Are jump scares a hack cliché?
Janet Leigh's scream during the famous shower scene in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film 'Psycho'.
If you recently watched a horror movie, you’ve probably encountered a jump scare.
That’s when a movie startles the audience with the unexpected: The maniac jumping down from the tree! The zombie appearing in the bathroom mirror! All accompanied, of course, by loud noise.
Is it a cheap technique or can it be used effectively? Video essayist Jack Nugent and Slashfilm contributor Alex Riviello retrace the origin of the modern jump scare to a single scene in a 1942 movie.
Sociologist Margee Kerr, author of “Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear,” reveals how the brain reacts to scary movies — and why “It” could trigger a dose of chemicals that’s a lot like THC.