What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?

I was eight years old when I watched my first slasher movie. This was a time where the slasher genre was dead and nearly buried. But take a smart screenwriter and a legendary horror director, add some comedy, and a fresh cast and you have Scream. I remember it was almost night time when my mom, my sister, and I popped this good old tape into the VCR (ah, nostalgia) and was uncertain about what kind of movie we would be watching. Keep in mind I was eight and my sister was FIVE. I don't know what my mom was thinking but it may have been the smartest thing she's done - with us, anyway ;). As we all know, the opening sequence with Drew Barrymore is classic and hasn't been touched as far as slasher movies go. I was left on the edge of my seat - not particularly scared, but enthralled. This movie rocked my world and was ready to see what other horror movies were out there. I recently watched this movie, now being able to recite the dialog, and it still has the same effect on me.

About a year or so later, USA was broadcasting Halloween. And I was lucky enough to watch that around Halloween time - come to think of it, it may have been trick or treating night - making it more appropriate. However, unlike Scream, Halloween scared the beejeezus out of me. The presence of Michael Myers made me uneasy and felt he was lurking in the shadows outside of my own house. What a great feeling! Halloween has been a staple in my top favorite movies of all time and I don't see it falling out of that list - it's not just a movie, it's an institution. For me, anyway. Many sequels have followed but none have captured the essence of the first film. But I am a huge nerd when it comes to the franchise, knowing even the tiniest of details and family lineage of the Myers' family. What can I say? We all have our little obsessions, don't we?

The 90's faded away giving us slasher films like Scream 2, Halloween: H20, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Urban Legend. All movies I adore in different ways. Scream 2 and IKWYDLS remind me of my obsession with Sarah Michelle Gellar (also, IKWYDLS captures the summertime as a kid), Urban Legend came around the time when slasher movies were being made just because Scream made it popular again as well as H20. These films have a special place in my heart and horror movies today just don't capture that feeling. I guess that's why they call it nostalgia.

As far as horror films go today, I'm somewhat disappointed. They're either torture porn or remakes. I applaud the original Saw for reinventing horror films but come on, they're planning a seventh Saw? I guess it has to do with audiences today. If they're not exciting for one second, the movies don't sell. And as far as these remakes go nowadays - is no original horror film sacred? They're something to see however to see what they do with them. The only remakes I thoroughly enjoyed was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Ring.

Anyways, this blog was just a trip back to a time where the VCR was sacred in my room and when slasher movies were fun popcorn flicks you could watch with friends. Friday nights were epic when I was around twelve years old watching either a new release or a movie that needed dusted off in the video store. Boy, those were the days.

The House of the Devil

Some horror movies play by the rules. Some horror movies don't. And some horror movies do both. An obedient deviant. The House of the Devil is that kind of movie. This movie taps into our psyche, taking itself seriously, but then throwing that idea right out the door.

Samantha (a stellar Jocelin Donahue) is a broke college student who just got her first apartment. She finds a Babysitter Wanted ad on her school bulletin board and has high hopes for some quick cash. The voice on the other end of the phone is chilling, but nonthreatening. She accepts the job and thusly has her friend Megan (PJ Soles-esque Greta Gerwig) drive her out to the house in the middle of nowhere. Sounds rather cliche, and it is, but what happens in the next hour is complete unease. Elements of a slasher movie are present as are religious horror and the old Hammer movies of the 70's. Movies based on things that go bump in the night don't necessarily sell out audiences anymore. This movie may be the exception and may reinvent the genre.

When I first watched this, I was shocked this was made two years ago. The movie is set during the early 80's and the director does an amazing job at capturing that era. This film seems like a lost 80's classic that fell behind the shelf at the video store for years and later rediscovered. The production design is that good. I'm a sucker for atmosphere, suspense, and appropriate music so this film was like a 90 minute orgasm for me.

I call this film the "Anti-Saw" because this movie has little to no in-your-face horror relying solely on suspense and atmosphere. My kind of movie :) I was raised on movies like Halloween which had little blood and excess suspense. However, this movie isn't for everyone. The ADD audience of today will definitely grow bored and will not appreciate the early 80's throwbacks. I guess that's why they call this film a new cult classic which is greatly deserves.

Also, it was a breath of fresh air to not see the characters in peril rely on technology. No cell phones. No internet. No Facebook. Nothing except a rotary telephone with a fifty foot cord. *Sigh* Back in the day if you were shit out of luck, you really WERE shit out of luck. Kind of nice isn't it? :) One of the best horror movies in recent years and needs more appreciation than it already gets.

5 stars out of 5