Question 22. If you read books by horror authors, who are your favorite authors and what are your favorite books, short stories, etc?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): I used to read RL Stine. He was cool when i was a teen
JASON B. (Ohio): Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, Edgar Allan Poe, Brian Lumley, William Peter Blatty, Bram Stoker "Dracula," Anne Rice's "The Witching Hour," Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend," "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James (I think?),
MISSY B. (Texas): stephen king, clive barker, anne rice, laurell k hamilton, christine feehan- any & all of their works
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Clive barker, hellbound heart
REBECCA G. (Illinois): I like Poe for short stories
BRENNA C. (Florida): Nope, not into horror books.
SAM W. (Florida): Anne Rice hands down. Anything with vampires gives it a plus in my book.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): na
MYKEL D. (Michigan): Stoker's Dracula was by far the best horror/romance novel
SEAN A. (Illinois): Chuck Palahniuk, hands down, he is sick and perverted in the best kind of way. His writing is so unique and is great to watch unfold.
OBERON (Iowa): Author -- H.P. Lovecraft
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): dan brown
KEVIN P. (Illinois): I don't really have a favorite "horror" writer. I like Anne Rice and King. There is one writer whose recent works have branched out into Horror-esque territory: Cormac McCarthy. I suggest you check out The Road. It's almost a zombie novel written as literature.
ADDITIONAL SITES I DISCOVERED WHILE FINDING LINKS FOR ANSWERS ABOVE:
Well, last night I watched the SAG awards only to see Michael C. Hall get robbed for his performance on Dexter again. Robbed, I tell you! I found it especially touching that the camera man felt the need to zoom in on Hall's face right after hearing someone else had won. *said dripping with sarcasm* Sorry, but that was tacky. Anyway, here are today's survey results. Enjoy!
Question 21. Do you incorporate the horror genre into any other types of activities? If so, which ones? (For example, books you read, etc.)
ZUZI W. (Illinois): NA
JASON B. (Ohio): Reading, I guess.
MISSY B. (Texas): yes, i read horror fiction
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): books
REBECCA G. (Illinois): ive tried to by reading stephen king books...but i just couldnt sit through them the way i could with actually seeing it
BRENNA C. (Florida): I don’t read very often but I am a HUGE fan of Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando, FL. It comes once a year for the month of October. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but it’s gotten really big and it’s all haunted houses and scary things. Some of the houses are based on horror movies. I love that.
SAM W. (Florida): The only time I read is when the genre is horror or fantasy. PC video games are pretty fun, too... with a horror theme.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): Yes. I read horror books, listen to a lot of horror-themed music (such as Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Marilyn Manson...) and I also incorporate it into my artwork.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): i do tend to read horror based novels and would like to oen day be in a horror punk band,
SEAN A. (Illinois): I go see Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night.
OBERON (Iowa): Yes. I do photomanipulations on the subject of witches.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): i read the da vinci code, that probaly doesnt count lol
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Sometimes I will read a horror novel, but Stephen King is light reading for me.
Sorry for the skipped days in posting these results, everyone. My server has been having issues and I've had to work around that.
Question 20. When you’re not watching horror movies, what else do you like to do?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): sew, design and decorate things, take walks hang out with friends.
JASON B. (Ohio): ????
MISSY B. (Texas): i watch way too much tv, checke out the internet
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Play m rated games
REBECCA G. (Illinois): watch many other genres including childrens, thriller, romance, and comedy
BRENNA C. (Florida): I like to shop and play tennis and go to parties…not a big fan of bars. I like going out to new restaurants and going to movie theaters (but then again, I’m usually seeing horror movies). I do like my TV/movie time, but I’d say I’m pretty typical in my other interests. I especially like music and going to concerts. I like to travel too.
SAM W. (Florida): na
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): I'm an art student, I listen to music a lot (mostly horror-themed), and spend time with friends.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): play guitar.read.
SEAN A. (Illinois): Guitar, Drums, Music, Friends, et.
OBERON (Iowa): Drink whiskey and chase women.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): listening to music and watching movies and sports
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Well, I wouldn't characterize myself as a horror fan, just an open-minded cinemaphile.
Okay, so this is actually a post with the results of question #19 of my horror survey, but I had to go with this title. You see, tonight I was standing in the office all of us GA's share, when suddenly . . . out of nowhere . . . HE reappeared. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about the one and only . . . the dastardly and nefarious SWAN!!! *insert dramatic da-duh-daaaaa music* Seriously though, for those who just began reading my blog, Matt Swan was my instructor for an undergrad media writing course. It's because of him I have a completed 30-minute teleplay script and he was, hands down, one of my favorite teachers while I was completing my undergrad degree. Anyway, ever since then, I usually refer to him as a fictional arch-nemesis of mine when posting on this site. In reality, he's the exact opposite and anything but nefarious and dastardly. Don't tell him that, though. No telling what villainous powers he will unleash if he thinks he has me fooled. ;) Now, here are the results of question #19.
