APT, HORROR The Castle Report: May 2022

APT, HORROR

'What We Witness Matters'

The Castle Report [2022]

Background + Terms

Objectives + Goals

Participants

Methodology + Data Collection

Results + Reccomendations

Avie M. Fields/Creator

the where & the start

DEFINING HORROR ON OUR TERMS

THE START

THE PURPOSE

What is Horror? The term derives from the French word "orror," which means "to shudder." Horror is the physical manifestation of catharsis and remains the most unequivocal and unapologetic film genre. Horror is a clean slate. As viewers, we can fill in storylines with our curated nightmares. It's a dance between viewer and creator that does not replicate across genres— horror requires a higher level of vulnerability, sensitivity, and self-awareness.

'The Horror Advocate' was a 3 episode live series that tested whether I could make horror palatable to those who have been underexposed. Immediately following the project's release, I received positive feedback across generations, experiences, + lifestyles. In May 2021, The Horror Advocate won the Awesome Foundation Award, which affirmed my proof of concept. This led to phase 2: Apt, Horror.

+To identify the top 3 trending topics (+concerns) plaguing underrepresented communities, experiences, + voices; using horror as the cipher.

+To address trending topics on a community level, Whether a panel discussion, presentation, film challenges, screening with Q&A, Trivia events, etc.

TERMS TO KNOW

influenCES on the work

+Compassion or 'A responsibility to bear witness

+Repurposing or 'Other people's Trash, My Treasure.'

+Subversion or ‘Established does not = best’.

+Catharsis or 'Horror is cheaper than retail therapy.

+Perspective or 'We don't get to choose our victims.'

+Catharsis: Releasing untapped emotions and thereby finding relief.

+Compassion: Empathy and concern for the suffering and misfortune of others.

+Repurposing: Using something for a purpose other than what was initially intended.

+Subversion: Undermining the power and authority of an established system or institution.

+Perspective: A particular attitude toward or regarding something; a point of view.

+Equity: Addressing needs in reflection of circumstances, demographics, and identities.

+Pop Culture: Modern popular culture is transmitted via the mass media.

+ Castle Report: A reference to the fictional town at the center of Stephen King's universe known as Castle Rock. In David Cronenberg's 1983 adaptation of the novel 'The Dead Zone,' he tells the story of a mild-mannered teacher gravely injured in a car accident. He develops a sixth sense when he wakes up after two years in a coma. The power of foresight, the ability to intervene. This report can change us if we're willing to unlock it.

A Castle Report is the blueprint for reading between the lines, promoting proactivity alongside self-advocacy, and encouraging mutual accountability.

What are we afraid of?

Horror is a dynamic genre, which leaves it ripe for debate over what belongs and what does not. In October 2020, Jason Hellerman wrote an article on Defining the Horror Genre in Movies and TV; this took a deeper look into the categorization of the horror genre. As part of this article, Hellerman shared a diagram that broke down the four significant horror categories and their subcategories. The chart reflects a traditional understanding of the genre and where its boundaries begin and end. Those foundations are essential, but they are not set in stone.

As an extended piece of this project, I've created a list of categories/subcategories as I define them per the project's purpose. Before the first annual event in December, this information will be turned into a public document so people can submit additions via email. The idea is to take horror into our own hands and define our stories. Trust what horror makes you feel, not how someone else defines it.

SHORT TERM GOALS

+To center underrepresented voices (+communities) historically excluded and pushed to the borderlands.

+To educate American society on the transformative impact of the genre.

LONG TERM GOALS

+To educate American society on the transformative impact of the genre.

+ To prove (Horror) Pop Culture data can be valuable when polling our communities.

+To institutionalize this project as a critical data resource for any officials, initiatives, or programs that want to serve the communities they were appointed to serve.

