UK poll finds majority fear horror films yet plan Halloween viewing

A recent poll of 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom found the majority say they are frightened by horror films, with 70 percent reporting they watch through their fingers or hide behind another viewer when watching spooky movies. The survey, commissioned by marketing firm MMS and carried out via OnePoll.com, also found only 13 percent of respondents said they rarely feel scared by what is on screen.

The research showed variation by age. Older members of Generation X were far less likely to hide, with 36 percent reporting that behavior, while younger viewers were more likely to use humour to cope: 12 percent of younger respondents said they crack jokes throughout a spooky film. Nearly half of those surveyed, 47 percent, said they plan to host or attend a Halloween movie night at home this season.

MMS organised a filmed event in which pop twins Jedward watched a spooky film inside the Ancient Ram Inn, which MMS described as Britain’s most haunted house. Jedward said, "We love Halloween, but this challenge was next-level scary. Creaky floors, flickering lights and lots of jump scares. The only thing that got us through was watching together and having plenty of snacks in between...