Question 19. What bothers you about the common views people have about horror movies and horror movie lovers?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): NA
JASON B. (Ohio): Nothing.
MISSY B. (Texas): i couldn't care less about stereotypes
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): yes
REBECCA G. (Illinois): they dont tend to keep an open mind about the points even horro movies can make about life
BRENNA C. (Florida): It seems like people who like horror movies are stereotyped as having some sort of personality defect. Like they’re secretly serial killers with a collection of human hair in their closets. Most people like to see the new horror movies in theaters with their girlfriend/boyfriend or friends for fun but don’t actually like the genre itself. It’s just a movie to jump and have fun with. And most people end up saying the movie was not scary and/or stupid. I get annoyed when people act like nothing scares them and don’t even try to appreciate what they’ve just seen.
SAM W. (Florida): na
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): na
MYKEL D. (Michigan): I feel horror movies are trying to sell sex more than horror these days,.
SEAN A. (Illinois): Nothing really, but if people think in generalities I think they are naive to the fact that each person is an individual and they can enjoy whatever they would like too.
OBERON (Iowa): Nothing. I don't care what they think.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): that they are afraid to go see it
KEVIN P. (Illinois): I guess it doesn't bother me that much.
Question 18. Do you fit into any of those stereotypes?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): NA
JASON B. (Ohio): Definitely.
MISSY B. (Texas): i guess- i consider myself goth, love dressing up like a vampire
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): yes
REBECCA G. (Illinois): not at all it also has to do with how you were raised it has nothing to do solely with what you watched growing up
BRENNA C. (Florida): I honestly don’t think I do…I’ll watch an episode of the OC and Halloween 2 in the same night and it’s perfectly normal to me. That’s is why most people find my interest in these movies so random. I’m not a dippy sorority girl but to most I’d be closer to that persona than that of a horror fan.
SAM W. (Florida): See above
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): Not really. I am kindof dark, but most people will tell you I'm really a friendly, nice, peaceful person.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): some.
SEAN A. (Illinois): Not at all I love Emo music and Acoustic Music.
OBERON (Iowa): Irrelevant given the last answer.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): nope i am mostly with the stereotype of prep
KEVIN P. (Illinois): I wear predominately dark clothing, but that's just so I don't have to separate my laundry.
ADDITIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC SITE I DISCOVERED WHILE FINDING LINKS FOR THE ANSWERS ABOVE:
Question 17. What are some stereotypes of a horror movie lover?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): I didn't know there were stereotypes
JASON B. (Ohio): I'm guessing here, but I'd say they also read a lot of horror.
MISSY B. (Texas): no idea- i guess some people think we're weird. i tend to be interested in things that are dark, scary, weird
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): The people at blockbuster know you by name and what kind of movies you get
REBECCA G. (Illinois): that you have grown up a violent person
BRENNA C. (Florida): Dark, gothic, angry, weird, anti-social, creepy.
SAM W. (Florida): I've met too many types to make any kind of stereotype for the viewers.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): Dark, creepy, antisocial, angry, violent...
MYKEL D. (Michigan): creepy people. dress wierd.stay up late.
SEAN A. (Illinois): They like Metal Music are goth. I don't know
OBERON (Iowa): Don't know.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): people say gothic?
KEVIN P. (Illinois): dress in black, obsesses about movies that are crap, into death
Question 16. What is the common reaction you get when people hear that you like horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): They think its cool, except for my mom. She thinks they are evil. ..even though most horror movies are good conquers evil.
JASON B. (Ohio): There is no common reaction.
MISSY B. (Texas): they usually agree with me
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): You are such a nice guy why do you like them.
REBECCA G. (Illinois): when i delve into my obsession with certain ones they tend to find it shocking and disturbing seeing as i also love childrens movies
BRENNA C. (Florida): I’m a 20- year- old girl who likes to shop and go out, so the typical reaction is that the person doesn’t believe me. Then when I start spouting off horror trivia, they get a little weirded out. They usually don’t understand it and think it’s strange. But I have found a few people who are as interested in it as I am so they get it. I always think of when I was 13, renting all of the Fridays, one by one, from movie gallery. I was always self-conscious going up to the counter and one time the guy said, “Lovin’ the Friday's, huh?” I got really embarrassed and lied and said I was renting them for my brother.
SAM W. (Florida): Please stop with gore = horror. Give us amazing, unique story lines. More Halloweens!
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): na
MYKEL D. (Michigan): mostly an odd look followed by " REALLY!"
SEAN A. (Illinois): Well most people know I love movies in general so they think I like horror movies, just an assumption I guess.
OBERON (Iowa): No particular reaction.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): that i am not afraid to go see them in theaters or at night
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Most people don't seem to mind. I think I get stranger reactions from my love of foreign movies.
Question 15. What changes would you like to see in future horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): New plots. I don't like predictable movies.
