Phobias are the irrational fear of one thing or another, and while they can become unhealthy, they're relatively common. Maybe you're afraid of the dentist, or of clowns, or of flying in an airplane. Even if you know that your fear isn't grounded in logic (clowns and dentists rarely hurt people, and more people die in automobile accidents than they do in plane crashes), you can't help it. Sometimes movies can even exacerbate the issue, managing to add fuel to the fire. How many kids refused point blank to go near any body of water after Jaws came out? These are general fears, things that you might actually be scared of without the help of a frightening movie. But then there are the movies that plant a genuinely outrageous notion into your brain, something new to be terrified of. Something that you've never even thought about before, and will absolutely never happen to you in a million years, unless you happen to be one of those people who repeatedly gets struck by lightning because that's just your luck. These are the crazy, ridiculous fears that can only come from particularly inventive film-making. Thanks a lot, Hollywood.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
