The Horror Continues, pt 2

-
When it come to really scary, no one does it like Stephen King.  His books have caused me to sleep with a light on, pulling my toes in so they don't go off the edge of the bed.  Even his "non-scary" books are scary, often through examination of human nature, but also with the way he makes normal people experience paranormal events.  But, since this post is about the categories of horror in my collection, I'll share the four  Stephen King movies I own which most folks would count as "scary."

Stephen King Movies:

  1. Pet Sematary.  Classic cautionary tale of letting the dead be dead. Especially if it includes an ancient Indian burial ground.
  2. The Mist.  The humans are the scariest, but, like it's predecessor The Fog, not being able to see what's out there is  horrifying.  This one isn't as scary the second time around, which I think weakens it's status as a classic.
  3. IT.  This is one of the most terrifying books out there, and Pennywise the clown (voiced by Tim Curry) is the stuff nightmares are made of.  The scenes in the tunnels facing the great evil are perhaps even worse on the adults who must battle.
  4. The Shining.  Jack Nicholson in the haunted Overlook hotel.  Snowed in with the demons. Scary every time.  This haunting is powerful enough that it shows up in a second book 30 years later.... read Dr. Sleep. Really. 
When it comes to zombies, it's the old school I like the best.  Night of the Living Dead by George Romero, 1968, followed by Dawn of the Dead ten years later. In 1985 I saw Return of the Living Dead, which fueled my appreciation of what is aptly named "black comedy."  Romero's final film in the original triology, Day of the Dead wasn't the end of his horror career by any means.  He gave us Creepshow and The Crazies, among others.  So I appreciate a good zombie movie, and I love the series The Walking Dead.  Here's my collection by this theme.

Zombies and the Walking Dead:
  1. The Romero films- The original Night of the Living Dead is by far the best.  I even have a colorized version, but still prefer the b&w. 
  2. Dawn of the Dead (the remake, 2004).  It's not bad, as far as remakes go and its got good zombies.
  3. The Fog.  Okay, not a classic zombie film but it has dead sailors coming back to life, walking across the water into the town, and take revenge.  Close.
  4. Shaun of the Dead.  This one I can watch over and over.  Clever, good zombies and a bit of the romance.  Very nice.
I know I need to continue to add to my zombie movie collection; there are some great ones out there.

I wonder if Jed will want to watch scary movies when he gets older.  Right now he likes the idea of them but not the reality. Maybe I just need to find the right title to hook him in.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

imagination

-
She moved to the beach to start over. After years behind a desk, processing paperwork for deadbeats, she was looking to forward some quiet. Her monthly pension from the state, combined with social security and the money her father had left her provided enough income for the full cable package on television, her book of the month club, and necessities. She didn't subscribe to the newspaper any more; nothing in there but bad news. All her working life had been dealing with deadbeats, people making excuses for why they weren't working, why they didn't take care of their children, their bills, or themselves. The newspaper was just a reminder of that. The first slug appeared late in the evening. She'd just finished watching America's Got Talent and went to check the doors and windows before heading to bed for the night. When she turned on the porch light, she saw a huge shadow on the screen door. About 4 inches long, it had worked the front half of
Read more

what goes up, must come down

-
"Once on the elevator , elevator etiquette experts strongly recommend standing as close to a wall or corner as possible to make room for other riders. You should move to the back of the elevator if you are going a long way, and stay in the front if you plan to get off soon. If you decide to stand in front of the elevator buttons, be prepared to be asked to push buttons for other elevator riders. While in an elevator , you shouldn't eat, smoke, or talk on your cellphone. Many people prefer to ride an elevator in silence, so if you have to strike up a conversation with someone, keep the topic neutral, and your tone of voice low. If other people in the elevator seem irritated or upset by your conversation, you may want to change the topic or quiet down. Step aside for people getting off the elevator , and be sure not to block the door when the elevator stops.  ~Wisegeek.com Heh heh heh.  I've discovered a new hobby.  It's called "freak out the strangers on
Read more

books

-
I'm making lots of lists lately and figured I'd keep going. Since I often get asked what my favorite books are and I can never answer, here are a few books I think are worth reading. Siddartha , by Herman Hesse. The book that changed my way of viewing the world. The Stand , by Stephen King. One of the best books ever. Archetypal good vs. evil, great writing, and interesting characters. Lonesome Dove , by Larry McMurty. Never have I experienced such real and rounded characters on the written page. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove , by Christopher Moore. Laugh out loud funny and strange. A Prayer for Owen Meany , by John Irving. Funny but thought provoking. I think better, but very different than Cider House Rules, World According to Garp or Hotel New Hampshire . To Kill a Mockingbird , by Harper Lee. Classic coming of age. The Prince of Tides , by Pat Conroy. I think he'll be recognized as one of the great writers of the age. This one has sentences that are abso
Read more