#91: Horror Movie Edition
The fall season always brings back childhood memories of jumping in huge piles of leaves in crisp Colorado weather. I’ve always loved fall, but I haven’t always loved the horror genre and even now “love” is too strong a word.
The, let’s say, affection for horror had its genesis in October 2009 when Jenny and I started dating. We went on our first date at the beginning of the month and by our third date we were at a haunted house holding hands for the first time.1 Other dates included scary movies at our university’s International Cinema and watching Psycho at my apartment on Halloween Eve (our first kiss was during the credits, how romantic is that?).
Ever since then, I associate horror with having a shared experience with other people, whether that be a significant other or a crowded movie theater.2 And not just any shared experience: one that leaves a mark.
Below are a few of my experiences with horror, past and present, that have proven unforgettable. What are some of yours?
The Orphanage (2007)
This was possibly the best theater going experience I’ve ever had. The theater was so packed people were standing in the aisles, which is probably horrifying to any fire marshals reading this. BYU’s International Cinema showed an edited version, which removed the only gory shot. My body involuntarily convulses at even the mildest jump scare, which is embarrassing when I’m the only one. But during this movie, everyone was jumping and reacting and screaming. While that amount of ruckus may not sound like the ideal theater going experience for you, I loved it. If you haven’t seen this, I highly recommend giving it a chance. 5/5.
Let The Right One In (2008)
Another International Cinema experience while in college, this time with a lot more gore edited out. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, it’s the story of a bullied boy befriending a vampire girl who helps the boy deal with the bullies. I saw the 2008 Swedish version but there’s a 2010 Hollywood version and a new 2022 Showtime series as well. If you don’t like blood, best skip this one. I liked the story of the outcast who has an innocent crush on a girl who has to kill to survive. 4/5.
Barbarian (2022)
I saw this shortly after getting an Apple Watch and though I can always feel my heart pounding in my chest during a scary movie, the data fascinated me. What is normally between 50 and 60 maxed out around 92 during the film. It was a tense and uniquely structured movie, but disturbing and not easily recommendable. 3/5.
Green Room (2015)
This is one of the most disturbing movies I’ve ever seen and I’m not recommending it, only documenting it here for posterity. The protagonists were so ordinary and inexperienced in violent fright or flight situations that I instantly related to them. They made several dumb decisions and only a handful of smart ones. The monsters in this film were gun-toting, knife wielding, red shoelace wearing white supremacist skinheads. With trained killer pit bulls — truly terrifying! I had to pause and walk away multiple times to calm my nerves, but I also couldn’t stop because I had to know who got out and how. 5/5 if you like dark thrillers, 2/5 if you’d rather not go there.
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)
Stephen King wrote this short ghost story as part of his 2020 If It Bleeds collection and Netflix released the movie last week. I enjoyed the story’s morality tale of the hidden costs of transactions of convenience, but the movie was a good example of adhering too close to the source material. What read well on the page translated awkwardly to the screen and I wish there had been some fun twists or innovations. It was not scary and mostly forgettable. Story: 3/5. Movie: 2/5.
Thanks for reading and I wish you all a happy spooky season. What are your favorite scary stories?
Kyle
This isn’t a dating advice column, but if you need a date that guarantees physical contact, go to a haunted house.
I suppose some might prefer the experience of watching a scary movie or reading a scary book alone, but not me. The monsters get you when you’re alone!