!"

-- posted by lokeydaniel

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