Horror October Halloween
Morbid stuff
People like horror. There is a lot this month—tragic news—and we can digest it anywhere we want: from TV, social media, college campuses, street protests, talking with friends, and maybe reading up on the history of what once was. I’m writing this to come to terms with what my plans were for this month against the reality. I started to subscribe to Scott Snyder’s substack, and he gave me some deeper appreciation of horror (more on that later). With the neighborhood theater offering all the good flicks, I thought I could walk and enjoy a good fright a few times.
I’m actually conflicted to view the made-up, but excellently filmed horror films, as the world is in turmoil. How dare you! So I wondered what the crowd is doing. It seems theatre goers want something light, fun, and participatory.
From the box office data, no one neither really wants to be scared, but instead want a musical.
You'll never catch me at a Taylor Swift concert (if you do, you'll get a free subscription), but it has drawn people into seats, even to the front row of the cinema.
The horror genre we've witnessed in real-time is relentless, showing evil without mercy, without a soul. Victims cry for help, but there's no one there, and it's all recorded in HD, much like a GoPro extreme sports event—a bit like the ending of 'Blair Witch.'
It's surreal to witness it in color and with sound. Everyone has seen it, glossed over it, or had the events described to them. What we've noticed is that one side enjoys the gore and mayhem, while the other is appalled, saying 'ewww' or 'oh my god.'
It's fitting that this is happening with the advent of our new Halloween celebration, which commemorates the dead along with costumes and parties.
With current events, much like a good horror movie, the ending isn't so clear-cut. Just like the classics, the horror spreads globally with no end in sight. Does art imitate life, or is it the other way around? What about ticket sales and location?
My conclusion is that everyone has portrayed these events as a Holocaust, an eternal conflict, or a peace deal. But what about the reason this interests the passive observer? Is horro best suited for religious people or atheists? Or certain kinds more for one than another? Can there be a common ground?
I really feel when when we can watch and experience what we define as a safe space, our inner psyche can be taken to a different plane. And that is why cinema is diverse and robust, when it wants to be.
Consider the slate of horror movies - and see if any match up to what you have experienced live. I gave a few ideas of my thinking then stopped, it’s up to you to pause and consider the ones not mentioned.
"The Exorcist" - A devil inhabiting a body, with our Catholic faith embodied in a mortal priest fighting to eradicate it. Can the same be said of virulent ideology?
"The Nun" - Heaven, Hell, Devil, Nun, and an innocent girl. Even the religious and innocent are sucked in.
"Hocus Pocus" (Disney) - Three witches wanting eternal life, even if it requires a human sacrifice. It plays off as a comedy and is absurd. Yet there is fear and suspense and an entire town hypnotized. Remember her zombie boyfriend who finally has enough?
"Haunted Mansion" (Disney) - A mansion filled with ghosts running amok, with a naive mortal trying to unclutter himself.
"After Death" - A pseudo-documentary of people interviewed about what happens after death. Some stories are good, some are scary. I say pseudo because it's hard to call a documentary on what people experienced "fact." Does it give off a "Blair Witch" vibe?
"Haunting Venice" - A Hercules Poirot mystery (the third film directed by Kenneth Branagh). His goal is to make the irrational rational, kind of like #6. The thrills will be supernatural, but the conclusion will be logical.
"Talk to Me" - A seance gone bad (you don’t play with fire).
"When Evil Lurks" - "If you find it, it will consume you," warns a scene in the early part of the movie trailer. It's filmed in a rustic area where people die, kill, get possessed, along with a lot of sheep. The trailer ends by saying, "The Days of Faith are soon Ending."
"Saw X" - Revenge for the soup du jour of cretins. Since there is no God, someone has to play the executioner. "This is not retribution; it's a reawakening."
Taylor Swift Era - Look, I feel threatened by her. An uber-successful female who has it all, along with music that I just do not enjoy.
In conclusion, I'm taking a break from horror this month. Life imitating art is unavoidable. But when it comes to Halloween and October, and the future I pray that it will remain locked in the realm of art only. But, alas, that is not what makes a good horror movie.