JASON B. (Ohio): More adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft stories.
MISSY B. (Texas): be more creative, quit re-doing every classic horror movies
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Kill the ugly chicks first
REBECCA G. (Illinois): more originality and wider use of effects
BRENNA C. (Florida): Going from an angry killer to a truly insane killer like back in the old days. That’s the difference with the original versions and the remakes. In the original versions the killers were truly crazy. These new guys are just dark and angry. I always use the Texas Chainsaw Massacre example. In the original, the family was nuts. They all laughed hysterically and one of them poked that girl with a stick (in the truck scene when she was in a gunnysack) and they were basically just out of their minds. To me, that’s scary as hell. In the new one, the family is just mean. Anyone can be mean. It’s the true crazies that are really scary. It’s the same way with the old and new versions of, When A Stranger Calls. The original killer was a creepy little British guy who hissed and made other weird noises. The new guy had a deep voice and a scar and was dark and angry. Not the same.
SAM W. (Florida): Please stop with gore = horror. Give us amazing, unique story lines. More Halloweens!
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): American horror movies as opposed to other nation's horror movies are incredibly weak. I think America should loosen up when it comes to what kind of content is allowed. Censorship laws take away from the artistic qualities of good films. Japan, for example, allows much more in its horror movies which makes them more interesting. Also, "the descent" was released in America with a shorter and happier ending than the original version released in Europe because producers thought that Americans couldn't handle it. I think that's ridiculous.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): Black Christmas
SEAN A. (Illinois): A remake of Rocky Horror Picture Show, and a good remake of Psycho.
OBERON (Iowa): Return to the use of the imagination and avoid trying to do it all in realism.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): more new ways to scare people
KEVIN P. (Illinois): To integrate the special effects revolution of the present to the psychological techniques of storytelling used in the past.
Question 14. What are your pet peeves about horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): The stupid characters. "No....don't open the door!!!! Look behind you!!! Grab the damn gun!!!" Are some of the many things that i am screaming at the TV.
JASON B. (Ohio): Most of them are typical slasher flicks.
MISSY B. (Texas): the stupid things directors think the movies need- the bimbo who gets killed after having sex, don't say "i'll be right back", cause you won't
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): The all kill the good looking chicks first
REBECCA G. (Illinois): I hate when they are all predictable and you feel as though youve seen it before or when they are so bad that you have to make fun of them while watching to keep from being bored
BRENNA C. (Florida): When the gore is over the top and they’re just too predictable. You get to know the clichés after watching so many movies and you know most of the twists and where the jumps are and they’re just part of the horror genre but some movies, mostly the new ones, just go too far and are way too predictable. The gore is just too over the top these days. Less is more. I also don’t like when the main character patronizes the killer or is too daring. I know it’s part of the genre but sometimes it gets cheesy. There were even times in Scream and Scream 2 when I thought Neve Campbell's character went a little overboard. In real life 95% of those girls yelling ,”F you!” to the killer would be hiding under their beds, crying. But then again in real life, a guy in a ghost mask probably wouldn’t be chasing them around, trying to kill them. So like I said, it’s just part of the genre.
SAM W. (Florida): As most, stereotypical/cliche endings
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): na
MYKEL D. (Michigan): naked people
SEAN A. (Illinois): Terrible Remakes of original terrible films, or just terrible remakes.
OBERON (Iowa): Cliches.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): bad acting and they have sex in the movie
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Immortal villains a la Jason. If there is no way to kill the main villain, then the film devolves into just tired set-ups for the cast's individual deaths.
"I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect."
So, I just got out of my first class in over a year with my favorite professor, Dr. Vazquez, only to hear "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon on the way home. I'm beyond wired now, despite the fact that I've been up since 4am due to a lovely bout of insomnia. Amy, I know you can relate to that. Anyway, awesome song and a great segue into the next round of results from my horror survey. Enjoy!
Question 13. Do you have any, or have you ever had any, favorite horror themed tv shows? If so, what were they and why did you like them?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): Tales from the crypt and nick at nights Are you afraid of the dark.
JASON B. (Ohio): "The X-Files," I guess.
MISSY B. (Texas): munsters, addams family- both are classic tv & make fun of being weird
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Brimstone, its dark, gets you to think about who you are and where you might go if you don’t change your ways
REBECCA G. (Illinois): Friday the 13th the tv series was amazing...my favorite was the doll house episode where the twins lure the neighborhood children to the house and they stay there to play forever
BRENNA C. (Florida): Hmm not really. I watched Buffy a little bit in the beginning. I love Halloween holiday episodes! The Pete & Pete “Halloweenie” episode is my all time favorite…not quite horror though, lol. I never really watched Monstervision on TNT but I wish they’d bring that back, I heard it was great. And I love when they do marathons for Friday the 13th and other movies…usually AMC does them. But I haven’t really found any horror-specific TV shows I like.
