Why yes, yes I do!
I rented “Paranormal Activity” last night and have been reminded of how much I adore the horror genre.
I am among those who absolutely love having the living daylights scared out of me! Ghosts, monsters, psychics, scary little children, the boogie man, clowns – any or all of these things will do. Coupled with dark alleys, creaky houses, full moons and the main character doing the exact opposite of what the safe option would be.
A couple of summers ago, some friends and I decided to rent a different horror flick every week. I’ve seen so many of them, I almost laugh at this stage! We watched everything from “Nosferatu” straight through to “Saw III” and it was a definite learning experience. If a scary film is bad, it is immediately evident. Perhaps the evil baddy is not mysterious enough or the main characters are so unlikeable that you don’t really care if they end up locked in a dungeon forever. But if the film is good, well then it sticks with you forever.
I think the best ones combine psychological scary with physical scary. “The Descent” written and directed by Neil Marshall is a great example of this dynamic. My friend Joey coaxed me into watching it a few years back and it still reigns as one of my all time favourite scare fests. For starters you have a group of mouthy girls in a maze of underground caves. Obviously one of them is stupid enough to have forgotten a map. This classic horrifying situation becomes complete with tiny cramped tunnels and close calls with caving equipment. Aside from the cave-scares this film is so much more. If you like horror, give this one a go!
Another one I only saw recently (hangs head in shame) and absolutely love is the Hitchcock classic, “Psycho”. At first glance I thought it would be dated and cheesy but on the contrary, it was supremely shot and directed and gave me the heebie jeebies (like any good horror should do).
So what did I think of “Paranormal Activity”? Freaky-deaky to say the least. I love the whole hand held camera style (ah “Blair Witch” we remember thee well) and the lack of music makes it even freakier. I’m already looking forward to “Paranormal Activity 2″.
One dead give away that I’m genuinely scared watching these films is that I make stupid jokes right before the scary part like, “oh crap, the lights just went on. Ha, why would a demon even need to turn the lights on?! huh?!” Lame.
So without further ado, Susan’s List of Scare-tastic Horrors (in no particular order)*:
1. The Descent
2. Psycho
3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (The original)
4. The Ring
5. It
6. The Shining
7. Silence of the Lambs
8. Scream
9. The Exorcist
10. Halloween
*These films are best watched on a cold, dark rainy night when you’re all alone in a big old house.
