Altered States: Character and Emotional Response in the Cinema
Изменённые состояния: персонаж и эмоциональная реакция в кинематографе
1994-01-01
SCID: 54.1/5h3cmsz9
Discuss with AI
Pinheadaudience receptioncharacter identificationemotional responsehorror cinema
Figures from the paper
Abstract (AI)
Female teenager: In Hellraiser, when you first see the Cenobytes, your initial reaction is, Oh God, they're awful! But as they're more on screen, you actually build up ... a feeling for them-Male teenager: -a relationship with themFemale teenager: -you identify with them ... yeah ... you actually feel that Pinhead's quite a sad character; he's not a wicked evil man, there's something there that's made him like that. -Interviewees on Fear in the Dark, Channel 4 show on the horror movie, Halloween, 1991.
Key Findings
1
Audience responses to horror characters involve developing relational and empathetic feelings, not merely experiencing fear.
2
Prolonged exposure to frightening characters can transform initial disgust or fear into emotional attachment and identification.
3
Viewers may reinterpret seemingly monstrous figures as tragic rather than inherently evil, attributing their behavior to formative circumstances.
Research Object
Character portrayals in horror cinema, exemplified by the Cenobites and Pinhead in Hellraiser
Research Subject
Viewers’ changing emotional responses and identification with initially frightening characters
Publication Details
Publication Date
1994-01-01
Journal
Publisher
ISSN
Open access PDF
Access Type
Author Information
Download PDF
Subscribe to digest