Why are people in scary movies so stupid?

1. 60

   FactAndFictionposted 14 years ago

   It's not to make the movie interesting because all i do is get mad at the characters. You know they are going to die so what's the point?

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      Richard(Blah!)posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If everyone in the movie was smart enough to get away, they'd be pretty lame horror movies, right? You need an element of stupidity to allow a lumbering killer, walking at a casual stroll, to catch a bunch of healthy teenagers. Simple physics.

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      Contriceposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You are so right Richard(Blah!).  Nobody wants to pay to see a quick movie featuring smart cautious victims.

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      MrMidNightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That is a often frequently asked question, interesting post, i think it's because of what style of horror movie it is, say if the horror flick your watching is a B movie then the average vctims are stupidier than usually. When seeing an average horror movie the victims seem stupid, but it is said when being in a intense scary situation fear clouds the mind and makes you do stupid things, well it's one theory anyway....

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      Stevennix2001posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      because film makers think that if for whatever reason the audience isn't scared, then at least they'll get a few good laughs from watching how stupid the characters are.  lol
      
      that or the writers are too lazy to come up with a decent horror flick along the lines of "Exorcist" or "Rosemary's Baby."

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         camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I love 'Rosemary's Baby'. I've got the DVD and watch it every now and again ... not that I ever found it really scary, like the 'Exorcist', which I only had to see once.

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      skyfireposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Adding humor into movie sometimes helps in favor of the movie. For example, watch "Drag me to hell" movie to see how humor helps.

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         Shadesbreathposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Drag me to hell would have been better if they didn't over-sell the hot-chick getting slimed factor on the jacket cover. 
         
         Did you see The Crazies?  that's one of the better ones I've seen in a while.

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            skyfireposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            The Crazies?  No.
            *Added to list *
            
            Did you see Teeth ? (I was so confused with genre of the movie, i'm not sure what it is, maybe it's dark comedy)

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      David 470posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I always though the same. It would not be as much horror if they survived though. I think they should always have at least one bad@$$ that knows what he/she is doing though....
      
      Most people act foolish and get killed by whatever it is....

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      Jonathan Jancoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It's fantasy. To see an ax-weilding maniac kill a bunch of smart and saavy people would just be depressing. In fantasy we only kill the stupid people.

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      Patrick Wolfposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Is the way of made Horror Movies from holliwood in this days, not all movies but some times..i did watch bad movies whit  lame characters so annoying.. when i watch the cabin in the woods the first 30 min i was like what is this? another movie of  premature teens going to weekend of fun for get Drunk and have sex and lalala, then a big guy like a jason did kill them whit much gore, i was like really ? -__- ...I just can give you advice if you expect see a good horror movie and not get disappointed in the end try watch Asian Horror Movies, right now i prefer them because they use characters more realistic and they not are stupid in all.. also becasue some times the character are strong and is mature and no lame, a example The Grudge whit Sarah Michelle Gellar she just perfect on this Movie, what made more terrifying a Movie is when you see a strong character owned in the Movie becasue is make you think what will hapen whit you if you was in that situation and is what hapen whit Sarah Michelle Gellar on this one, another classic The Ring or Ringu  both American and Japanese vertions are good, Naomi Watts She is perfect on the American vertion she is very mature and the way she act i just i love her, emm another one is The Eye but the ''Asian'' vertion Lovely and well no all American horror movies are bad or have stupid characters, a good clascic i love is The Shining 1980 Or The Exorcism of Emily Rose 2005, both are American horror movies and they are intense, there have alot around there just check some pages recomendations, have a terrific Hallowen this year Cheers!

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2. 61

   Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years ago

   So the people watching them can relate

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      FactAndFictionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know... if I were being chased I wouldn't lock myself in a room upstairs, I would run outside!

