Why the science-fiction/horror connection in movies?

[Disposable Hero]

I recently watched the movie Sunshine and I enjoyed the first half of it but was extremely irritated that by the second-half it had once again become a standard 'haunted-house in space' horror film masquerading as a straight science-fiction film.

One more potentially interesting film ruined by the strange science-fiction/horror connection that seems to be prevelant in movie-land.

Is there any particular reason for this? It's not the case in science-fiction books.

Ironically I did like Event Horizon and thats probably the ultimate example of the sci-fi/horror genre, I've heard that there is an extended uncut version with added gore, not sure if I want to watch that one!

[Thudlow Boink]

I'm not personally familiar with the film, but according to Wikipedia, "Previous science fiction films that Boyle cited as influences included Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the 1972 Tarkovsky's Solaris, and the 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien." Being influenced by Alien might be enough to explain the science-fiction/horror connection: that's the subgenre the film's creator intended to make.

[chrisk]

I would argue that there's a genre connection between science fiction and horror in short stories and novels, just as there is between fantasy and horror, though with sci-fi/horror it's probably a less close connection in print fiction than it is in video media.

Science fiction covers encounters with aliens and the things that can happen with technology. There's an awful lot of stuff there that can be scary.

[Snowboarder Bo]

Originally Posted by Disposable Hero

I recently watched the movie Sunshine and I enjoyed the first half of it but was extremely irritated that by the second-half it had once again become a standard 'haunted-house in space' horror film masquerading as a straight science-fiction film.

I felt the same way, especially since the 3rd act didn't scare me at all. I thought the scariest part of the movie was the repair job scene. THAT had me freaking terrified.

[RealityChuck]

Science fiction and horror have often been intermixed, at least as far back as H. P. Lovecraft ("The Colour Out of Space" from 1927 is SF) and possibly even Edgar Allen Poe. Hell, the novel often considered the first SF book, Frankenstein, was horror.

A. E. Van Vogt did "Black Destroyer" in 1939, and that's considered the beginning of the Golden Age of SF (and influenced Alien).

[DrFidelius]

They are sibling genres, with a great deal of overlap. Horror is a type of fantasy story about, well, horrible things happening to people. If those horrible things are given a pseudo-technological explanation, then we have a science-fiction horror story.

[Arkcon]

In addition to the literary tradition connecting sci-fi and horror, for movies at least, there's an overlap in the technology of the special effects. If you have a certain special effects and makeup adjective, you might find you can get "more" by allowing the overlap, and once you've started, the story "writes itself".