SAM W. (Florida): While it wasn't really horror, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my favorite TV show (and might still be my number 1). It had everything in it's earlier years (the high school years were the best), and brought it all together.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): na
MYKEL D. (Michigan): Munsters. classical.funny. yet oddly ghoulish
SEAN A. (Illinois): The Twilight Zone because they were really original, and always came out with such great stories. Then the Munster is a classic because it was such a family of misfits. I probably would have like the Addams Family more if my last name was different, hahaha.
OBERON (Iowa): Not really. TV has never done horror well.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): don't know any
KEVIN P. (Illinois): See Boogiepop Phantom above :)
Question 12. Do you have any favorite music (or specific soundtracks) from horror movies? If so, what is it/are they? Why do you like it/them?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): Halloween!!!!!! What's funny is that I've never even seen Halloween.
JASON B. (Ohio): The "Halloween" theme, of course, and "Tubular Bells" from "The Exorcist." I like the "Friday the 13th" and "Jaws" themes, too. I can't really think of any others.
MISSY B. (Texas): queen of the damned & strangeland had kick ass metal soundtracks
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): The saw sound track, and Jason x, Jason vs. fredy , saw is dark, Jason x is just music with no words, and Jason vs. fredy is just rock
REBECCA G. (Illinois): the scream soundtracks are pretty good, they have good composition and i must admit in the second film the breakout in the lunchroom by charlie singing I think I love you gave the movie a bit of humor and then continued to pound with horror
BRENNA C. (Florida): The Halloween theme…it’s just a classic, everyone knows it. The Shining theme is really creepy. I like the music that goes with Jason in Friday the 13th (chew chew chew ba ba ba). The Amityville horror theme is really creepy too. And I actually played a drinking game to the music from When A Stranger Calls. There’s really dramatic music in the beginning of that, like the THX sound; I have a friend who is obsessed with movie soundtracks, primarily horror movies, so he always points specific theme stuff to me.
SAM W. (Florida): Halloween and Scream had great ones. Very good mood setters with a mix of different types of music.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): na
MYKEL D. (Michigan): I enyjoy several horror based bands, including the Misfits, Nekromantix. The Haunted Mansion soundtrack owned too.
SEAN A. (Illinois): The soundtrack to Rocky Horror, it so inventive and fun to dance too.
OBERON (Iowa): No.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): scream movies-first rock i had ever heard
KEVIN P. (Illinois): The closest I have is Psycho, because it's a revolutionary film score done all in strings. Being a film score buff, I would say part of the problem is that few horror movies have enough of a budget to go beyond simple percussion beats. And because many of them are marketed to a young demographic, whatever money allocated to the music budget is usually for contemporary pop music.
Okay, it was real easy to get me back in the horror mode after seeing
Michael C. Hall get robbed, ROBBED at the Golden Globes last night. I'm still fuming!!! Anyway, here's the next round of answers in my horror survey. Enjoy!
Question 11: Which horror movie monster is your favorite and why? Least favorite? Why?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): NA
JASON B. (Ohio): Either "Alien" or "Jaws" would be my favorite. I don't have a least favorite.
MISSY B. (Texas): vampires, love the blood, fangs are sexy
least fave-i'm tired of all the sequels from various series- freddy, jason, pinhead, michael myers- so tired of the endless sequels!!
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Pin head cause he likes to make people suffer, junior he just a retard
REBECCA G. (Illinois): as far as true monster i would have to go with frankenstein...because he was made a monster but he also had a side in which he chose to do something good
BRENNA C. (Florida): Hmm not really into monsters… But the cave creatures in The Descent were damn creepy. Least favorite…the guy from Hellraiser, not Pinhead, but the guy from the first movie who was like half alive and needed to eat people to get whole again. I think he counts as a monster. He was just stupid.
SAM W. (Florida): While they aren't in my favorite movies, I really like vampires. They are so shady and seductive (Queen of the Damned for example). I love it!
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): I like Jason. He rocks.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): The Werevolves from Dog Soldiers..they were totally the scariest looking werevolves ive ever seen.
SEAN A. (Illinois): Least favorite is chuckie because i was scared as a little kid or the scream killers because those movies seemed like they could really happen and that scares me. My favorite is probably Norman Bates from Psycho a classic killer, but the Stay Puffed Marshamellow Man too because he is awesome, just awesome.
OBERON (Iowa): Not really into monsters per se.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): creatures from the descent bad ass and scary looking
least-some dumbass monster with no point to be in the movie
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Of the stock movie monsters I would have to say Dracula/vampires are my favorite because they are very open to interpretation; they can either be gothic period or modern.
I don't really have a least favorite.