Location/Proximity Horror

THE MINDMAP

INTERNATIONAL HORROR

+Mexico

+France

+Spain

+Thailand

+UK

+Ireland

+South Korea

+Rest Stop/ Gas Station/ +Motel/Hotel Horror

+Road Trip/Breakdown horror

+Highway Horror

+Home Invasion Horror

+Home is a house: Buildings as Characters in Horror

+American abroad

+Transportation Horror

THE MINDMAP

Body Horror

Demographic Horror

Institutional Horror

+Pregnancy Horror

+Medical Horror

+Do you feel what I feel?: Impairment Immersion Horror

+Mental Health Horror

+Biological Invasion

+In sickness and In health: Body horror in Marriage. Friendships, + Relationships

+Accessibility Horror

+The Weight of The Body in Horror

+Body Modification Horror

+Entrapment: Prisons and Police stations in Horror

+Supermarkets + Food security in Horror +Office Horror +School/Education Horror

+Sexuality in Horror

+Race + Ethnicity in Horror

+Family (dynamics) Horror

+Age/ coming of age Horror

Gender in Horror

THE BLUEPRINT

SOUNDS

WEAPONS.ICONOGRAPHY

THE BLUEPRINT

CHARACTER/ANTI-HERO

LOCATION

ATMOSPHERE/NARRATIVE

THE PLACES WE WILL GO

+Inconsistency

of pleasure and pain

if monsters are mankind

BELIEF SYSTEMS⛪️

+The Psychopathy of the American healthcare system

+ Obsession with the exception, not the rule

+Reproductive rights/Abortion

+Pharmaceutical Violence

THE PLACES WE WILL GO

+Criminality as Tradition: America’s thirst for real-world violence

PRACTICE MAKES

TRAUMA 🏥

+Medical Barbarism

+Colorism

THE PLACES WE WILL GO

+Climate change

+Educational Abuse

+Mental Health Industry

INSTITUTIONS/INDUSTRIES🏴‍☠️

+Executioners/Death Penalty Crimes/

+The Death Penalty as an Institution

+Immigration

+Unemployment/

Underemployment

THE PLACES WE WILL GO

+Economic Assassination

+Racial Profiling

+Poverty

MAN-MADE HELL 🔥

+School Shootings and Religious Abuse

+Environmental Assassination

+Unemployment/Underemployment

THE PLACES WE WILL GO

+Sustainability

+Berlin Syndrome

+Ego

CORE STRUGGLES OF EXISTENCE 🪤

+Postpartum depression as an invisible epidemic

+Trauma and Addiction

+Corruption

WHO ARE WE?

Participant demographics are essential to the impact of this project. It's important to share these details, especially if the data does not reflect my target audience. In the case of this trial survey, I captured a diversity of experiences and demographics, even for the small sample size of 38 participants. However, I would like to be more diverse. The 2023 survey will address these pitfalls.

30+

Survey Participant(s)/Responses

95%

58.3%

66.7%

33.3%

WHO ARE WE?

Participants identified as US Citizens

20%

US states represented/ Heavy on the east coast: MA, CT, RI, CO, CA, TX, MD, ME, FL, and NH

25%

Participants identified as Partnered

Participants identified as Heterosexual/Straight

Participants identified as not being parents/ NOT having kids.

Participants identified as Christiian

Participants identified as African American and or Black American

45.8%

Participants identified as between the ages of 25-34 41.7% identified as between the ages of 35-44

20.8%

Participants identified as White (Scottish, English, Irish, + or Nordic)

12.5%

50%

Participants identified as Queer

Participants identified as Single

Looking at the demographic data, you can note acute representations in the following areas:

+Race

+Gender

+Nationality/Citizenship

+Relationship status

+Age Range

+Sexuality

+Geography [heavy on the east coast]

+Religious affiliation

+Not having kids

DETAILS ON THE HOW

Apt, Horror is a community project intent on amplifying voices that are otherwise ignored or deliberately kept at bay with barriers to entry, such as access to education, language, physical/mental abilities, and zoning/redlining/zip code. Part of my strategy to combat this reality was to make the content of the survey data inclined toward more diverse communities, topics, and forms of entertainment.

Film is a great connector. It's one of the few experiences we can have and be affected by as a group, but only sometimes in the same way. It's a powerful medium. By tailoring the survey data towards pop culture, Horror, and film references, I am more likely to attract true diversity across groups/experiences/ and identities.

I designed an 11-page survey that covered Demographics, Health and Wellness, Employment, Housing/Living Conditions, Transportation, Local community, Mental health, Religious affiliations, Entertainment preferences, Social/Political Anxieties, + Horror Film knowledge.

There are concerns around accessibility, as access to the internet is not a universal experience. There are also concerns about this being beneficial for and designed with vision impairment in mind. This survey is a trial, but I intend to meet with experts on accessibility, gender/sexuality, mental health, and criminal imprisonment/false confessions. These are just some of the experts I intend to engage. All sections will be updated with current language and frameworks as appropriate.

