Scary movies | dual personalities

Tag: Scary movies

October 24, 2023

Things that go bump in the night

by chuckofish

We find ourselves in the last full week of October–zut alors! Have you watched any of your favorite spooky/scary movies? As you know, I am not a fan of the “horror” genre–I saw The Shining (1980) once and that was enough–but I do have my list of Halloween-appropriate gems. Last week I watched Ghostbusters (1984), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) and The Birds (1963).

All three were highly satisfactory and not really very scary. Yes, we do not recommend watching The Birds if you are 10 years old and by yourself. If you are an adult and watching with friends/family, you mostly chuckle at Rod Taylor’s bulging cargo pants and Tippi Hendren’s Edith Head-designed green suit, which she wears for three days straight. You can easily avert your eyes when there is a shot of someone with their eyes pecked out. You can also do a lot of talking to the screen: “Don’t leave the phone booth!”; “Don’t go upstairs, you fool!”; “Take the children to the basement, not outside, you morons!”

Indeed, there is plenty to chatter about during this movie. Why is Rod’s mother such a weirdo? “I’m not very strong.” Please! What about those townspeople in the diner voicing their idiotic opinions? Especially that blowhard old lady in the beret, smoking her cigarette. And that mother of two traumatized children who wants a ride out of town from the drunk traveling salesman, what? And let’s not forget the kook who keeps saying, “It’s the end of the world!” (Spoiler alert: it is.)

Anyway, it is that time of year when we indulge in this kind of off-brand movie viewing. Next on the docket are The Uninvited (1944), Signs (2002) and The Sixth Sense (1999) and maybe another Hitchcock classic like Rear Window (1954) just because we like it.

Frankly the world is a scary enough place without watching modern horror movies. Read some history for real horror.

What will you be watching?

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September 13, 2013

Another Friday the 13th

by chuckofish

It is a commonly held superstition that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day.

According to Wikipedia, the number twelve, in numerology, is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve hours of the clock, twelve gods of Olympus, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, the 12 successors of Muhammad in Shia Islam, twelve signs of the Zodiac, etc., whereas the number thirteen is considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table results in the death of one of the diners.

Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century’s The Canterbury Tales, and many have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Friday is also the day when Jesus Christ was crucified, adding to its unpopularity.

Well, you may be thinking that I am going to pick a movie from the Friday the Thirteenth film franchise (there are 12) to watch tonight, but I have not seen any of them. Horror movies are not my bag. I saw Halloween once on TV. Please. I recently saw Psycho (1960) and, despite the actors’ best efforts, it was really very silly.

The best scary movies are the ones that could actually really happen–like Jaws (1975) or Rear Window (1954). But I have to admit that I like the early M. Night Shyamalan movies, especially The Sixth Sense (1999) and Signs (2002). They kept me guessing and were very creepy when I first saw them. I even liked Lady in the Water (2006) which features a favorite actor of mine, Paul Giamatti. The horror in these movies is all based on the personal heartbreak and loss experienced by the hero in each story. The story lines may be far-fetched, but the human loss is real and relatable.

I think I’ll watch Signs tonight.