Well, the Golden Globe Awards are tonight. As I've mentioned before, the awards show I put the most stock in is the SAG awards, but I watch all of them. Tonight my only concern is that Michael C. Hall wins for his performance on Dexter. I was a big Six Feet Under fan and I was amazed to find myself so quickly seeing him as Dexter, not David, about 5 minutes into the first episode. Beyond that, he's absolutely wowed me. On Dexter, he's a serial killer . . . that you can't help but love, that you wish was your boyfriend after seeing him with Rita, and that you felt genuinely bad for when he had to off a long-lost relative. I'm purposefully being vague with that last bit so as not to spoil things for people who foolishly haven't jumped on the Dexter bandwagon. Anyway, go Michael C. Hall! He damn well better win!
Oh, and for those awaiting the rest of the answers to my horror movie survey, check back tomorrow. I had to take a few days off from posting them.
Question 10: Who are your favorite horror movie directors? Actors? Why are they your favorites?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): NA
JASON B (Ohio): John Carpenter and Wes Craven are the only two directors that I would label "horror directors" who I really like. I like them because they made many significant contributions to the genre. The only "horror actor" I can really think that I really like would be Jamie Lee Curtis.
MISSY B (Texas): eli roth is a scary man- comes up with some whacked out stuff. i don't pay much attention to actors- if it's a good movie it doesn't matter
KRISTOPHER B (North Carolina): Sorry to many to pick, can’t just pick one
REBECCA G (Illinois): I dont have a favorite director, but actor on the other hand is always hands down robert englund...he has a sex appeal while being these horrible monsters in film, and that recognizable voice gets me every time. He can envoke fear with just the smallest voice change.
BRENNA C (Florida): Jamie Lee Curtis because she’s the “Scream Queen.” I would say Wes Craven is my favorite director. I just love his movies. Especially Scream and Scream 2 (didn’t love Scream 3) and the first Nightmare on Elm Street. He does horror so well and then he can even jump a little into action like with Red Eye. When I think of a horror director, he’s what comes to mind. When I think of an actress it’s Jamie Lee Curtis. Most of the movies I see don’t have the same actors/actresses so it’s hard to pick favorites. Neve Campbell didn’t do a bad job though. And Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers is one of my all time favorite characters.
SAM W (Florida): Wes Craven, he's done a lot of great movies. Not horror kings/queens come to mind as my favorite.
GEORGIA A (Illinois): na
MYKEL D (Michigan): Peter Jackson, he directed Dead Alive, then came back and directed Lord of the rings. hes came along way
SEAN A (Illinois): Sam Raimi because he is original and George A. Romero because he is unique and is a classic.
OBERON (Iowa): Director-- Mario Bava. Actress -- Barbara Steele. Actor -- Peter Cushing. Bava because of Black Sunday, Steele for the same movie, and Cushing because he built a whole career out of basically the same character in every film he did.
FELIPE S (Arkansas): wes craven-director-reason for scream movies
actors-too many
KEVIN P. (Illinois): I don't really have any favorites. I think part of the curse of horror movies is that they're a very uneven genre. Wes Craven has done some very good work, but some formulaic as well.
Question 9: What are some of the worst horror movies you’ve ever seen? Why were they so bad?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): Cabin Fever, Hostel, and basically any cheezy teen horror movie where your yelling at the TV because the actors are dumba**es
JASON B (Ohio): There's far too many to name. Most slasher flicks are pretty bad though. And most horror sequels suck, too.
MISSY B (Texas): plenty of old movies, with subtitles, ones that are cheesy, just not well made
KRISTOPHER B (North Carolina): Hood of the living dead, junior, words can’t tell why hood of the living dead sucked you just got to see it for you self to understand why, and junior was just boring
REBECCA G (Illinois): killer klowns from outer space, but that one is so bad that it is almost good and i do like watching it. Python was such a cheese movie, not even the digital effects could save that movie
BRENNA C (Florida): I try to be very forgiving, lol. I remember hating Motel Hell. But I saw it so long ago, I barely remember what it’s about. It’s funny, but I can’t think of too many movies I didn’t like, specifically, because I’m always trying to find the good in them. I have so many friends that will see a horror movie and say they hated it. Most never even gave it a chance. But I guess I generally don’t like movies with too much gore. I just think it’s unnecessary. Movies can be horrifying without an excess of gore. Take Saw 3…it had virtually no plot and just gore. I couldn’t even watch most of it. Oh and the original version (and new version) of the Hills Have Eyes disappointed me. I’d heard good things about the original but I was not impressed. And Prom Night would’ve been better if you could actually see it. The filming is so bad, it’s too dark to watch. Even on the DVD I bought. It’s too bad because it had a decent plot.
SAM W (Florida): Can't remember specifics, but really bad horror movies are typically ones that don't have much of an in depth plot. The "my car broke down and we all die" movies without any background or reasoning are just lame.
GEORGIA A (Illinois): There's really no such thing as a "bad" horror movie, because the whole intent of horror movies is usually to stray from the mainstream. Some horror movies, like troma films, are meant to be ridiculous and have stories that most people would consider to be completely lame, but that's what makes them funny. There is a huge cult following for these.
