i love watching scary movies and i usually get that strange, irrational fear after watching one, even if i know that it isn't conceivably possible for anything to happen. in the end, i realize that i'm being irrational and i get past it. i know that God would never let something like an un-dead flying zombie to come after me. the fear usually passes quickly  and i have never been affected spiritually by watching one. what's the difference in watching a horror movie filled with ghosts and a chick flick that shows ungodly relationships?  (and yes, i watch chick flicks and enjoy them as well, they just seemed to be an appropriate example.) neither are biblical, yet people tend to gravitate towards the chick flicks. is there less hassle over them because they don't show the demons in a physical body but in an emotional sense? i don't let movies, music or books delegate my belief system nor how strong my relationship with God is. i'm no more likely to fear the zombie in the movie i watched a week ago than to start believing that premarital sex is right because the characters in a movie condone it. i know what is right and wrong; real and not from the Bible. the devil may be strong, but he's no match for God.

The bible needs to be read knowing that God has our best interest in mind. The reason why we shouldn't watch horror movies, isn't because it says so (or implies) in those verses, it is because we can be disturbed and negatively affected by them.
I don't think the issue is whether or not it affects my spiritual life... When I'm dumb enough to watch a scary movie, knowing that i'll get nightmares and not be able to sleep well for a while, it doesn't pull me away from God, or threaten my spiritual life. I don't think its a matter of it distracting you from quality conversation either... it's not like while you're walking to the bathroom at 3am, you'd be singing praises and praying about God's greatness anyway :)

@dorfusdunkin - Haha its a fun thrill, like going on a roller coaster. I love horror movies because of that, but now that Im older, they dont affect me after I watch them much at all. I may have funky dreams, but i can still go right to sleep without worrying if what I watched may jump out at me.

I enjoy horror movies very much. I love being scared but at the same time I don't. I enjoy the range of emotions that I get through out the movie from suspense to jumping out of my seat because of someone jumping out into the scene out of nowhere. My personal opinion would be that after watching for example a comedy movie you never have any questions they almost always finish with a good and relaxed ending. In most horror films after the movie is over the viewers usually have questions in the back of their minds as to where the villain is and what happend and most importantly if there will be a sequal. My all time favorite horror film would have to be Darkness. This movie is about a married a couple that move into a new house and the wife is nosey and starts hearing screams from the neighbors house. She also gets a ghost-like feeling in their new house like doors opening when no one is home. Later in the movie she finds out that her husband has been a murderer and murdered the woman that he had an affair with. And these odd things happening where happening in her house was the spirit of the dead woman trying to inform the wife that her husband is a murderer. There wasn't much blood and gore but it was an interesting film because it sucks you into the story. I prefer movies like this rather than killers and bloody movies like Mike Myer films.

I'm sorry, but I just don't think that anyone can watch a horror movie and not be affected, even if they don't realize it. The Bible is so clear about what we are supposed to put into our minds, and there is a good reason for this. Satan's # goal is to distract Christians just enough so that they don't reach their potential in Christ, and I think that inappropriate entertainment, horror movies included, are just one of his tools.

I never watch them, unless it is unavoidable or I see one with a plot that looks really intriguing.  It's not really a spiritual thing for me, though I definitely see how it could be--I just don't like them.  I am anxious and paranoid enough naturally, I don't need a movie to make me even more skiddish.

I do watch horror/ghost movies and I love them. I don't watch them too much though, but I'm always up for it. I don't think that it has really affected my relationship with God. After all, it's just for fun.

I really enjoy horror movies since I took a bunch of film classes and have a new way to view them.

BUT I try to stick to movies that are on the "ridiculous, this can never happen type movies". I try to stay away from anything dealing with demons, spirits, ghosts, etc. Because all of that can actually happen and frankly I don't want anything to do with it.

I used to be ok with movies about murderers (like Zodiac that are done in realistic fashion) until a good friend of mine was murdered. Now I deal with enough fear just walking to my car at night, I don't need to heighten my fear by watching murderers in action. Although I can still take ridiculous B-move slasher flicks.

I've had this discussion with my dad many, many times. I too, love the feeling of exhilaration when I watch horror movies, but I always have nightmares and spook myself silly. Fear isn't of God (at least the kind of fear you feel when you're watching those movies). That's a great way to look at it ("Why would you willingly expose yourself to something that God was gracious enough to not let you see in real life?"), I completely agree! Good post!