The night is dark. The kids have had their tricks and treats. They’ve watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, and are now asleep. It’s time for some grown up scary stuff. What movies do you like to watch here in the Jersey area? Do you like blood and gore, or do you prefer suspense? Do you like the new movies with computer-enhanced special effects, or do you prefer the classics?
If you go in for the classic movies, you’ll have a tough time choosing. The stars of these movies have become icons of the genre. Who can better be linked with Count Dracula than Bela Lugosi, or with Frankenstein’s Monster than Boris Karloff? Lon Chaney comes to mind as the Werewolf, and any number of movies and stories conjure up a picture of the great Vincent Price.
One old ghost story, I believe, deserves special mention. It’s “The Uninvited” with Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey and the beautiful Gail Russell. They have some very suspenseful situations and some special effects that are pretty good for pre-computer times. The music enhances the suspense. For different reasons, I believe the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” with Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter also deserves mentioning.
Some of these old (and yes, often corny) movies are too tame for the present generation. They are regular viewers of Zombie shows. Blood and gore is a requirement. Freddie Krueger, Edward Scissorhands and Jason are just warm-ups for them. If it doesn’t involve people walking around with decaying faces and extremities, it’s for lightweights!
There is such a plethora of horror films presently being churned out that it would be difficult to choose just a couple. One thing that is remarkable is the fact that some themes recur every few years or so. The classic ghost story is repeated a lot. There have been several remakes of the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, though in my book none of them can compare with the original. Exorcism and the devil, of course, are used frequently. Another popular theme is vampires. They’re portrayed in a variety of ways, from the mesmerizing Lugosi type to the comic, to the poor benighted soul that just can’t help himself. Frankenstein’s monster is also given a generous showing. It seems we just love being scared out of our wits!
What’s your favorite scary movie?
Eddie