Quel Horror!
Generally, the dreams I consider to be nightmares reflect the horrible nature inside of myself. (Forgetting about playing the lead in my high school musical until the night of the first performance, being the serial killer, wearing a brown belt with black shoes, etc...) Rarely do I watch a scary movie and find myself peaking around corners for the banshee or axe murderer. I don't speed past corn fields, whispering to my car, "Please don't break down....please don't break down...just a little farther..." During the serial sniper attacks in Montgomery county I did get in my car and reclined the seat while filling my tank with gasoline, but that had more to do with not wanting to be seen in Montgomery County and not with the sniper.
I watched too many horror movies as a child. I'm convinced of this fact because I can watch almost any scary movie without lingering effects. That doesn't mean that I don't occasionally jump when the killer startles his victim from out of nowhere, but just that I don't leave the theater frightened. Such avid horror film viewing I attribute to growing up Catholic. Like Anakin Skywalker I decided that if I wish to battle the devil, I need to know the devil. What I learned: Being the devil isn't so bad. You might die off for a little while, but in the end you'll come back to kill another day. I don't go to church anymore.
Last Friday night I viewed Friday the 13th part 2 for the first time in about 20 years. I remember that it scared the living daylights out of me as a kid, so it was nice to enjoy it as an adult. Given how horrible my memory is, I was surprised how much I remembered...the opening scene where (I assume) the girl who killed Jason's mother in the first installment gets an ice pick through the temple...the guy in the wheelchair (who had no trouble getting around the rugged outdoors without the use of ramps) getting a machete across the face then falling backwards down the stairs, the heroine, Ginny, putting on Jason's mother's old sweater to try and trick Jason into thinking that she was his mother... The most brilliant part of the movie remains the scene where Jason corners Ginny into a room where she is hiding under the bed. The viewer sees his feet from her perspective and as she's trying to remain as quiet as possible, the camera shows a rat approaching her face. Ginny is so frightened she pees her pants and the golden liquid flows from under the bed, betraying her location to Jason. This never happens in horror movies. There should be more wetting and crapping going on....
...anyway, the viewing brought a few issues to light regarding me and horror movies.
1) The best part of a horror movie in my opinion is the beginning. I'm not talking about the pre-credit scene where someone gets axed, but after that where they show how life is before any of the characters have any inking that they are about to be stalked, tortured and turned into chop suey. Writers depict life as boring, ordinary, and mundane leaving the viewer with the feeling that the future victims are ill equipped both physically and emotionally for the events that are about to take place. (Are the producers trying to convey subliminal messages relating to appreciating the banality of life?) The characters in Friday part 2 remained unaware of Jason's presence for almost the entire movie, making it very satisfying to watch. Some movies with favorite opening sequences: The Shining, Children of the Corn, Scream, The Birds.
2) Because the victims don't comprehend the situation until it is too late, I always enjoy seeing the "holy shit" look right before the slaying. My holy shit face looks a lot like this. A moment of guilt and sadness quickly follows the initial elation resulting in a type of horny ecstasy that I've only experienced when confessing my sins.
3) I root for the underdog. I can't help it. So the moment when the tide turns, I lose interest. During the final scene where the hero/heroine battles the monster, I'm hoping the monster wins. I know if I were in the same situation, my competitive nature would kick in and I would cheer myself on to victory, but this isn't the same thing.
I watched too many horror movies as a child. I'm convinced of this fact because I can watch almost any scary movie without lingering effects. That doesn't mean that I don't occasionally jump when the killer startles his victim from out of nowhere, but just that I don't leave the theater frightened. Such avid horror film viewing I attribute to growing up Catholic. Like Anakin Skywalker I decided that if I wish to battle the devil, I need to know the devil. What I learned: Being the devil isn't so bad. You might die off for a little while, but in the end you'll come back to kill another day. I don't go to church anymore.
Last Friday night I viewed Friday the 13th part 2 for the first time in about 20 years. I remember that it scared the living daylights out of me as a kid, so it was nice to enjoy it as an adult. Given how horrible my memory is, I was surprised how much I remembered...the opening scene where (I assume) the girl who killed Jason's mother in the first installment gets an ice pick through the temple...the guy in the wheelchair (who had no trouble getting around the rugged outdoors without the use of ramps) getting a machete across the face then falling backwards down the stairs, the heroine, Ginny, putting on Jason's mother's old sweater to try and trick Jason into thinking that she was his mother... The most brilliant part of the movie remains the scene where Jason corners Ginny into a room where she is hiding under the bed. The viewer sees his feet from her perspective and as she's trying to remain as quiet as possible, the camera shows a rat approaching her face. Ginny is so frightened she pees her pants and the golden liquid flows from under the bed, betraying her location to Jason. This never happens in horror movies. There should be more wetting and crapping going on....
...anyway, the viewing brought a few issues to light regarding me and horror movies.
1) The best part of a horror movie in my opinion is the beginning. I'm not talking about the pre-credit scene where someone gets axed, but after that where they show how life is before any of the characters have any inking that they are about to be stalked, tortured and turned into chop suey. Writers depict life as boring, ordinary, and mundane leaving the viewer with the feeling that the future victims are ill equipped both physically and emotionally for the events that are about to take place. (Are the producers trying to convey subliminal messages relating to appreciating the banality of life?) The characters in Friday part 2 remained unaware of Jason's presence for almost the entire movie, making it very satisfying to watch. Some movies with favorite opening sequences: The Shining, Children of the Corn, Scream, The Birds.
2) Because the victims don't comprehend the situation until it is too late, I always enjoy seeing the "holy shit" look right before the slaying. My holy shit face looks a lot like this. A moment of guilt and sadness quickly follows the initial elation resulting in a type of horny ecstasy that I've only experienced when confessing my sins.
3) I root for the underdog. I can't help it. So the moment when the tide turns, I lose interest. During the final scene where the hero/heroine battles the monster, I'm hoping the monster wins. I know if I were in the same situation, my competitive nature would kick in and I would cheer myself on to victory, but this isn't the same thing.
posted by Schitzo at
2:36 PM
