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This study focuses on the literature that problematizes the reasons/experiences of watching horror movies, and presents a systematic analysis of the existing literature. The study used the data obtained by scanning the word 'horror films' in the Google Scholar and PsycInfo databases. Two inclusion criteria were determined when accessing the data: First, the study's title included horror movies. Second, the study was published in English in peer-reviewed journals. Studies measuring exposure to non-horror film genres were excluded from the research. A total of 42 studies were included in the analysis based on the existing criteria. The research questions sought to be answered in the study were developed as follows: Why do we like watching horror movies? Why is fear attractive? Is there a relationship between preference and enjoyment of horror movies and personality types, gender differences, and other individual differences? How do we develop our sense of fear while watching a horror movie? How do we deal with this emerging emotion? What are the psychological and emotional consequences of watching horror movies? Is it possible to talk about a relationship between being exposed to horror movies and being extremely curious? The answers were made visible over 9 categories: Controlling chaos, self-esteem and surprising solutions, sexuality, and punishment, attitudes that need emotion, tendency to daydream, exposure strategy, choice of ending type, spoiler effect, gender variable, and permanent damage at the end of the movie. From a general point of view, empirical studies on the psychology of watching horror movies show that this is possible not only with psychology, psychotherapy, communication studies, developmental studies, clinical psychology, and media studies but also with the eclectic bond established between disciplines. Given the limited research on the subject, this analysis can be seen to summarize the current state of knowledge and develop guidelines for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horror films aim to create fear in the audience by embodying people's unconscious anxieties within the society and period they are presented. Yet, various techniques and technologies are used to blur the boundary between real and reality in the audience to make this created effect feel like a veritable experience. So, despite they handle their most basic anxieties in such a veritable way, what are the factors that make these movies attractive for many people? Within the framework of this question, this study aimed to examine the unconscious representations of horror movies on the audience based on Lacanian Psychoanalysis through presenting a psychoanalytic view of horror cinema. In this context, first of all, how the horror movies emerged and what kind of changes they have shown or not until today were examined. Afterward, Psychoanalytic Film Theory, which is a significant point in forming the basis of the study, and the transformation it underwent with the contributions of Lacan were mentioned. Besides, the Mirror Theory and the concept of the gaze were examined, emphasizing their importance in terms of the theory. Subsequently, the concepts of gaze, uncanny, passion for ignorance, and phantasm were discussed to examine the unconscious representations of horror films on the audience. In the last part, scenes taken from horror movies were analyzed as an example in line with the concepts that were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of cinema industry, film genres have been emerged. One of the important building blocks of genre cinema, which targets a specific audience and uses its own cinematic codes is horror genre. The horror genre which has been popular in every period of cinema history, has never been popular in Turkish cinema. After several unsuccessful attempts of shooting horror movie, no attempt has been made to produce related to this genre. With the 2000s, the production of horror genre movies increased more than ever and commercial success was achieved in Turkish cinema. In this study it's examined the journey of the movies in the horror genre in Turkish cinema and it's been questioned why a film genre that had not received any interest until the 2000s gained popularity after the 2000s. Firstly, the relationship between cinema and ideology is mentioned, then the structure of genre cinema is explained and the place of horror genre in the cinema is discussed. Afterwards the articles looks for the reasons of the genre's immidiate popularity in 2000s and questiones wheather Turkey's changing political climate of the 2000s and new ideological tendencies were affective or not. In this study, the data obtained through literature review were interpreted by descriptive analysis applied to assessed theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between Turkish folklore and cinema is highly interrelated. The codes for a specific culture are manifested in the fields of art that reflect that culture. Cinema, as an art form in which cultural codes are frequently used, can represent the structures of these codes that have left a mark in the imagination of society. The directors may choose to produce their works by referring to the stereotyped cultural codes and making use of them in order to convey their culture, in which they have grown up, to the spectators. The fact that the Turkish spectators are able to watch the films based on the data they can make sense in the works produced in the field of cinema is effective in the perception of the messages to be given in the films and important in internalizing the watching experience. In this context, while making production in the field of horror film genre in Turkish cinema, items that may scare the Turkish spectators can be identified and the stories related to these elements can be presented to the spectators. In this study, the film Dabbe Zehr-i Cin (2014), which has been the top-grossing horror film in the 2000s in Turkey, was examined within the scope of the semiotic theory of Charles Sanders Peirce based on trinity and the relations between the elements included in the study and the fear elements included in the codes of Turkish folklore were established. The reason for choosing this method was to understand the process of making sense of the systems of signs that emerge in the relationship between horror film elements and religion and culture. Carl Gustav Jung's ideas about dreams and symbols, explained by associating with the subconscious and religion, were used to make sense of these concepts with a different approach and to provide detailed explanations to the film review. Jung's thoughts were also included in the examination because Jung's approach is different from that of Peirce and it will enable multiple readings in the making sense and questioning of the film. The aim of this study is to draw attention to the correlativity of the relation between religion, culture, and cinema by examining the presentation of the djinn element of Turkish folklore in the horror film narrative. In the conclusion section, as mentioned, implications were made regarding how the correlative way of the relation between religion, folklore, cinema, and culture was intertwined in the film Dabbe Zehr-i Cin. In this context, the thoughts that were questioned about why the film was watched by so many Turkish spectators in 2014 have become visible in the findings in the conclusion section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social events have affected humans throughout the history of humanity causing the formation of many new movements and thoughts. Film industry, being the seventh art form, has also been affected by current social and political events thereby becoming transformed just like all other art forms. Horror movies which were first seen along with the first examples of movies in time became a genre by itself thanks to Hollywood and includes many film varieties that best reflect these transformations. Horror movies strived on scary middle age and gothic literature and in time has been shaped by the current social and political events. New beliefs and horrors have been added to older ones which in time increased the anxiety and horror elements. Horrors of witches and inquisition were replaced by the atom bomb and doomsday which was later on replaced by serial killers. In this study, the effects of political, social and current events on horror movies will be determined by making use of critical theory. The analysis of social status will be examined in decade long intervals under the light of these findings to determine which horror elements were caused by which social events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]