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Can Fear-Analyzing Brain Scans Make Scary Movies Scarier?

by Caleb Johnson on October 1, 2009 at 07:21 AM

With Halloween just around the corner, your local multiplex will soon be flooded with horror flicks. And this year, they might be scarier than ever. That's due to the attention one filmmaker has gotten over his novel approach to the genre, using science to discover just why and when people are frightened at the movies.

According to CNN, British producer Peter Katz enlisted Mindsign Neuromarketing to perform a brain scan on a subject as she watched two scenes from the upcoming film 'Pop Skull,' co-written and directed by Alabama duo Adam Wingard and Lane Hughes. During the test, researchers looked for activity in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain linked to fear.

While not mind blowing, the results did show that the subject was just as scared during the scene leading up to the scary moment as she was during the scene, itself. One notable disciple of Katz's unorthodox methods has been James Cameron, who insinuated to Variety last year that he'd considered, if not implemented, MRI testing when showing his upcoming and massively hyped 'Avatar' to focus groups.

Katz told CNN that scientific research, dubbed neurocinema, could help filmmakers determine what works and what doesn't more effectively than focus groups. But it may seem like reducing film to such a formula takes away the magic. Yet, there is one way science could help the movie biz: Use a brain scan to figure out why someone greenlighted yet another 'Saw' sequel and that 'Nightmare on Elm Street' reboot. [From: CNN]

Tags: brain, film, horror, horror movie, HorrorMovie, movies, research, science, top

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