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         ShadowKing!posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I agree with you FactandFiction.
         Also "smarter characters" would not make a scary movie lame. In theory and in practicality--it would make the movie more believable. The reason most slasher movies are dull is because the writers are basing the material on "established formats" and "conventions". The reason why Scream ONE was so popular had little to do with Campbell, Cox, or Barrymore. The charm of Scream had to do with Wes Craven mocking the "established formats" of slasher movies. By doing so,infused with humor, he achieved a "sleight of hand" movement, notably "the virgin angle". The audience was lured in by what they perceived as "original" material. But much from the Scream series was old material, few things were new.
         
         The notably "New" element was that Sidney WAS a clever character.
         
         If slasher movies were written like suspense or thriller movies then the characters would have to be smarter than before. A good movie idea would be: a 180 I.Q. college student loathes his circle of friends of also high I.Q.s, his hate leads him to create a serial killer persona attacking university whiz kids with ingenious ploys, testing to see if anyone of them can out best him.

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   manlypoetrymanposted 14 years ago

   Why did all the ladies in the old mummy movies walk to try and get away from the mummy?
   
   
   
   The Mummy was barely moving...I remember screaming at the TV during a Saturday matinee showing of an old Mummy Movie: "Run....Just Run...For the love of God...Run!"

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4. 68

   Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

   That's right manly, scary movies can be so funny sometimes.  The part I like best is when a girl runs, and she can be zooming at 100 miles an hour but inevitable she trips and falls and aaaaaaaah! that's it for her.

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      manlypoetrymanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I know...I know...Why do they all trip and fall when they are being chased. Then...they recover...and at the last second they trip again. I figure if they are that clumsy...it is their own fault that they are done for...

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   ralwusposted 14 years ago

   It's all the action of stupid directors. I can't bare to watch them anymore.

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      manlypoetrymanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah...but the ol' Boris Karloff ones were classics...ya' got'ta admit, C...

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      Cheeky Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Apparently the victim dies better if the victim is more stupid, it is apparently more cathartic! Weird or what? Talk about dumbing down?
      
      Hence the movie stereo type of the stupid victim. So who will challenge that. I wonder? That stereotype is one more reason to hate "formula-driven" stories in films. It shows that horror writers need to look more at the similarities in everyone's horror films, and change the pattern.

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6. 83

   Rafiniposted 14 years ago

   because only stupid people would be scared of something that doesn't really exist (?)

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   1. 83

      Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      (ok, never mind...)

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7. 51

   deborRi84posted 14 years ago

   Because they want to show that bad things happen to stupid people

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      FactAndFictionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      ha, true!

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8. 68

   Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

   There's usually one character in a scary movie that is annoying and irksome that you know that he or she is gonna be the first victim and when it happens it is so satisfying.

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      Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sarah Palin does movies now?

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9. 60

   SpanStarposted 14 years ago

   A writer must consider their audience when developing a story. What seems to be to us today as stupid was actually a breakthroughs at the time. The moral values of the people during that time we call classic movies were much different than they are today. Even if the developers/.film makers of those movies at that time had the technology to create fantastic special effects they could not have presented it to their audience movies like The Terminator, Aliens, Predator
   etc. as these movies would be far too shocking to the audience.
   
   I can remember at the drive-in when the movie by Alfred Hitchcock titled "Psycho" in 1960 was showing there was a scene in the movie were a head is chopped off just prior to that moment the movie was turned off the lights came on and over the car speaker the voice said "anyone wishing to leave the theater at this time will get their money back." I counted maybe six or seven cars that left however my parents weren't one of them. That is how different the people of that era were versus the people of this era. You need only look back at the radio broadcasts of the "War of the World." as a simple radio broadcast was a traumatic event for a countless number of people.

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10. 0

    CTMProductionsposted 14 years ago

    This is something me and my friends have talked about A LOT! I guess that the director is trying to describe how hard it is for the people to think, and use common sense with the fear they are going through.

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11. 91

    habeeposted 14 years ago

    There would be no scary movies without stupid people. Smart people would never get themselves into those situations! lol

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12. 69

    Cagsilposted 14 years ago

    Maybe because it's written into the script?

