In Which I Am a Scary Movie Wuss

[snurri]

I think it's time that I admit to myself that I don't enjoy horror movies

Comments

[rarelylynne]

You're not alone. I don't do horror scarier than Sleepy Hollow, with the exception of the Evil Dead and Shaun of the Dead films, because they are comedy-horror.

I saw Alien once. Never again.
Ditto for The Shining.

[snurri]

I thought "The Shining" was pretty boring (I had the same reaction to "The Exorcist"), but part of what's weird about this is how idiosyncratic being scared is; I've had people react with incredulity that I was scared by "An American Werewolf in London," of all films.

Big ups for "Shaun of the Dead," though, especially the first half.

[snurri]

It's possible that in both cases I wasn't able to put aside my horror-film anxiety entirely. It's been years since I saw "The Exorcist," but there were elements of "The Shining" that I really liked; the problem is that I didn't really care for either of the principal actors all that much.

[orbitalmechanic]

It took me three times to watch Alien! Finally I had to for a class I was teaching, and I watched it with a friend, in her brightly lit sewing room, in the middle of the afternoon on a sunny day, and we talked most of the time.

[snurri]

What about "Aliens"? I'm curious, 'cause that has very few of the horror elements of the original; it's basically an action flick.

[orbitalmechanic]

My aunt took me to see Aliens when I was ten, and I had a HUGE fear of spiders and we left in the middle and I had nightmares for two weeks. So, uh, I haven't tried it since then! Maybe I would love it! I have a high tolerance for unsurprising gore.

[livia_llewellyn]

But, it's an action flick with some indescribably painful moments of suspense. You know what the aliens look like and how they'll behave, but still - I've watched the film at least 20 times and I still get terribly nervous and distressed during the fights and chase scenes. I'm not saying you shouldn't see it, just that you shouldn't expect it to be a stress-free experience.

Also - if RoboCop made you nauseous, you can never, EVER see Cronenberg's remake of The Fly. You will barf and pass out, maybe all at once. I'm serious.

[10yroldwhizkid]

I hate watching scary movies but I love reading the plot summaries on wikipedia, especially with the really crazy Asian horror films. I'm not sure why. I can't handle the visuals but I get sooooooo curious.

[snurri]

I guess I'm glad I saw "The Ring," but more for the cultural literacy bit than because I enjoyed it. I could have just gone to Wikipedia instead!

[snurri]

"Jaws" is so great. One of the few decent Spielberg films, IMO.

I was never too scared by "The Wizard of Oz," but "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" scared the hell out of me as a kid and still gives me a major case of the creeps.

[mythusmage]

It's good that you're horrified by most horror flicks, you're supposed to be horrified by a horror flick. For a really disquieting time here's one I saw just last night, Let Me In about a 12 year old vampire and her search for a new Renfield when her old one starts falling apart.

"I'm 12, but I've been 12 for a really long time."

Not an urban fantasy vampire, or a romantic fantasy vampire, this lass is dangerous. But mostly the horror comes from the implications of the situation. It's a layered film with tons of nuance.

Just thought I'd help you become even more disturbed at what the world can pull on us. :)

[snurri]

Yes, that's the American remake of the Swedish film I mentioned in the post. I doubt I'll see it, because the original was excellent and I'd probably just get annoyed.