MYKEL D (Michigan): worst horror movie ever was Troll
SEAN A (Illinois): Emily rose was bad because they are predictable and unoriginal. When a movie is too serious you have to match seriousness with unexpected twits and suprises.
OBERON (Iowa): The Japanese spate of godzilla crap. totally unbelievable.
FELIPE S (Arkansas): dark water and the fog b/c they didn't deserve title of horror movies
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Oh, I try to block my memory of them. The worst are usually guilty of laziness.
Question 8: Why are these movies your favorite horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): I like thriller suspense movies.....but now I'm confused. Are horror movies cosidered thrillers also?
JASON B. (Ohio): I just think they all have excellent plots, acting, effects, etc. I guess just because you can tell that everyone involved in those movies tried their hardest to revolutionize the genre and to make a movie that would receive critical as well as popular praise.
MISSY B. (Texas): vampires- of course, gore & how it scares other people
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Near dark & vampires are way cool vampires films, saw just cause its sick, blood 1 & 2 are just cool, and I love the book candy man is base on
REBECCA G. (Illinois): freddy and chucky are pretty much classics, plus in a weird way those characters are hot...i am well aware that i am slightly demented for thinking so. phantasm was a fav because ive always liked how the ball with its spikes lodged itself into the victim, and scream hmmm that one is so much more recent and i got hooked on the characters, and even the villians (the second one was by far the best no matter how many times i watch it i still get scared)
BRENNA C. (Florida): When A Stranger Calls truly scared the hell out of me and still does to this day. Halloween is a classic; just a great, great horror movie. The Fridays are just fun and campy. Black Christmas creeped me out a lot, and Night of the Living Dead is a classic too; very entertaining.
SAM W. (Florida): Because they are horror suspense. Not much gore and had a good plotline.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): Because they are extreme.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): whats not to love about them, gore, chainsaws you name it.
SEAN A. (Illinois): They are more light hearted and can easily be laughed at to lighten the mood.
OBERON (Iowa): They relied more on the imagination rather than trying to depict gore.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): scream trilogy- first collection that i loved watching
grudge-sarah michelle gellar
Texas-fact that i thought it was real and b/c it totally scared the s*** out of me when i first watched it
descent-good acting and not boring and the action and the characters
the ring-b/c i watched it at night when it came out on dvd and i could not watch it
fd3-cool deaths and mary elizabeth winstead
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Jacob's Ladder is above all a psychological story, combining excellent special effects and directorial restraint which maximizes the fear. The result is a build-up to a climax in a demonic emergency ward in which all of the subtlety flies out the window. Lyne knew exactly when to cross that line. The acting is superb and the end is deeply touching.
The second film of Romero's original trilogy is the best. Not only was it a seminal work in the zombie genre, setting the stage for legions of copiers, but it does two things very well: shows the collapse of civilization and illustrates how because of that collapse, the greatest threat to the survivors is other survivors. What impressed me the most is not the oft-cited middle of the film (the satire of consumer culture), but the beginning and end of the movie. In both cases, the film depicts the underlying fragility of human culture; the old order collapses and the new "utopia" created at the mall proves just as illusionary.
Fright Night is just a fun movie. Especially given that it came out in the era of the Friday the 13th franchise, the line "people don't want to see vampires anymore. They just want to see machete wielding psychos hack up virgins" was quite priceless.
Silence of the Lambs is a movie unfortunately cheapened by its popularity and the creator's willingness to milk its best character for every cent. But forgetting what has been done after the film, Lector remains a compelling character in part because the power he exudes, even while in prison, is alluring. Lector is such an effective villain because the idea of being able to mercilessly analyze and ridicule all those around us with an air of smug superiority is a powerful desire. And the said desire is quite frightening.
I'm cheating a little with Boogiepop Phantom. It's a thirteen episode Japanese anime that deals with supernatural events surrounding a group of Japanese high schoolers. But unlike most American horror, these students are not the typical gorgeous machete-fodder, rather they are the disturbed and traumatized youths familiar to current and former teenagers around the world. When you add a unique narrative structure in which almost all the events of the story arc happen simultaneously, it's quite an impressive achievement.
Question 7: What are some of your favorite horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): The Ring, Session 9...
JASON B. (Ohio): "The Exorcist," "Halloween," "Evil Dead 2," "The Fog," "Alien," "The Thing (1982)," "The Blair Witch Project," "Dawn of the Dead" (both versions, actually), "In The Mouth of Madness," "The Shining," "The Haunting" (1963), "An American Werewolf In London," "Jaws," "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "Re-Animator," "Return of the Living Dead" "Night of the Living Dead" "Hellraiser," "The Silence of the Lambs," "Dracula" (1931).
MISSY B. (Texas): underworld, texas chainsaw massacre, hostel, the scream series
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Near dark, kiss the girls, vampires, saw, blood drive 1 & 2, candy man and to many more to name here
REBECCA G. (Illinois): nightmare on elm street, child's play, phantasm, scream
BRENNA C. (Florida): All of these are the ORIGINAL versions: When A Stranger Calls, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, The Shining, Black Christmas, Friday the 13th (mostly the sequels), and the remake of Night of the Living Dead.
