Doctor, I need your advice! I love horror films! I think the plots are interesting since I like dark stories of the mind. I'm interested in neat creatures and monsters too.
But I HATE jump scares! I feel SO embarrassed when I'm watching with a friend too and it happens. We love going to the movies and watching horror together but I always don't wanna because I'm scared I'll get jumped scared and feel foolish yet I really want to see the movie too!
Any advise?
Good day, Sublime Spoopy Anon ✨👻✨ I see you are having the Hedgehog's Dilemma, but with horror films. So would it be accurate to call this a Monster's Dilemma, hm??
I personally try to avoid scary movies. Having one bad hair day is enough horror to last me a decade. Heh. And especially after what happened when Ichimatsu dragged me to a certain spoopy movie where an... "accident" happened that... coincidentally enough, was due to a particularly dire jumpscare when the protagonist's friend put their hand on her shoulder. I spilled my "popcorn butter" all over the seat, if you know what I mean... 🍿🍿
Which brings me to my first diagnosing point here ✨✨
This could be a good situation to practice saying no in. That is, if you are finding yourself pressured by your friend to be in a situation that you'd rather not be. Never forget to not let the diamonds that make up your soul to be scratched. They are too valuable. You are too valuable.
Sure, the word "no" is far from my vocabulary, too, but I am not unfamiliar to it!! I always say no to basic, cheap hair product instead of the refined and sparkly stuff (as it will lead to less bad horrifying hair days). But~~ if this really is just a "Monsters Dilemma", then of course Dr. Karamatsu has some prescriptions for you that could tame the JumpScares you are experiencing ✨✨
After the "popcorn butter" seat situation and Mommy and Daddy got billed for the damages, I made sure to go in to future films prepared. Like wearing a condom for my brain ✨🧠✨
So first~~ I found out that it is mostly sound that results in the actual JumpScare! Did you notice that, that a few seconds before The Jump happens, the movie score goes utterly silent?? It would be a PERFECT opportunity to edit in one of my guitar rifts, but at alas... they need it quiet to make you literally jump at the following crashing noise when the monster pops out. Sigh.
Well, in any case, focusing on the score during an Intense Part of the film can be a clue as to when The Jump is going to happen. Think of the silence like the appetizer before the meal. Use the silence as The Expectation!!
Alternatively, you can sort of just casually drift your eyes down to the audience instead of the screen at any point where you're feeling Too Intense, as the only time anyone should ever feel Too Intense is when they are under my fingertips. Heh.
Due to the theater darkness, it's less likely people will notice your eyes aren't exactly straight on at the screen.
This can bring you "out of the film" so-to-say and save you from having a jump.
And at last, some movies have adjoining websites that will tell you where and when to expect a JumpScare so that you can be more primed beforehand ♡♡
Finally, a last bit of advice, my Sublime Spooky Anon, is that you might fancy "Asian Horror" more than "Western Horror". Though, you may already know this, but many Japanese horror films utilize the use of "dread" over "jump". Of course not all, but many!!
Perhaps that is something you can look into and try to get your friend interested in, so you can spend your time exploring Asian Horror films without such 4D elements when they see you ♡♡
You seem like the type of prioritize plot, a true appreciator of storytelling and the arts ♡♡
Of course, there is nothing wrong with thrill seekers that like a good JumpScare film either!! It's just that for us poets, a JumpScare can often be grating as a trick...
Remember I talked about "cumming for the brain"?? These things called "endorphins"?? Well... you see... the moment after the JumpScare ends, your brain cums for some reason.
Just like your love-core down there, the brain likes cumming. So it wants to equate anything that makes it cum as good. So some film-makers try to throw an abundance of JumpScares in their movies to trick you into thinking it is good when it is really lacking some beautiful, raw, human poetic emotion and storytelling!!
They are relying on the JumpScares to make your brain cum instead of putting the artistic effort into creating such an amazing world that will blow you instead!!
Hmm... BRB, I'm going to learn how to create JumpScares in my music now!! ✨✨
