The Best of Television Horror 1950 - 2010 TV-MA
- 9 years ago
EPILEPSY WARNING. ASTHMATIC WARNING.
TECHNO AHEAD WARNING. ADULTES SEULEMENT.
DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU ARE EASILY FRIGHTENED.
Here I have tried to portray as many horrors on TV I enjoyed, or still enjoy. You will notice some I have missed, that you enjoyed, my sincere apologies. Leave a comment on the one I have missed and i will do a separate theme for it. The music track I have featured here is from the Belgian techno duo, Apotheosis. The track of course a remix of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana "O Fortuna". "If movies are the dreams of the mass culture... horror movies are the nightmares" — Stephen King
Horror is an ancient art form. We have tried to terrify each other with tales that trigger the less logical parts of our imaginations for as long as we've told stories. From the ballads of the ancient world to modern urban myths, audiences willingly offer themselves up to sadistic storytellers to be scared witless, and they are happy to pay for the privilege. Theories abound as to why this is so; do we derive basic thrills from triggering the rush of adrenalin which fear brings, or do horror stories serve a wider moral purpose, reinforcing the rules and taboos of our society and showing the macabre fate of those who transgress? Horror movies have long served both purposes. They deliver thrills by the hearseload, as well as telling us stories of the dark, forbidden side of life (and death) – cautionary tales for grown ups. They also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time. Nosferatu (1922) is not simply a tale of vampirism, but offers heart-rending images of a town beleaguered by premature and random deaths, echoes of the Great War and the Great Flu Epidemic fatalities. At the other end of the century Blade (1998) is not just a tale of vampirism either, but reflects a fear of the powerful yet irresponsible elements in society, a lawless elite, echoes down the corridor of the growing invincibility of those at the top. Horror movies of the early 21st century cogitate on global concerns of contagion (28 Days Later), or sound reactionary warning notes about the dangers of leaving moral absolutism behind (The Last Exorcism, The Conjuring). Horror movies provide a unique space for free discourse about the moral, political and societal shifts in our communal paradigms. The primary disadvantage of horror television, which has traditionally struggled to maintain a strong presence on the airwaves, as compared to horror movies, which have been plentiful and popular (if not always respected) since the birth of cinema, is visuals.
TECHNO AHEAD WARNING. ADULTES SEULEMENT.
DO NOT WATCH THIS IF YOU ARE EASILY FRIGHTENED.
Here I have tried to portray as many horrors on TV I enjoyed, or still enjoy. You will notice some I have missed, that you enjoyed, my sincere apologies. Leave a comment on the one I have missed and i will do a separate theme for it. The music track I have featured here is from the Belgian techno duo, Apotheosis. The track of course a remix of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana "O Fortuna". "If movies are the dreams of the mass culture... horror movies are the nightmares" — Stephen King
Horror is an ancient art form. We have tried to terrify each other with tales that trigger the less logical parts of our imaginations for as long as we've told stories. From the ballads of the ancient world to modern urban myths, audiences willingly offer themselves up to sadistic storytellers to be scared witless, and they are happy to pay for the privilege. Theories abound as to why this is so; do we derive basic thrills from triggering the rush of adrenalin which fear brings, or do horror stories serve a wider moral purpose, reinforcing the rules and taboos of our society and showing the macabre fate of those who transgress? Horror movies have long served both purposes. They deliver thrills by the hearseload, as well as telling us stories of the dark, forbidden side of life (and death) – cautionary tales for grown ups. They also provide a revealing mirror image of the anxieties of their time. Nosferatu (1922) is not simply a tale of vampirism, but offers heart-rending images of a town beleaguered by premature and random deaths, echoes of the Great War and the Great Flu Epidemic fatalities. At the other end of the century Blade (1998) is not just a tale of vampirism either, but reflects a fear of the powerful yet irresponsible elements in society, a lawless elite, echoes down the corridor of the growing invincibility of those at the top. Horror movies of the early 21st century cogitate on global concerns of contagion (28 Days Later), or sound reactionary warning notes about the dangers of leaving moral absolutism behind (The Last Exorcism, The Conjuring). Horror movies provide a unique space for free discourse about the moral, political and societal shifts in our communal paradigms. The primary disadvantage of horror television, which has traditionally struggled to maintain a strong presence on the airwaves, as compared to horror movies, which have been plentiful and popular (if not always respected) since the birth of cinema, is visuals.