SAM W. (Florida): Halloween 1, Scream 1, People Under the Stairs
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): The Saw series, House of Wax, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, The Devil's Rejects, Silence of the Lambs, The Ring, Sleepy Hollow, Hostel, Reanimator, Suicide Club (suicide circle), Uzumaki Spiral, Eraserhead, Tetsuo...
MYKEL D. (Michigan): Zombie movies.
SEAN A. (Illinois): Hands Down Rocky Horror Picture Show, I love seeing it live every weekend when I can. The Evil Dead Trilogy because of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell.
OBERON (Iowa): Just about anything by Hammer Films
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): scream trilogy, the grudge, texas chainsaw massacre, the descent, the ring, final destination 3.
KEVIN P. (Illinois): borrowing a page from High Fidelity, I'm going to list five:
Jacob's Ladder
Dawn of the Dead (original)
Fright Night
The Silence of the Lambs
Boogiepop Phantom
Question 6: If your first horror movie scared you at the time, does it still scare you?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): I havn't watched the old one since, I did see the new one and it didn't scare me.
JASON B. (Ohio): "The Omen" doesn't, but "Alien," another of the very first horror movies I ever saw, is still among the all-time scariest horror movies, in my opinion.
MISSY B. (Texas): hell no. (Webmaster's Note: She is talking about Carrie).
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Last house on the left, cause you don’t know who might live down the street from you
REBECCA G. (Illinois): i wasnt scared till i saw childs play 2 i think or maybe the first one it gave me a nightmare that i still remember but im not afraid of it anymore
BRENNA C. (Florida): I think it did scare me a bit at the time but not really anymore. I’m scared by people, not really monsters/zombies, so Night of the Living Dead is fun but doesn’t really get to me anymore. I think Scream scared me. I had to watch it on a Sunday afternoon with all the shades open. Doesn’t scare me now though.
SAM W. (Florida): Nope. (Webmaster's Note: He is talking about an unnamed movie where an evil bear hides under a children's beds).
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): It was scary at the time but now I'm used to it.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): Not so much now, but it can still give me the willies.
SEAN A. (Illinois): Yes, I still dont like the Child's Play series at all.
OBERON (Iowa): It didn't scare me, but it scared hell out of the girl I'd been dating, who up until that night had claimed to be a witch. If you know that film, you might understand why she gave up that pretense.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): no b/c i didn't watch all of it and then i did and just when he makes me jump
KEVIN P. (Illinois): Easy one. The Howling. It was one of my brother's birthday parties, and he and his friends watched it, and I couldn't have been more than nine. The end scene with all the werewolves still gives me a bit of a chill, partly from nostalgia, partly from a fairly well-made movie.
Question 5: What was the first horror movie you remember seeing? How old were you?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): The Fog and I'd say that! I was in 7th grade and that would make me 11?
JASON B. (Ohio): "The Omen." Six years old.
MISSY B. (Texas): carrie- age 7 or so
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): Psycho 2 I think, I was 7 or 8 at the time
REBECCA G. (Illinois): either nightmare on elm street or phantasm...cant really remember but i was about 5
BRENNA C. (Florida): That’s tough…probably Night of the Living Dead with my dad when I was around 10…then Scream around 11 or 12.
SAM W. (Florida): I don't remember the name of it, but I believe it was some type of movie where an evil bear was hiding under childrens beds. I was probably no older than 12.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): "The Shining" when I was really little.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): The Leprechaun, i was about 7
SEAN A. (Illinois): Child's Play when I was about eight years old.
OBERON (Iowa): named above. Age about 14
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): child's play
KEVIN P. (Illinois): It would probably have been Poltergeist. I am not sure how old, though.
Question 4: How did you get into horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): I don't know....I've just always liked them
JASON B. (Ohio): My parents took me to see horror movies back in the 70s, when I was a little kid. I remember seeing movies like "The Omen," "Jaws 2" and "Alien" at the movie theater, and loving them (even though I was scared s***less by them).
MISSY B. (Texas): sneaking into the living room after everyone went to bed, at the urging of my older brother- so he could scare the crap out of me- i was hooked after that
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): My parents where big horror fans and they turn me on to them when I was
REBECCA G. (Illinois): lol see above (Webmaster's Note: She started watching them when she was about 5 with her dad when he got home from work)
BRENNA C. (Florida): I was 12 and going with a group of people, including adults, to see Halloween H2O in theaters. Before I went I decided to get the background information on the Halloween series. I found a website called, “Wicked Al’s Horror Reviews” and it reviewed hundreds of horror movies. I kept reading reviews and decided to rent all of the Halloweens and then the Friday the 13ths and so on and pretty soon I was hooked.
