I generally do not go in for the more slasher-type horror movies. I haven’t seen the updated Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Hostel, etc. I have a fondness for the Freddy and Jason movies because they first came out when I was a teenager and they were standard teenage fair. My favorite ‘horror’ movies tend to be along the lines of The Others…more moody and full of atmosphere. I have to confess, though, that from the moment James and I first got together in his house to watch Saw that I was hooked. We then got a group together to go and see Saw II. Both movies, in my opinion, stay just barely on the side of my tolerance for gore, with most of the truly icky moments being more in your mind and less on the screen. That being said I am looking forward to the October 27th release of Saw III and am calling out the locals to join me sometime close to Halloween to see this one. There is something very fun about the truly cringe-worthy nature of this movie. That and the sets and the way that it is shot reminds me of many scary computer games I have played.
I think it is very fun that they are coordinating this with a blood drive in various cities throughout the U.S. You can check out the Saw III website for more information. I have to admit that the posters for the blood drive are great! And the nurses are suprisingly better looking than those in Silent Hill. (Click here for comparison)
Over on her site, the Literate Kitten posted a Halloween Meme that I just had to do. Please feel free to join in either in the comments or on your own blog:
1. What is your favorite work of horror fiction? Though you may all find the answer boring since I have talked about it many a time, it has to be Dracula by Bram Stoker.
2. What is your favorite work of science fiction/fantasy? Wow, this is hard as there are so many. The ones I re-read the most are the Stainless Steel Rat books (hence the name of my site) by Harry Harrison so they are favorites in some way eventhough they aren’t the best ones I have read. I am really fond of A World Out of Time by Larry Niven.
3. Who is your favorite monster? If I don’t count Dracula (catch the word play there?), I would have to say that The Mummy is probably my favorite of the stock monster characters. Not sure why…probably because I like both of the recent mummy movies as well as Bram Stoker’s Jewel of the Seven Stars.
4. What horror movie gives you the most chills? Hmmm…I find The Others very creepy even after repeated viewings. The Saw movies, as evidenced above. I think the most chilling though is watching some of the old Vincent Price movies alone when its really dark in the house. There is something extra eerie about some of those old films.
5. Freddy versus Jason? I actually really thought this movie was fun. I think the Freddy movies are a little more creatively frightening. Plus the whole jump-roping nursery rhyme was always creepy.
6. What is your favorite Halloween treat? Without a doubt, the Special Dark miniatures in the Hershey’s variety pack.
7. Ghosts or goblins? Ghosts…although I do like all the goblins in Labyrinth.
8. What is your scariest encounter with the paranormal? Not sure I have one. I remember watching the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre on video at my house late one night when I was around 17 or 18. I fell asleep during it, was dreaming very, very vividly about it, and woke up in the process of laying on top of my friend hitting him. I was evidently fighting the killer in my dreams and him in reality. We were both very frightened by the whole thing and sat up and watched Ghostbusters just to get some comedy in the air. The fact that I could be trying to hurt someone in my sleep really freaked me out.
9. Do you believe in ghosts? Probably not in the sense that they do on those shows on the discovery channel. I have heard many interesting theories about the nature of time that would explain some ghost sightings and I always find those fascinating. I believe that there are spiritual things that happen in places where really bad things occur that can linger there after death and affect particularly sensitive people. I guess I want to believe in ghosts…not the malicious kind but he haunted kind. There is something delicious about the idea of there being ghosts.
10. Favorite Halloween costume? Hmmmm…I liked the times I have dressed up like a woman. That always gets fun results. A friend and I used to dress up like a couple and put on short comedy sketches in school programs. I dressed up like a baby in the third grade with a big diaper and everything. That was funny.
Well that’s it everyone. Let me know what you’re thinking out there. Happy Wednesday everyone!!!
Oh wow, count me in!
This will take some thought. The Others…is this the movie based on Tom Tryon’s novel? Both were so scary that I still have mental images of certain scenes and can’t remember whether they are from the movie or the book. The twins and a pitchfork, a barn loft…it has been years, but I think this is the same one.
I’m definitely in; the movie not the blood letting.
Oh man…I’m coming up blank on this one. I’m guessing this is not the holiday for me.
Best I can do is that when I bought my house a neighbor told me the former tenants insisted the house was haunted but I haven’t seen any evidence of that in the 10 years I’ve lived here. Kind of a bummer, huh?
Yes Suzanne, you need to do something to raise those spirits over there.
I’m looking forward to seeing the movie with you guys. We can’t do the blood-letting beforehand though? I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to the leeches.
No Jenclair, I don’t believe The Others is based on a book.
Ooh. I’m too scared to watch scary movies like Halloween and Freddy and Jason. I can’t even watch Psycho or the slasher one with Jack Nicholson…The Shining. That’s it.
I’m a wuss.
Even watching the Vegas chick’s story in HEROES is creeping me out. 🙂
Not that I haven’t given you a hard time before Colleen, but you wrtie historical novels featuring vampires, among other things and you don’t watch scary movies?
jenclair; what a blast from the past! Tom Tryon’s The Other was a GREAT scary book!
Carl…maybe your readers remember this line from a movie that for the LIFE (or death, hehehe) of me I can’t remember the name of: “black and white cat, black and white cake”. It was set in an eerie old house and in the window at the top of the house sat…an old dead woman in a rocking chair or something?
Janet, doing a little google search, it appears that maybe the movie you are talking about is a 1977 movie called The Sentinel which is also based on a book of the same name. Here is a link to IMDB’s comments section in which this line seems to be attributed to this film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076683/usercomments
I know…I know. I’m an anomaly. It’s just that my books aren’t that dark.
What can I say? I guess I shouldn’t say I never watch scary movies. I loved Sleepy Hollow, and not just because Johnny Depp was in it.
I guess I don’t watch slasher movies. I’ve seen different versions of Dracula stories. I guess it’s really just the slasher movies I can’t stomach.
Okay, feel better now?
Plus, there’s something to be said (she adds once more in her defense) about not watching other examples of the genre one writes in, so as not to enable “leakage,” or influence, into one’s own work.
There is definitely a difference between not watching ‘slasher’ movies and not watching ‘horror’ movies so I’ll give you that. I’ll avoid any comments on the word ‘leakage’ for fear of reprisal….. 😉
OK, Carl, where’s the photo of you dressed as a woman? 🙂
I don’t do halloween, or scary movies, or even hershey’s chocolate. Sorry 🙂
Hi Carl,
Thanks for the comment. Yes I do recommend both Twilight and the sequel to Twilight. I’m not really into fantasy, but after having this book recommended to me by my 13 year old friend I just had to try it out and I couldnt’ put it down. I read about books in 6 days!!! 🙂 Let me know what you think of it once you’ve read them:)
Heh heh heh. Carl. You are such a sly dog.
Leakage.
Pah!
Oops, I gave blood a little too early! 😉
I enjoy watching scary movies but I don’t particularly like slasher flicks. Now The Others and The Sixth Sense were great scary movies.
Dracula is my hands down favorite, too. Both favorite monster and favorite horror story. Which is ironic, since I was terrified of him as a small child. Or maybe that’s WHY he’s my favorite. Then again, knowing that he was (is?) a real person also adds to the mystique.
Im so SYKED to go see this movie!! i cant really choose which one i liked best they both had their good and lame moments
Any film starring Jack Nicholson will always deserve a look at and his new movie, The Departed, is no exception. Even at 69 years old, Nicholson is the most interesting character in this film. I definately recommend this flick.