I hated scary movies growing up. The reason for this was because when I went to bed, all I could think, see, feel, hear and care about was that dumb scary movie. I lost a lot of sleep when I was a kid. But then I had to toughen up some when my buddies came over to watch 3 or 4 in a row. My imagination would always get the best of me, and these dumb movies would seriously haunt me for years to come. That always made me wonder–“Were my friends just not as imaginationally-inclined as I was? They never had a problem watching these shows…” The question remains…
Now that I’m an adult, I still prefer a good action/adventure to a horror movie, even though most of the movie tricks they use to induce fear into an audience I’m keen on. But my lovely wife just cannot get enough of horror movies–and I’m not just talking about the ones in the theaters; I’m talking about the intentionally goofy ones you see on cable, too. Actually, I don’t mind watching Super Snake vs. Giant Lizard part 3 with her–they’re just plain silly, those movies. Then again, there is this new batch of cheaply made, uber-effective horror/suspense movie my wife absolutely adores…and I find myself compelled to watch with her!
What’s wrong with me? Are these not the same movies I watched when I was a child that struck fear in me to my very core? What on earth am I subjecting myself to? Is it just to appease my wife? This is the moral dilemma I faced. However…
I think I’ve finally realized, after 37 years, what the horror fan feels when he/she watches a truly scary movie. I’ll have to admit that for every 10 or 15 scary movies I watch, there’s only 1 that might qualify as genuinely creepy, but what a rush! For example, I know what to expect watching the 3rd installment of a certain popular haunted house franchise, but that did not stop me from holding my breath and waiting for the next big scare. Sure, it took me a few sleepless nights to get the images from my mind, but I cannot wait for a sequel! Is that wrong?
I cannot say that I am an expert on all horror movies, nor can I say that the genre is my favorite, but I can say that I have a lot of movies to catch up on watching. I just need to be sure to watch these movies I missed from the ages of 10-30 in the afternoon…with the lights on…with my dogs by my side…