Horror and sex; whats the deal?

Examples? Are you actually talking about the slasher horror genre? In that case, it's mostly a product aimed at an audience who go to the film not for the story (duh!) but for the gratuitous gory horror and some unabashed gratuitous sex. Somehow I can't believe these films are produced and directed by any individuals who have any leanings toward Christian fundamentalism or especially Puritanism.

There was no sex in Kubrick's "The Shining" nor in "Night of the Living Dead," as I remember -- both Hollywood horror classics. That list could grow appreciably longer going back to "Frankenstein." I realize that modern horror is all over the place but there was also no sex except perhaps some sexual tension in "The Silence of the Lambs."

And here I thought he died b/c he rejected their religion.

Britt Eckland's "come hither" song must've been hard to reject, don'tcha think? That is one of the most erotic scenes I can think of in cinema... Then, the cop's confusion and innocence, his "deer in the headlight" stance in response... The rest of the time he is the straight man of christianity against an island of pagans. He became the offering, just as a bunny or a lamb might to another pagan religion... Maybe it's more of a thriller than a horror movie?

Now, are most American horror films selling puritanical sex ethics? Perhaps... Whether accidentally or intentionally, the subliminal message to teenagers and young adults (who make up the largest portion of the audience at any horror show I've ever been) is that "slutty girls and jerks get offed." Therefore, believe it or not, many a 15 year old will think twice before deliberately being slutty or jerks to others.

Contrast this to "Wicker Man," which was made in the early 1970s, the age of free love. The character who didn't believe in free love got himself sacricficed. Hm, maybe it was commenting on the times? What other horror films were made in the early 70s? I can't think of any. But, consider the behavior of characters in "Easy Rider," or "Five Easy Pieces." The morality was shifted during that era, at least in the U.S. Perhaps also in Great Britain.

I call it 'Freud lite'. The teens seem to dig it as a genre.

You're right, I could have narrowed it down better. I meant of course the type of popular Friday the 13th/Halloween/Nightmare on Elmstreet type of movies that was spoofed in Scary Movie. The one that is in fact leaning towards urban legend-like horror stories.

I did not mean to imply that only those who endulge in illicit sex get greased, but it does seem to be a fixed element in this type of film.

There is sexual tension in many horor films, for example in many werewolf an vampire flicks, but that is usually not the "punishment for having sex" type of tension.

morality plays. If you let the kid drown while you and the other counselor are doing it dog style while on the clock....eventually you have to face the music, sometimes via a horrible slasher style death. Very healthy for the youngsters to see this kind of thing. Builds character.

I didn't think I was ever going to hear the term "illicit sex" again. The slasher/horror films can be interpreted as morality plays and they are somewhat playing off the Bible's Sodom and Gomorrah. There's not much in the New Testament about people being punished for "illicit sex." This makes be think there's as much influence by Aesop's fables as the Bible. Are these filmmakers really fundamentalists in disguise? I can't really believe that. Is there a message like the Catholic cliche about playing with oneself will cause one's dick to fall off and, if so, what happens to a girl who has "illicit sex?" Do her tits fall off? These are all generally R rated films so young children shouldn't have access to them. I doubt that devoted Christians of the age to see these films would go and isn't that, after all, preaching to the choir? The whole pretense of these film are spoofed beautifully in the "Scary Movie" films so I can't seen much further commentary other than recommending that if one want's a real laugh, go see "Scary Movie."

Incidentally, even "Scary Movie" is rated R. It's likely that this audience has already had illicit sex and I can't see this theory working with them. If anything, it would seem to me it would work as a porno film and the couple on a Friday night date, well -- the guys gonna likely get lucky after the movie.