Movies + TV

Recently, there have been a lot of movies and TV shows made about mass chaos, sometimes involving end-of-world scenarios. Why are these so popular? The new movie "Law Abiding Citizen" is about pure fear, resulting from a criminal mind who wreaks havoc upon society with no traceable rationale behind the madness. This reminded me of the Joker in "The Dark Knight" - people are fascinated for some reason with what they can't control. Also popular are History Channel shows about Nostradamus' and the Aztecs' predictions for the end of time, the coming of the Anti-Christ, and what the world will look like after we all die. Are we really just trying to accept our impending doom to lessen the fear? Or is there something just captivating about mass destruction and uncertainty? Perhaps a combination. But I'd rather it be a surprise than end up like the people in "The Day After Tomorrow". I'd rather enjoy the moments we DO have rather than cause paranoia over something that we may never experience.