How to Survive a Horror Movie
To survive a horror movie, try watching with a friend and leaving the lights on so you won't be as scared. Additionally, cover your eyes and ears during the scariest parts, and have your friend nudge you when it's safe to open your eyes. You can also view the trailer online before watching the movie, so you're not so surprised when the scary stuff happens. However, don't hesitate to turn off the TV or leave the room if things get too terrifying.
Watch the trailer so you know what's coming. If you know what movie you're going to be watching, look up the trailer online and watch it from start to finish. Trailers are usually no more than three or four minutes long, and they contain highlights from the film. If you can get through the trailer, you'll be familiar with the plot, characters and setting, so there will be fewer surprises when you watch the movie. When it comes to horror movies, the fewer surprises, the better. Read a plot summary. In this case, spoilers are a good thing! Read all about the plot twists so you won't have to anticipate them when you watch the movie. When you already know how a movie ends, some of the magic and power is taken away. Read about who's going to die, who the killer is and what creepy twists you should brace yourself for. Research the actors. Find out what other movies the stars of the horror movie are also in. If the guy who plays the psycho killer played a friendly dad in a different movie, watch clips of the dad character. Do the same for all the other actors in the movie. When it comes time to watch the movie, you'll remember them as they were in their other, friendlier roles, and they won't seem as scary. Watch parodies of the movie. If you're watching a classic horror movie, there are bound to be plenty of parodies. See if you can find a Saturday Night Live sketch making fun of the movie. If SNL didn't do one, look on YouTube to see if another comedy group might have done one. When you watch the actual movie, you'll remember the parody, and the movie will seem silly. Learn about horror movie costumes and makeup. One thing that makes watching horror movies so uncomfortable is seeing the blood and gore. The thing to remember is that it's all fake. Fake bones, fake skin, fake stitches, fake blood. Creating bloody costuming that looks realistic actually requires a lot of skill. When you learn about how the costumes and makeup were put together, you'll be able to watch the movie with a sense of fascination instead of horror. Know the classic scary movie tropes. Certain things happen over and over again in horror movies, to the point where many horror movies are quite predictable. Learning the tropes can help to take away the movie's mystery and make it much more watchable. Here are a few examples of classic scary movie tropes: A babysitter goes upstairs to check on the kids, only to find a killer up there There's a murderer on the loose at summer camp An old, abandoned house turns out to be haunted A creepy looking child turns out to be a ghost See if you can watch it with the lights on. When the lights are low, it's easier to believe that a monster with a chainsaw could come up from behind and surprise you. With the lights on, you can take a break from looking at the screen and look at the lint on the carpet or watch your cat scratching his post. Tell your friends you'd like to watch the movie with a few lights turned on. Imagine the crew behind every scene. This little trick can be done in a theater or at home, and it instantly takes away the movie's power. So, you're watching a disgustingly creepy scene where a clown monster chases a little girl up some stairs? Picture a group of people with cameras capturing it all on film. It's not so scary when you realize that behind every single scene is an entire crew of people: camera operators, lighting operators, other actors, and so on. Picture the director telling the actors what to do. "Run up two stairs, look behind you, scream, then keep running. More feeling this time." It'll help the scenes lose their potency. Narrate the movie during the scary parts. Yell at the screen when things get too scary. If you've ever watched a horror movie in a theater, you've probably noticed people doing this. "She's opening the door. She's going in! No, don't go in there!" There seems to be a universal agreement that it's OK to talk during horror movies. If you're in a home setting with some die-hard fans, you may annoy them, but that's the price they should have to pay for making you watch a horror movie. Laugh at the scary parts. Horror movies are often pretty hilarious. Aliens pop out of people's stomachs, hideous trolls end up fighting each other instead of killing their prey, and so on. Spot the comedic moments, which are sometimes the scariest, and laugh out loud. After all, the point of watching a movie is to be entertained. Make sure your friends don't leave the room. You don't want to end up watching a horror movie all by yourself. Even though you logically know it isn't real, it can still deeply scare you if your mind gets too involved. If horror movies truly scare you, only watch with friends. Try not to watch with the types of friends who'll use your fear against you later by jumping out of closets and grabbing you from behind. Cover your eyes and ears when necessary. What you can't see or hear can't hurt you. When you can't stand what's on the screen, close your eyes and put your head in your lap and press your hands over your ears. Have a "safe" signal with a friend. If you want to ensure that you won't open your eyes too soon, have a friend poke you when it's safe to look. Again, do not employ a trickster type who will intentionally poke you right when a violent stabbing is occurring. Leave if you really aren't enjoying it. No one is forcing you to watch the movie (hopefully), so just get up and leave if you hate it. Wait in a well-lit room for the thing to end so you don't have to endure another second. If you hate horror movies so much that you can't stand to watch them, that's nothing to be ashamed of. It just means you're sensitive to pain and violence and have great empathy for your fellow humans. Tell this to your friends if they give you a hard time. 
Watch the trailer so you know what's coming. Read a plot summary. Research the actors. Watch parodies of the movie. Learn about horror movie costumes and makeup. Know the classic scary movie tropes. See if you can watch it with the lights on. Imagine the crew behind every scene. Narrate the movie during the scary parts. Laugh at the scary parts. Make sure your friends don't leave the room. Cover your eyes and ears when necessary. Have a "safe" signal with a friend. Leave if you really aren't enjoying it. 