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13. 82

    camloposted 14 years ago

    In his book, 'How to Write a Damn Good Novel', James N. Frey describes this as the 'idiot in the attic' motif, used mostly in cheap horror movies: Somebody hears weird noises coming from the attic, lights a candle, and goes up to investigate.
    Of course, nobody in their right mind would do that, but I guess it keeps the plot going, and starts truly horrible things happening.

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14. 70

    waynetposted 14 years ago

    Because they are! a noise or a loud bang and then they go to investigate, almost shouting Hello Hello!......damn they is dead!!

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       But that happens 90 minutes later

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       1. 59

          Alya roseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          lol,and has anyone noticed almost all the bad guys in horror films walk?and the victim can still never get away!lol

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             camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             I'll never understand why people in movies keep falling over when they're running away.

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                Alya roseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                I know!and it's usually ontheir own two feet.

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15. 66

    Midasfxposted 14 years ago

    I think that in real life, most people in those situations, would do stupid things too. So i don't always blame the actors, directors or writers. Even though i do enjoy the stupid people always dieing first.
    
    Its always easier to sit back and point the finger. I don't think a lot of people would make "good" decisions while in panic mode.
    
    thats just my 2cents :-)
    
    I love horror movies, i do not like movies that mock horror movies though.

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16. 76

    Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

    Besides the inevitable woman who can't stay on her feet beyond seven steps, as mentioned above, my personal favorite is the showering chick.
    
    Bimbo 1: "Oh my god, what was that?"
    Bimbo 2: "I don't know, it looked like some guy wearing a mask and carrying a chainsaw!"
    Bimbo 1: "Where did he go?"
    Bimbo 2: "I don't know."
    Bimbo 1: "Okay, well I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower then."
    
    That's just genius script writing right there.

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       readytoescapeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       You just have to have the shower scene in these types of movies, otherwise they could never get that attractive and cash ringing “R” rating without a nude scene,
       
       And some really “great” actresses would never get their start without having boobs in their resume.

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          Shadesbreathposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Oh, I hope you don't think I was complaining.  Scary movies without nudity are almost universally not worth watching.

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             readytoescapeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Absolutely not! I wouldn't watch one that was Boobless,
             
             Then again I've been to Disneyworld in the summer and been scared by boobs.
             
             there is just something wrong with little kids running around a set that's dragging on the ground.

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17. 60

    luvpassionposted 14 years ago

    The character's in screenplays -especially horror movies, rarely get to show their true motivation...after all a spec script is only 120 pages long, a screenwriter has to sell action and suspense not thoughts and feelings. IMO

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18. 77

    mega1posted 14 years ago

    they purposely make them stupid because that way we won't be upset when they die
    
    and also stupid people put themselves in these wicked stupid positions where people can hack them up - smart ones have all run off or never went down to the warehouse district in the middle of the night in the first place.   
    
    
    also, only stupid girls would stay alone in a cabin in the woods after they've driven their abusive boyfriend off - half- drunk.
    
    also, we like stupid people in movies, they make us look good and we feel so much better about ourselves after seeing how dumb they are
    
    

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19. 56

    infanttoddlerclthposted 14 years ago

    Your comment is thought provoking.  Thanks.  I am very new here.

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20. 72

    livewithrichardposted 14 years ago

    Doesn't it make you feel smarter when you see the horror characters doing "stupid" things?  You start thinking about those stupid things and thinking about how you would survive the movie.  I think that good horror films do two things: they make you realize your own vulnerabilities, and they get you thinking on how to survive extreme situations.

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    SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 years ago

    ....especially if there is a cat or a dog in the flic...you just know something is going to happen to them....
    
    
    and...then of course they go to the basement with the lights not working....yea, like i`d be doing that....ha ha ha! i have one of those scary basements...it`s all one big piece of rock...strictly for storing stuff and the washer and dryer....ohhhhhh scary!..... i love scary movies btw...they are my favourites for some reason!...ever since I was a kid.....love watching them in the dark too! Lol!

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