SAM W. (Florida): I've seen them ever since I can remember, and I always liked the unique feeling it gave... so I kept watching them!
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): I loved them since I was a little kid. It's part of my personality I think.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): Music.
SEAN A. (Illinois): My friend freshman year of college got me interested in some true horror flicks such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I found the cult classics on my own.
OBERON (Iowa): Earliest solid memory is of Mario Bava's Black Sunday in 1960. It had a strong influence on me.
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): i watch it in theaters, alone or at night(f***in crazy?) not really soo
KEVIN P. (Illinois): It started off with my brother. He and his friends would rent the horror movies in the eighties. And by the time I was in middle school, being able to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street was a badge of honor.
Question 3: Why do you like horror movies?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): Adrenaline rush
JASON B. (Ohio): I have no idea. I wish I knew why I love them so much. All I know is that I do.
MISSY B. (Texas): i have a twisted mind, like the blood & guts, vampires turn me on
KRISTOPHER B. (North Carolina): I don’t know I just do
REBECCA G. (Illinois): of course i started watching them when i was about 5 years old with my dad when he got home from work
BRENNA C. (Florida): I really don’t know…I’ve thought about it a lot and people ask me all the time. I guess because there’s kind of a cult- like following to them. You watch the sequels, you know the story, you know the killer, and the music. They’re fun and it’s fun to be scared but while not in any real danger. Although, as soon as I get home, I assume the killer from the movie I’ve just seen is waiting for me in my closet. Other than that it’s hard to put into words why I like them so much because some part of me still isn’t really sure.
SAM W. (Florida): It's one of the most "far out there" type of films that are made, something that in a way could happen but probably not. This is pretty attracting to watch, as you are in great suspense yet you know you are in a safe location.
GEORGIA A. (Illinois): Cause they are exciting. And I'm a kinda sick person to begin with.
MYKEL D. (Michigan): i feel i enjoy horror because it is almost taboo of sort.its a different type of entertainment,
SEAN A. (Illinois): They make me jump, and nervous.
OBERON (Iowa): Damn if I know
FELIPE S. (Arkansas): acting and getting scared
KEVIN P. (Illinois): I like any genre of cinema, as long as the film is well-made. But that's a bit of a cop out. What it is about some horror films that appeals to me is that it deals with a basic and primal human emotion: fear. The caveat here though is that it is relatively easy to frighten somebody, in real life or in cinema, it is very difficult to do it artistically. The horror films that don't resort to cheap tricks for their thrills are quite special. Jacob's Ladder is a prime example of this. While its props and make-up were exceptional, Lyne often shot them blurred or off-camera for much of the film. The effect was far more disconcerting and tense that would have otherwise been the case.
Question 2: What types of horror movies do you like?
ZUZI W. (Illinois): non slasher....Session 9 and that Rainbow voodooo one you recomended. (WEBMASTER'S NOTE: Zuzi is talking about The Serpent and the Rainbow)
JASON B (Ohio): Ones that really try to scare you by getting under your skin, and not go for the cheap jumps (i.e., a cat suddenly jumps into the frame, accompanied by "Psycho" music). A good horror movie also has characters that you really care for, and not just an ensemble of WB network C-level actors who just look good (until they get killed).
MISSY B (Texas): vampires, suspense, gore
KRISTOPHER B (North Carolina): Friday the 13, hell raiser all 8, saw 1,2,3 any to many to name here
REBECCA G (Illinois): always loved nightmare on elm street and childs play
BRENNA C (Florida): I like most all horror movies but I especially like the ones with masked killers, absolutely insane killers, and ones that maybe kinda, sorta could in some way really happen. I don’t really the indie horror movies. Some are good but on a whole I tend to not like them. The only movie I really liked from this year’s Horrorfest was Penny Dreadful. Anyway, I love the movies with an especially insane killer like Kurt Duncan in the original version of, "When a Stranger Calls" or Billy from the original version of "Black Christmas." Or the family from the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” While I like a variety of horror movies, I’m most disturbed by the movies that seem somewhat possible. To me, When a Stranger Calls is the most realistic because someone could be hiding in my apartment…horror movies with a hint of realism to them scare me the most. The rest are just fun.
SAM W (Florida): Typically ones that aren't too bloody and are about using humans as the villian. Films that start with a freightening scene tend to grab my attention more, rather than waiting 45 minutes to get to the "good stuff".
GEORGIA A (Illinois): All types. Big-name ones, foreign ones, troma films...
MYKEL D (Michigan): older, vincent price was amazing.
SEAN A (Illinois): I enjoy cult classic horror movies such as Rocky Horror Picture Show, Army of Darkness, Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and things of that nature. They are easier to watch because they have comedic undertones within them.
OBERON (Iowa): Usually those that involve either vampires or witches.
FELIPE S (Arkansas): or suspense and thriller
KEVIN P. (Illinois): I prefer movies that deal either with the psychological aspects of the craft or ones that use the media to make intelligent social commentary.