Why Horror?
Fear - noun 1. an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. (Definition from Oxford Languages)
How many of us have daily habits that were born out of fear? The thoughts that enter our mind and cause us to quickly jump into bed (tucking our feet under the covers), check behind the shower curtain, keep the closet door open (or closed) and the light in the hallway on are all set into motion out of fear of the theoretical monster lying in wait. While some avoid the darkest corners of their own home due to phobias or improbable fears, others react to the fear of plausible scenarios...locking their front doors, closing the drapes and leaving the porch light on, so I guess you could say we all have habits born out of fear.
“There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on. There are weapons that are simply thoughts.” – Rod Serling
According to Concordia University St. Paul’s “The psychology of fear” article, “Horror entertainment can trigger the fight-or-flight response, which comes with a boost in adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine. The brain can then process surroundings and conclude that the experience is not a genuine threat. This knowledge of personal safety is one reason horror fans habitually watch scary movies.”
Why horror? It's a safe way to be in danger. And. We. Love. It.
Even in a year where horror is not hitting the bar it set so high for itself in previous years, as IndieWire’s Christian Zilko reports, it’s still alive and well. With fans enthusiastically supporting what has been released and high hopes for the second half of the year, the expansion of the horror fan base shows no signs of slowing down.
So many horror fans began their love of this still underappreciated genre in their youth. And many go through their formative years on the fringes of popular culture. But when they find each other as adults...watch out.
Imagine, if you will, three entertainment industry professionals, three horror movie nerds, finding like-minded individuals with whom they could share their love of horror and you have the hosts of Blood N’ Popcorn - T.J., Denise and Glenn.
The idea for the Blood N’ Popcorn podcast was devised and fleshed out in 2016 over many nights watching and talking through our favorite horror movies. It has gone through many iterations. The first several dozen episodes were audio only, and likely never to air, but the next 38 are all available at Twitch.tv/channel29 and have begun migrating over to the Channel 29 YouTube .
The original premise was three friends discussing the best and worst parts of horror movies and our deeply disturbing affection for this genre that kept so many of us company on countless nights alone, or was that just me? We have evolved from a strict rating system based on the knowledge that our careers had given us to pure celebration of what was accomplished on screen. And the show is entering the next phase of its lifecyle...it began the Ovomorph, became the Facehugger, the Chestburster, the Adult and will finally emerge The Queen.
With this blog post, we introduce our website along with a slew of other exciting announcements.
So, what does the future hold for Blood N’ Popcorn?
I don’t know but there are some things I know for certain: stake a vamp in the heart, wear silver to protect from werewolves, guns will jam and always, always aim for the head.
The Deemogorgon
P.S. Tune in to our socials and YT channel to find out what’s next!
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