Table Topics Fun
Scary Movies
The Shining - The Shining is based on a novel by Stephen King about a married couple and their young son who spend the winter one year in the old Overlook Hotel. It turns out that the Overlook is haunted by a dark history, and soon this once happy family begins to get very strange. _____, have you ever been in a place that you could have sworn was haunted?
Army of Darkness - This is a crap movie classic, starring Royal Oak native Bruce Campbell. In this movie, Bruce is a chainsaw-wielding, shotgun-toting monster slayer who was transported back in time. Before he can get home, he must vanquish the evil spirits of the kingdom. _____, tell us about a time when you really wanted to go home but your to-do list just kept getting bigger and bigger.
Horror Hotel - “Just ring for DOOM SERVICE!” That’s the cheesy tag line for this cheesy movie. A college girl doing research on witchcraft - for an essay, of course - gets abducted by cultists who run a hotel in New England. _____, tell us about a time when a trip you expected to be quick was more than you bargained for.
Saw - Saw is a very modern scary movie about a crazed killer who puts people in tricky situations. These people must take huge risks if they want to escape their dilemma. In his weird way, the killer wants people to see how much they should value life and be grateful for personal freedom. _____, tell us about a time when you felt good to be alive and free.
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Even if you don’t know Freddy Kreuger’s name, you would recognize his face - and his hands. He has fingers with long knives on the end of them, and he attacks people while they are asleep. He is meant to be the classic boogeyman. _____, were you ever scared of the boogeyman growing up?
Friday the 13th - Campers beware! In Friday the 13th, our villain is Jason, a chainsaw-wielding maniac who wears a hockey mask. He hangs around the scenic Crystal Lake Park to attack campers on vacation. Like many scary movies, the weirdos are waiting to strike just when you think it’s safe. _____, have you ever run across a strange character while you were on vacation?
The Amityville Horror - The poor Lutz family. After moving into their Long Island home, they discover what the real estate agent didn’t tell them. That’s right, you guessed it - there was a grisly series of murders in the house. Doesn’t that just put a damper on your day? _____, did you ever buy a house or something else, only to discover that it was basically a lemon?
Night of the Living Dead - This classic George Romero film is about zombies who rise to walk the earth again! It might seem like old hat, but this movie inspired hundreds of imitations. Forty years later, zombies have a horde of comic books, movies, novels, and plenty more to their credit. But unless you really like crappy movies, you probably don’t get the whole zombie thing. _____, tell us about a runaway fad in fashion or entertainment that just made no sense to you.
The Silence of the Lambs - Hannibal Lector is a legendary villain. He is the gentleman cannibal, always charming, well-read, and witty - but if you don’t pay attention, he might have you for dinner. Just goes to show, people aren’t always what they seem. _____, tell us about someone who the more you came to know, the more they surprised you.
The Exorcist - Possibly the scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist is about a little girl who gets possessed by an ancient demon. But exorcism is an ancient practice that few in the Catholic Church still remember. So it takes a very old priest to do the job - in fact, a priest who accidentally released this demon a long time ago. _____, the lesson here is easy - little problems tend to get big if you ignore them. Have you ever come across a problem like that?
Jaws - This is Stephen Spielberg’s debut film, about a lazy New England town just going into a summer of fun. Come and play on the beach, where the water is safe and clean - that is, until the Great White shows up. This movie has a lot to do with false advertising - the mayor of this little town tries to downplay the seriousness of the problem. If he doesn’t, then a lot of tourism dollars will never come to town! _____, I think we all feel outrage when we are misled about our safety. Tell us about a time when someone kept you from learning all the facts.
Rosemary’s Baby - This movie freaked me out. Rosemary is quite unknowingly the mother of an evil child. She knows something is wrong and wants to go see a doctor, but her husband and her neighbors play it down like it’s all crazy talk. I will try not to spoil the ending for you, but let’s just say that Rosemary should have trusted her instincts. _____, tell us about a time when you knew you were right about something, even when nobody agreed with you.
Carrie - Another Stephen King classic, Carrie is based on the author’s first book. It features a sheltered young girl who just wants to have a few high school friends. But her mother is abusively controlling of her, and only a few people want to hang out with Carrie anyway. The supernatural really takes a backseat in a story about coming of age in high school. _____, tell us about an old childhood friend who helped you become the person you are today.
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Tim Burton is a storyteller known for his black humor, mixing sinister elements with tongue-in-cheek jokes and fantasy. The Nightmare Before Christmas is an outstanding musical about a mix-up between Christmas and Halloween. Jack the Pumpkin King is to Halloween what Santa Claus is to Christmas, and one day Jack gets it in his skull to do steal the role of Santa for a year. He wanted to try something new with the best of intentions, but he just isn’t made to do Christmas. He’s a Halloween kind of guy! So, _____. Sometimes we start a great idea only to realize later that we probably should have stayed home. Do you have an experience like that?
The Day the Earth Stood Still - This is a science fiction classic about an alien named Klaatu who comes down to Earth in a saucer. He demands that the people of Earth listen to him and learn peaceful ways before they endanger themselves. As a sign of his power he causes the earth to stand still for 24 hours. The movie is as much about robots and damsels as about how hard it is to change society. _____, if you could get the whole world in a room and get them to agree about one thing, what would it be?
