I am going to regret this. Given that I can’t go to the football for a while, I’m going to try something a little less…event-y. More specifically, sometime this week I will turn off all the lights and watch several horror movies. I may even do this at night.
As I have mentioned, I am a complete and utter scaredycat. As a kid, I got so frightened in some movies that Mum had to take me out to the lobby until the scary bits were over. These were terrifying, chilling movies that I probably shouldn’t have been watching – you know, like The Little Mermaid and The Neverending Story II. Yep. For reals. (I should add that I was eventually okay enough with The Little Mermaid to watch it over and over and over and over again, draw about a thousand mermaids and force my mother to sew me a mermaid tail. I just found Ursula very frightening that first time.) I was terrified of The Raggy Dolls (to the point where I was frightened of the ABC Kids animation sequence featuring a train that preceded the show), and, later, Round The Twist. I was suspicious of my sister’s Jumanji board game (needless to say, I did not enjoy the film). I made the mistake of thinking I was brave enough to go on the Gremlins ride at Movieworld when I was ten or so. I was wrong.
Me, aged 8, watching the Care Bears movie.
It’s funny really. I wasn’t one of those timid kids hiding behind their mother. I was a show-off who loved to climb trees and put on little plays starring the dog. I was not adverse to making scenes in public – much like now, I liked attention. Everybody, look at me! And yet when it came to anything even remotely scary, I’d be a mess. I was a voracious reader and really, really got into stories – maybe I just believed in fictional worlds a little too much.
And so here I am. I grew up and developed a bit of a spine, to the point where I am a tour guide on a ghost tour (which is incredibly un-frightening to me, both because as I’ve done it so often, and because I’m quite the sceptic). Still, I hate the idea of horror films. It makes no sense to me to WANT to be scared. I do not enjoy it.
At least – I don’t think I do. I’ve never sat down to watch a horror film on purpose. Maybe I’ll like it. So the question, dear reader, is this: which films should I watch? Suggestions appreciated.
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Amy Tries Again 
I saw The Shining (the original) at the Metro Arts theatre, midnight screening. I think the combination of really old film plus sleep deprivation plus subliminal bloody horror did my head in. Scariest thing I’ve ever seen.
Comment by Kris March 14, 2010 @ 9:45 PMOh Amy, you should come to my place for a horror movie marathon. I have lots on DVD.
Sounds like we were similar with the scary stuff as kids – I think it’s very much a vivid imagination thing. However, I went the other way – I got a buzz out of being that scared, and now I love scary movies!
My suggestions would be The Strangers, Night of the Living Dead, The Descent, and there are more that I will have to think of.
Comment by theshylion March 14, 2010 @ 10:01 PM“Silence of the Lambs” scared the bejesus out of me when I was 12.
Comment by Girl Clumsy March 14, 2010 @ 10:02 PMI think that if you’re looking for something that you’ll enjoy, a truly terrifying film like ‘The Shining’ is not the best way in.
Baby steps. Find some films that have scary elements in them but are also good at giving light entertainment. I’d suggest ‘Evil Dead 2’ for a fun camp slasher romp, and maybe ‘Scream’ because it’s quite clever.
Personally, my favourite horror film ever is called ‘In the Mouth of Madness’ and I’d be delighted to come around and watch it with you.
(The missus is too scared to)
Comment by Dan Beeston March 14, 2010 @ 11:28 PMWell it’s a bit of a novelty but the 1922 film Nosferatu is still genuinely terrifying (even if you’re just watching it in the UQ library to kill time).
The Shining is also brilliant – Jack Nicholson delivers a monologue to a dead man.
Comment by Ash March 14, 2010 @ 11:29 PMI wasn’t a fan of horror either, until Peter and I watched through over a dozen of them for the Injoke Podcast in 2008. Now I quite like the genre.
I second the suggestions of “Evil Dead 2” (you don’t need to have seen the first), and “Scream”. You might be interested in “The Blair Witch Project” (although, it is very scary) purely because it is entirely improvised. “Friday the 13th” might be worth watching, as it’s a staple of the genre and started many of the tropes which still crop up in horror movies today.
Comment by GavCore March 15, 2010 @ 12:31 AMI hear the original “The Omen” is scary, but I’ve never seen it. Or maybe “The Exorcist” so at least you’re seeing a classic at the same time.
Comment by aarondoyle March 15, 2010 @ 7:22 AMOne Missed Call was particulary terrifying I found – and I’m no Girlie Pansy Wuss like yourself…
It (Stephen King) is also a favourite – if you don’t hate clowns now then you will CURSE THEM FOREVER after this doozy…
Donkey Punch is good also – more violence than creepy-horror however.
Whatever the choice is, I’m in.
Comment by Goosey March 15, 2010 @ 1:44 PM“Misery” is the single greatest Horror film ever made.
The first two Scream films are great too; they’re about horror film tropes, which I think you’d enjoy.
If you don’t watch Misery, you’re missing out. It’s one of my favourite films.
Comment by Peter C. Hayward March 21, 2010 @ 3:38 PM