NEXT STEPS

+This report will be used to identify three trending topics/anxieties.

+Reach out to, and secure a community partner to produce our first annual event.

+Post-event findings will be released one month after the first annual event concludes.

+Official launch date: 2023.

HOW DO WE FEEL?

This section will cover how we view, what we consider, whom we view alongside, and what's lurking in our psyche.

Roku

41.7%

Chromecast + Firestick

20.8%

This statistic (41.7%) was the most surprising. I assumed more people would use Chromecast due to its portability. Looking back at stats reported in the Participant section, there are many crosses between those with kids and households of 2 or more and Roku use. I imagine this is linked to the easy on-screen menu -- which, in effect, saves time.

This was also shocking (12.5%), considering the isolation/home confinement associated with the pandemic.

None

12.5%

This statistic (12.5) was also shocking, considering the isolation and home confinement associated with the pandemic.

Those who reported 2 or more viewing devices in the home

2 devices in the home

3, 5,+ 6 devices in the home

20.8%

16.7%

WHO WE VIEW WITH

Alone + It Depends

Friends

Streaming Services

Are you a Horror fan?

Netflix

Hulu

HBO Max

95.8%

70.8%

66.7%

Hell yes! I love them

62.5%

I like specific movies or franchises

25%

Not a Fan/Prefer not to say. N/A

This piece of data stood out. In terms of content, those using streaming before 2020 have been vocal about Netflix and its lackluster selections. This connects to those who were typically on the move being shifted into a sedentary lifestyle. Many discovered the power of streaming. This percentage represents that grouping. It's also important to note that Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video are streaming hubs, while HBO Max is an expanded/specialized channel.

The top 3 streaming services being hubs over channels, draws a clear conclusion about the decline of cable and reflect the DIY concept (Define It Yourself) noted in the participant section.

4.2%

Yes ranked as I expected, but the specific category is higher than expected. Historically, horror fandom has drawn a firm line between hardcore fans and everyone else. This percentage speaks to the recent popularity of the genre and the growing respect that has evaded the genre from the start. In its time, horror was both revered for its differences and celebrated for its command of filmmaking and culture curation,

37.5%

Family

Prime Video

41.7%

16.7%

62.5%

I assumed the percentage (16.7%) would be lower. However, I'm happy to see that the evolution, and growing popularity of horror, have made their way into the family system,

This was an expected result. Horror films unite people as you do not have to face your fears alone. Fears fall under disfavors, which tend to build stronger bonds than likes.

DO YOU GET MORE UPSET WHEN ANIMALS DIE IN FILMS THAN HUMAN BEINGS?

Yes

62.5%

N/A

4.2%

33.3%

Yes ranked as I expected, and it goes deeper than we'd like to believe. The desensitization of seeing other human beings in pain is not the prescribed or intended goal. They're made to test your boundaries but ultimately depict the fragility of humanity and the human condition. The absence of sensitivity toward your own speaks to our cultural obsession with 'unconditional love.' If you give a dog the basics and love them, it will be forever loyal and committed.

Another human being cannot guarantee the same. Human beings are unpredictable and complex. A cultural attitude suggests dogs (and animals) are more low maintenance than humans, at least emotionally. Somehow this attitude has evolved into a general apathy toward those around us. This is not to say a lack of empathy for others always precipitates these feelings- at times, the connection to dogs ( or any animal) is rooted in someone's justified feelings of mistrust resulting from relationships with other human beings. This is understandable and unlocks a new level of how and where we need to heal as a group. I'd love to see crying when animals die to match rank with a response to human suffering.

WHICH GENRE ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO ENJOY?

Top 3 Genres

Genre Favorite(s)

Which one are you likely to enjoy?

Gore/Disturbing + Monsters

Slasher, Paranormal, Realistic

Slasher/Killer(s): Who is the GOAT?: Michael Myers

Monster: Virus, Nature, Scifi creatures

Paranormal: Ghost Stories (The Devils Backbone, Poltergeist, The Grudge, The Changeling)

Horror Sub-genre: Post-apocalyptic

20.8%

Psychological

29.2%

37.8%

54.2%

Slasher: (Halloween, Friday the

13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street)

29.2%

37.5%

Which do you want to know more about?

