2056: Horror Movies

2026-03-19T12:47:11Z

2A00:23C6:99D0:1201:1120:C02C:15C9:47E9: /* Explanation */ Just liking cool dinosaurs is a possibility

{{comic
| number = 2056
| date = October 8, 2018
| title = Horror Movies
| image = horror_movies.png
| titletext = "Isn't the original Jurassic Park your favorite movie of all time?" "Yes, but that's because I like dinosaurs and I WANT there to be an island full of them. If John Hammond's lab had been breeding serial killers in creepy masks, I wouldn't have watched!" "Wait, are you sure? That could actually be good." "Ok, I WOULD watch the scenes where Jeff Goldblum tries to convince a bunch of executives that the park is a bad idea."
}}

==Explanation==
This comic was followed by [[2076: Horror Movies 2]] a month later. {{w|Horror_film|Horror movies}} are a {{w|Film_genre|genre}} of {{w|movie|movie or film}} which generally center around eliciting fear in the viewer. Such films have gone through cycles of rising and falling popularity, and were particularly popular at this time of this strip's release. When [[White Hat]] suggests watching such a movie, [[Cueball]] sarcastically responds "Sure! I love watching terrible things happen to people and feeling afraid!" This presumably reflects the reasons why Cueball is uninterested in watching horror films, and why he finds the appeal incomprehensible. The caption reveals that this is also true of [[Randall]].

The emotional response of fear, by its nature, tends to repel people. The biological purpose of the fear response is to signal that you are in danger, and should find a way out of the situation. Accordingly, the fact that people would deliberately seek out (and remain in) situations that they're afraid of is counterintuitive. Nonetheless, there are many activities which are pursued for entertainment which are specifically designed to trigger a fear response. The reasons for this are varied and speculative. The emotion of fear, and its accompanying physical responses (racing pulse, rapid breath, adrenaline release) are appealing and thrilling to some. Experiencing the response without facing genuine danger allows people to experience and explore fear in a safe environment. For some people, this might have a {{w|catharsis|cathartic effect}}, giving them control over the release of their emotions. For some, it could act as a form of {{w|exposure therapy}}, allowing them to reduce exaggerated fear responses. Others take a more detached view and enjoy watching bad things happen to other people, perhaps deriving humor or enjoyment out of a situation that they are glad not to be in themselves (and with the additional protection of knowing that the events aren't real).

Neither Cueball nor Randall seem to connect with any of the things that make horror films appealing to some, and experience it only as a negative and revulsive experience. As a result, both are entirely uninterested in seeking them out as entertainment.

The title text continues the conversation. White Hat points out that Cueball's favorite movie is {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park}}. This movie could be considered a "horror" film, since a significant portion of the film consists of people fleeing in terror and trying to survive as dinosaurs hunt and kill them. Randall makes the distinction that he ''likes'' dinosaurs and ''wants'' there to be an island full of them, hence, rather than being a source of fear, he sees the narrative as something appealing. He says that if the company in the film had been breeding "serial killers in creepy masks", he wouldn't have watched. The implication is that people being hunted by serial killers is revulsive to him, but people being hunted by dinosaurs is not (implicitly because he sympathizes with the dinosaurs more than with the people, or because he's willing to put aside those feelings to enjoy the cool dinosaurs on the screen.)

The conversation then goes off the rails a bit, as White Hat argues that the plot Cueball suggests "could actually be good". The notion of a lab specifically breeding serial killers might make for a viable horror movie, but Cueball has expressed his dislike for the genre, and replies that he'd only watch the scene where Jeff Goldblum tries to convince executives that it's a bad idea. An early scene in Jurassic Park has {{w|Ian Malcolm (Jurassic Park character)|Ian Malcolm}}, played by {{w|Jeff Goldblum}}, trying (unsuccessfully) to convince the executives of the park that breeding dinosaurs in the modern age is an incredibly dangerous notion, since the outcomes are impossible to predict, and no safety measures can account for all the possible outcomes. The joke is that the notion of breeding serial killers for an amusement park is even more obviously terrible than breeding dinosaurs, and the idea of watching the same character trying to make that case (and presumably being ignored) is appealing to Cueball, even if the rest of the movie wouldn't be.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat and Cueball are standing together and talking. White Hat points at Cueball who has raised his arms.]
:White Hat: Wanna see a horror movie?
:Cueball: Sure! I love watching terrible things happen to people and feeling afraid!

:[Caption below the frame:]
:I know everyone's into what they're into, but I have never understood horror movies.

== Trivia ==
In early issues, [[Randall]] frequently referenced his fear of [[:Category:Velociraptors|velociraptors]] based on watching Jurassic Park as a kid.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics sharing name|Horror Movies 01]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Jurassic Park]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Movies]]
[[Category:Horror Movies]]

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2056: Horror Movies