Video Review |
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Video Review |
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Last Updated 11/13/00
Email: robitai@our-town.com
Movies for the Fright of it !
It's time to chill your bones and
shiver your timbers. What is it about human
nature that makes us want to subject ourselves to terror and fright? I met my first goblin with my grandmother's
rendition of James Whitcomb Riley's "The Goblins Will Get You if You Don't Watch
Out" and felt fairly certain that creatures lurked under my bed. It wasn't long before I graduated to the likes of
"The Angry Red Planet" at the movie and covered my eyes when the Martians began
consuming human inhabitants.
When Hitchcock ruled the cinema, his
horror stories took a more onerous turn and depicted villains that were indistinguishable
from the nice boy next door. It was easier to
steel yourself against an angry red Martian than a mild-mannered, corduroy-wearing young
male. Hitchcock put terror at our doorstep
and ultimately, on some level, made us fearful of ourselves.
Since I still find it necessary to
check under my bed regularly for goblins, I've managed for the most part to avoid horror
movies, but I have brave friends who like to be scared on a regular basis. I took an informal (actually haphazard) survey and
asked them to recommend the scariest movie ever. The
results that follow don't reveal anything significant, but the movies listed were the ones
mentioned more than once. What movie would
you nominate as the scariest movie ever? Think about it.
Then go look under your bed.
TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. The movie by-line stated: "Who will survive
and what will be left of them?" It's a
1974 classic that's spawned five sequels, each one just as gruesome as the first.
PSYCHO. I'm not surprised that this movie was mentioned
more than once. It's a Hitchcock classic.
Don't ever stop at a place called the Bates Motel, and don't ever take a shower when
you're alone. This movie leaves a lot to your
imagination, which in most cases is far worse than anything that could be shown on the
screen.
THE BIRDS. Here's yet another Hitchcock classic. It appeared three years after "Psycho"
and created just as much of a sensation. The
basic plot's simple: birds go crazy and attack people.
This 1963 movie made me wonder if my parakeet had evil intentions.
THE SHINING. Stanley Kubrick, the same man who brought you
"Eyes Wide Shut" twenty years later, made Stephen King's novel come to life in
1980. Jack Nicholson found his pace as a
slashing maniac wondering a spooky hotel. It's hard to find good help.
THE EXORCIST. As if once weren't enough, now we're subjected to
the remake. Special effects appear to be
enhanced, as does the sound track. Linda
Blair's dance with the devil now occurs in stereo.
Also, mentioned with great
enthusiasm: FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE
POLTERGEIST, JAWS, BLAIR WITCH, and WAIT UNTIL DARK.
All movies mentioned available on
video and dvd with the exception of "Wait Until Dark" and "The Angry Red
Planet," which are only on video.
Available only on video