On Watching Horror Movies

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Not long ago, I went to see a 35mm print of The Shining at the Academy Theater with some friends. When I invited people to come along, I assumed that everyone had seen it before, especially since I've probably watched it at least once a year since I was fifteen (easier way to say that: "since I've seen it at least fifteen times). The Shining has moved beyond being scary for me, which allows me to get sucked in by the terrific Steadicam work and anticipate my favorite moments. Since I no longer view The Shining as scary, I forget that that is it's main purpose (aside from just being awesome). When I came to learn that one of my friends hadn't seen it before (he of the 30+ age group), I took for granted my own point of view and hoped that he'd like the movie. That's about it.

You know how when you sit right next to someone watching a movie, you can kind of feel their energy? There's a sense that the person is way into the experience or rejecting it entirely. Sometimes you feed off of that energy and sometimes it's distracting. I remember watching Eastern Promises with a friend in Boston and neither of us were digging on the film and we could sense that. About the time some characters were blowing up balloons and throwing them in a net above the table, we checked out and started whispering snarky comments to each other (it was a nearly empty theater). Well, that didn't happen during The Shining because I love the movie, but I definitely felt my friends energy and it wasn't good. When you're not into a movie, it's bad, but when you're not into a 142 minute movie that started at 9 PM, well that's torture.

Finally, the lights come up, we leave the theater, and I get to talk with him about the experience. It turns out, The Shining wasn't boring him, he was deeply disturbed by it. Something about The Shining shook him and, at that moment, I was intensely jealous (still am, actually). I spend so much time watching horror movies looking for something that will unsettle me and failing that I've forgotten what watching many of the classics for the first time was like (of course, most of the classics I didn't get to see in a packed theater for the first time, either). My friend may not have had a good time (I still don't know if he liked The Shining), but he had a legitimate Experience. That's part of the reason I love the horror genre. It plays at a heightened level that allows for the outlandish and unexpected to happen in a real setting. It's also why I don't understand people who don't like horror movies. They may make you squirm and give you a bad dream or an uneasy night's rest, but it's something that sticks with you and will most likely turn into an interesting anecdote.

Personally, it was a lot of fun to see my friend react that way so what I'm basically saying to all of you is that, if you ever want to watch a horror movie (especially one you haven't seen) give me a call. It's practically what I do anyway.

Also, dig on this blog. It rules.