English
The horror genre in world film is among the favourites. And, undoubtedly, fear is one of the most used narrative themes in history. From the first oral stories that have existed, including before language as we know it today, until the gloomiest digital modern adventures, the horror genre doesn´t stop surprising us, captivating us and causing great fanaticism. And it´s because fear is an essential factor in many stories. The surprise factor, the suspense, the possibility of discovering the unknown or to be invaded by the unknown in a violent way, doesn´t stop causing fascination around the world. In modern film, classics like ´Dracula´ or ´Frankenstein´ were the first stories brought to the silver screen to cause horror. With time and the implementation of new narratives and technology, the horror genre has changed and mutated accordingly. And horror advances with culture, and it´s possibly one of the best ways to analyze societies with its paranoias and fetishes, its struggles to contain the hidden and to reveal it, to frighten the public, to scare it.
Today, you only have to use a television or access the Internet to prove that horror is closer to all of us, around the corner if you want to say so. And these really are times of horror that we´re living in: global economic crisis, violence, wars… and, however, the public maintains the liking for horror in all of its shapes, in action, police and animation films. The horror genre is represented in all the possibilities in the reach of film, video, television and the internet.
Generally, horror films in the United States usually tend to deal with typically suburban subjects, invading the everyday space with surprising situations. Let´s think, for example, in films like ´Nightmare on Elm Street´ or ´Halloween´, where the common suburbia is invaded by horrible individuals that change the, apparent, tranquil environment of the ´American dream´. In the same way, the fear towards alien invasion has been manipulated by Hollywood from the 50s to represent the horror of the Cold War and the arrival of ´alien creatures´ that not only cause destruction and the risk of apocalypse, but that are also ´beaten´ by the great ´national courage´. Japanese horror film, on the other hand, maintains this fear towards the hidden but from a technological and futuristic point of view, that shows giant monsters in bloody battles, who arrive from the sea, i.e. Godzilla, to destroy the island. It´s in Japanese anime where we probably find the best and most intense horror and techno-future cases: visions of a distant future controlled by machines and subhuman creatures, giant monsters that carry out sexual rituals, violence and physical transformation of fantastic creatures. For more information on Motel X Festival visit this webpage: http://www.motelx.org/
Alexa Ray
Nothing better for knowing more about the horror genre than renting apartments in Lisbon and enjoying this festival that will make your hair stand on end. Highly recommended.
Translated by: aleixgwilliam