The Shining - The Shining is based on a novel by Stephen King about a married couple and their young son who spend the winter one year in the old Overlook Hotel. It turns out that the Overlook is haunted by a dark history, and soon this once happy family begins to get very strange. _____, have you ever been in a place that you could have sworn was haunted?
Army of Darkness - This is a crap movie classic, starring Royal Oak native Bruce Campbell. In this movie, Bruce is a chainsaw-wielding, shotgun-toting monster slayer who was transported back in time. Before he can get home, he must vanquish the evil spirits of the kingdom. _____, tell us about a time when you really wanted to go home but your to-do list just kept getting bigger and bigger.
Horror Hotel - “Just ring for DOOM SERVICE!” That’s the cheesy tag line for this cheesy movie. A college girl doing research on witchcraft - for an essay, of course - gets abducted by cultists who run a hotel in New England. _____, tell us about a time when a trip you expected to be quick was more than you bargained for.
Saw - Saw is a very modern scary movie about a crazed killer who puts people in tricky situations. These people must take huge risks if they want to escape their dilemma. In his weird way, the killer wants people to see how much they should value life and be grateful for personal freedom. _____, tell us about a time when you felt good to be alive and free.
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Even if you don’t know Freddy Kreuger’s name, you would recognize his face - and his hands. He has fingers with long knives on the end of them, and he attacks people while they are asleep. He is meant to be the classic boogeyman. _____, were you ever scared of the boogeyman growing up?
Friday the 13th - Campers beware! In Friday the 13th, our villain is Jason, a chainsaw-wielding maniac who wears a hockey mask. He hangs around the scenic Crystal Lake Park to attack campers on vacation. Like many scary movies, the weirdos are waiting to strike just when you think it’s safe. _____, have you ever run across a strange character while you were on vacation?
The Amityville Horror - The poor Lutz family. After moving into their Long Island home, they discover what the real estate agent didn’t tell them. That’s right, you guessed it - there was a grisly series of murders in the house. Doesn’t that just put a damper on your day? _____, did you ever buy a house or something else, only to discover that it was basically a lemon?
Night of the Living Dead - This classic George Romero film is about zombies who rise to walk the earth again! It might seem like old hat, but this movie inspired hundreds of imitations. Forty years later, zombies have a horde of comic books, movies, novels, and plenty more to their credit. But unless you really like crappy movies, you probably don’t get the whole zombie thing. _____, tell us about a runaway fad in fashion or entertainment that just made no sense to you.
The Silence of the Lambs - Hannibal Lector is a legendary villain. He is the gentleman cannibal, always charming, well-read, and witty - but if you don’t pay attention, he might have you for dinner. Just goes to show, people aren’t always what they seem. _____, tell us about someone who the more you came to know, the more they surprised you.
The Exorcist - Possibly the scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist is about a little girl who gets possessed by an ancient demon. But exorcism is an ancient practice that few in the Catholic Church still remember. So it takes a very old priest to do the job - in fact, a priest who accidentally released this demon a long time ago. _____, the lesson here is easy - little problems tend to get big if you ignore them. Have you ever come across a problem like that?
Jaws - This is Stephen Spielberg’s debut film, about a lazy New England town just going into a summer of fun. Come and play on the beach, where the water is safe and clean - that is, until the Great White shows up. This movie has a lot to do with false advertising - the mayor of this little town tries to downplay the seriousness of the problem. If he doesn’t, then a lot of tourism dollars will never come to town! _____, I think we all feel outrage when we are misled about our safety. Tell us about a time when someone kept you from learning all the facts.
Rosemary’s Baby - This movie freaked me out. Rosemary is quite unknowingly the mother of an evil child. She knows something is wrong and wants to go see a doctor, but her husband and her neighbors play it down like it’s all crazy talk. I will try not to spoil the ending for you, but let’s just say that Rosemary should have trusted her instincts. _____, tell us about a time when you knew you were right about something, even when nobody agreed with you.
Carrie - Another Stephen King classic, Carrie is based on the author’s first book. It features a sheltered young girl who just wants to have a few high school friends. But her mother is abusively controlling of her, and only a few people want to hang out with Carrie anyway. The supernatural really takes a backseat in a story about coming of age in high school. _____, tell us about an old childhood friend who helped you become the person you are today.
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Tim Burton is a storyteller known for his black humor, mixing sinister elements with tongue-in-cheek jokes and fantasy. The Nightmare Before Christmas is an outstanding musical about a mix-up between Christmas and Halloween. Jack the Pumpkin King is to Halloween what Santa Claus is to Christmas, and one day Jack gets it in his skull to do steal the role of Santa for a year. He wanted to try something new with the best of intentions, but he just isn’t made to do Christmas. He’s a Halloween kind of guy! So, _____. Sometimes we start a great idea only to realize later that we probably should have stayed home. Do you have an experience like that?
The Day the Earth Stood Still - This is a science fiction classic about an alien named Klaatu who comes down to Earth in a saucer. He demands that the people of Earth listen to him and learn peaceful ways before they endanger themselves. As a sign of his power he causes the earth to stand still for 24 hours. The movie is as much about robots and damsels as about how hard it is to change society. _____, if you could get the whole world in a room and get them to agree about one thing, what would it be?