Gore: Torture (Hostel, Saw)

58.3%

Psychological: Madness + Paranoia (Psycho,

Lights Out!, The Number 23)

62.5%

Action Horror + Weird Horror

Creepy Dolls, Toy, + Dark Fantasy Horror

Found Footage, Mummies, + Golem

29.2%

25%

12.5%

REMAKE/REIMAGININGS: WHICH DO YOU LIKE BEST?

Rob Zombies Halloween + Friday the 13th

29.2%

20.8%

Nightmare on Elm st + None at all

16.7%

Which country has the best horror? (Excluding

the USA)

Which of these real-life horrors scares you the most?

Creepy Stalkers

29.2%

Someone in a mask following you

16.7%

Japan

South Korea

N/A

France, England, Canada, + Spain

41.7%

25%

20.8%

8.3%

Serial Killers

41.7%

Which era is your Favorite for Horror?

Blumhouse or A24?

1980's + 1990's

2000-2016

1970's

Blumhouse

A24

33.3%

20.8%

16.7%

54.2%

25%

Who is your favorite Female Director?

Mary Herron (American Psycho)

Karyn Kusama (Jennifers Body)

Mary Lambert (Pet Semetary) + Jennifer Kent (The Babadook)

29.2%

25.2%

12.5%

The section below briefly reviews social concerns that took center stage in the survey data.

What is the most crucial detail in characterizing Social Justice?

Access to Opportunities + Equality

Equity

Human Rights

79.2%

29.2%

37.5%

What social or political issue is most important right now?

Which of the options below is most destructive?

Poverty + Racial Discrimination

50%

Climate Change/Pollution

Mental Health Awareness

41.7%

58.3%

Racism

37.5%

Greed + Wealth distribution

Government Action/Inaction

45.8%

33.3%

These were my predictions for the top 3 concerns/anxieties.

THE BIG 3: KEY POINTS + STATISTICS

This section will summarize the critical points of concern (political and social), list 3 statistics to watch, and recommend 3 Horror films that address the concerns.

Key points of concern (as identified through the survey data)

The top concern is the welfare of other human beings.+ Greed/ Corprotism/Wealth Distribution

+ Economic Depression

+Mental Health Awareness

Statistics to watch

This section details statistics vital to executing the project's purpose. It also allows me to evaluate and revise my methods for data gathering, community outreach, and curating survey questions. I intend to capture an accurate portrait of America and will continue refining the outreach process so the demographics reflect the project's purpose. These statistics will guide me as I prepare for the official launch in January 2023.

Participants identified as US Citizens

95%

Participants identified as Heterosexual/Straight

58.3%

0% of survey participants identified as Native/Alaskan Native, East Asian, Middle Eastern, & Pacific Islander.

THE BIG 3: WHICH SUBGENRE ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO ENJOY?

Monster: Virus, Nature, Sci-fi creatures

Paranormal: Ghost Stories (The Devils Backbone, Poltergeist, The Grudge, The Changeling)

Top Horror Sub-genre: Post-apocalyptic

29.2%

37.5%

Think of the statistics above as a social-emotional temperature. They reveal what's buried beneath our ego- the real fear.

+(Monsters) +(Paranormal/Ghost Stories: We are afraid to turn back, but nothing stays buried. We rarely face the past.

+(Post-apocalyptic): We are afraid of the end, blocking out day-to-day suffering with irony and wit, but we know it's coming, and we are terrified of what's next

THE BIG 3: FILM RECOMMENDATIONS

Session 9 (2001)

Session 9 (2001) is a beautifully taut meditation on fatherhood, the mental unrest of denial, and the fragile barrier between our appearance and the shallow portrait of who we are. It’s a warning about mental health that we can’t afford to ignore.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Society (1989)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) takes us on a desperate ride through the horrors of economic depression. One family’s attempt to survive forays into a ravenous depiction of how poverty wages, collapsing industries, unemployment, and lack of resources can create a formidable monster, cultural addition to exploiting working-class labor financially, emotionally, or spiritually.

Released during the end of the 'era of greed,' Society (1989) suggests that our fears about exploitive dynamics destroying our humanity are not unfounded but a sadistic warning of what's already invaded us. The last 25 mins are founded on the assertion that the less fortunate are of a different race, species, or class.