Since the genre was created decades ago, horror films have fallen under intense scrutiny for their gratuitous violence and controversial plots. Nevertheless, what some may consider cheap thrills others consider justifiable entertainment. The genre has seen its ups and downs, but in 1996, audiences flocked to theatres to witness what would become the unofficial resurrection of the genre: Wes Cravení¢â‚¬â„¢s Scream. Although scary movies had never disappeared altogether, it was this film that pushed them to the forefront of the Hollywood dream machine.

Ten years later and the genre still dominates at the box office, captivating the attention of audiences in ever increasing numbers. In recent years, audiences have flocked to theatres to witness the reappearance of genre favorites such as Freddy vs. Jason, remakes of classic thrillers like The Amityville Horror and The Omen or to experience new inventions in the genre like Hostel. These audiences all have one goal in mind: simply to scare themselves silly.

To meet this increased demand, major studios are expanding, to create their own horror production companies and key producers are teaming up with writers to resurrect old classics; ideas designed to cash in on the almost guaranteed box office success that these films generate. One of the dominant players in the horror field is the studio commonly referred to as í¢â‚¬Å“the house that Freddy builtí¢â‚¬ , New Line Cinema. Having secured the rights to not only the Nightmare on Elm Street series and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre films, it also recently acquired the Friday the 13th franchise. The horror genre is no longer a collection of b-class, direct to video movies, it is a powerful and dominant fixture of the international movie market.

So what is it that inevitably attracts audiences to horror movies? Scary movies are a portal into the dark side of humanity, an examination of the fears we all share. Some have said that we rarely experience fear in our own lives and horror movies are therefore cathartic. Audiences can be scared in a controlled environment and return to their lives after a short period of time. At the most basic level, ití¢â‚¬â„¢s the ability to experience the emotion of fear without any unpleasant consequences.

Alternately, one might suggest that horror movies display the most basic aspects of the human condition. The blatant differences between right and wrong and good and evil are characterized in these films, working out the kinks of morality and leaving nothing to the imagination. Nightmares of the collective unconscience, horror films explore the fears, hopes and dreams of communities and project them onto larger than life movie screens across the globe. In a world filled with injustice and violence, why wouldní¢â‚¬â„¢t someone want to see good conquer evil? Audiences want to believe that evil exists in the form of demons and monsters, tangible creatures that can be destroyed and defeated. Thus scary movies also act not only as a form of social reflection, but also as escapism.

So we must then ask the question, what are the effects of this somewhat disturbing fascination? Horror movies have been cleaning up at the box office for years now and to Hollywood executives, this fascination translates into box office gold. Horror movies are notoriously cheap to make and do not require an A-List cast or well known director. Lower overhead means higher profits and that means that this trend in modern cinema is here to stay. In todayí¢â‚¬â„¢s society we are forced to watch the good guys loose everyday; to unfairness, to violence, to sheer circumstance. Horror movies allow average, everyday people to thwart evil, albeit often with a little help from their friends.

So the next time you frown at the release of yet another horror picture, ask yourself this: Wouldní¢â‚¬â„¢t it be fun to believe for a short period of time that good could conquer over evil? Much like the thrill a roller coaster provides, horror audiences are seeking an escape from the mundane. Horror movies offer this experience in the safety of a darkened theatre. For a small fee, we can experience something that manipulates the emotions and tantalizes the senses, returning to our normal lives shortly afterwards without any lasting effects. With remakes of classics like Friday the 13th and Halloween hitting our cinema screens in the coming months and countless other projects on the horizon, the demand for the genre isní¢â‚¬â„¢t slowing down. Regardless of the state of the world or the evolution of the industry, horror films will remain a fixture in cinema because audiences will always be willing to indulge their curiosity of the unknown and explore their deepest fears.