Art influence approach based on catharsis notion (and its sociopsychological interpretation) and on personal compatibility of the artist and the recipient is offered. Catharsis is estimated to be the highest manifestation of art positive influence in emotional, ethical and aesthetical sense, and anti-catharsis (the author's neologism) the extreme manifestation of negative one. The results of empirical studies of catharsis and anti catharsis influence of theatrical and cinema art are presented. The hypothesis of cathartic and anti-cathartic periods in art development based on the observations concerning Russian arl is substantiated.