Horror films (Genre/Form Term)
- Earlier heading: Amityville films
- Earlier heading: Hellraiser films
- Earlier heading: Nightmare on Elm Street films
- Earlier heading: Poltergeist films
- Spookfests (Motion pictures)
- Terror films
- Broader heading: Fiction films
- Haunted house films
- Monster films
Moving image genre-form guide online, Sept. 14, 2007 (horror: Fictional work portraying the dark side of life, the unknown, the forbidden, and the supernatural, with the primary aim of frightening the viewer in an entertaining, cathartic manner)
López, D. Films by genre, ©1993 (Horror Film (Gorefest, Monster Movie, Terror Film); the genre is very diversified, having multiple subgenres; horror movies are better classified thematically, by content, or by the nature of the monster appearing in them; horror mixes well with science fiction and sometimes it is difficult to decide to which genre a film belongs; at times, a horror movie is referred to as a "chiller," a "chiller-diller," or a "spinechiller," terms which are also used to describe a thriller. "Shocker" is applied to that which causes a sensational effect, that is, to what is horrifying, offensive, or repulsive. As such it applies to a horror film as well as to a sex film. See also Gore Film, Haunted House Film, Kaiju Eiga, Psychopathic Thriller, Sex and Violence Film, Vampire Film, Witch Film, Zombie Movie)
Britannica online, Feb. 9, 2017 (Horror film, motion picture calculated to cause intense repugnance, fear, or dread. Horror films may incorporate incidents of physical violence and psychological terror; they may be studies of deformed, disturbed, psychotic, or evil characters; stories of terrifying monsters or malevolent animals; or mystery thrillers that use atmosphere to build suspense. The genre often overlaps science-fiction films and film noir)
Cambridge dictionary online, Feb. 9, 2017 (horror film: a film in which very frightening or unnatural things happen, for example dead people coming to life and people being murdered)
Collins English dictionary online, Feb. 9, 2017 (horror film: a film with a frightening storyline and atmosphere)
Longman dictionary of contemporary English online, Feb. 9, 2017 (horror movie especially American English, horror film British English: a film in which strange and frightening things happen)
Macmillan dictionary online, Feb. 9, 2017 (horror film: a film that is intended to frighten people, especially one about murders, frightening creatures, or evil people)