So I showed my friend Nick Evil Dead while we were hanging out last weekend and, though he is not a big fan of horror movies, he said he really loved Evil Dead and can’t wait to watch the rest of the series.
He said he’s afraid I’m turning him into a big horror movie nerd like myself. There’s nothing wrong with that.
and whenever I talk to people about horror movies I start to get really excited because it rarely happens. I ask them their favorites, then they start naming off pop horror. Then I get disappointed.
Whatever happened to people liking good horror movies? Like, the classics. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead, Psycho, Night of the Living Dead, etc. Or even films such as Creature of the Black Lagoon, Nosferatu, and The Wolf Man. And what’s with all the people I talk to about horror having no clue who Herschell Gordon Lewis is?
I’m only 18 years old. But I am living proof that just because I am young, my taste in horror movies doesn’t have to suck.
Horror movies are not simply entertaining to me, though they are that too, they are a strong coping mechanism in my life. Anytime I face a hard time, anytime I regress into a state of sadness, they help me. Sick, disturbing, gory, and ghastly; horror movies are a big part of my life.
I was just getting into horror movies early last year, mostly because of the “zombie” fad that swept the nation. Prior to then, my childhood was lived in fear of the genre of horror. From Goosebumps to Child’s Play, I was terrified and wanted nothing to do with anything remotely “scary.”
In August of 2011, I hit a very rough spot in my life. Sadness and despair turned up in my life and God showed me that horror movies were not only entertaining and interesting to me, but that they could help me cope in very hard times.
When I had no one to confide in, and no one to talk to, God was always there for me. It was in this very difficult time of my life that God showed me the light in horror movies. When despair finds itself in our lives, we regress to becoming very depressing creatures. I, for one, become a very sick and disturbed person, these horror movies reflect that aspect in me… all in a fictional realm. Therefore, no real-life harm is done.
I’m not sure if there are any horror fans out there who have the same connection to it that I do, though I like to think there are a few. The genre of horror is truly a godsend.
When I get looked down upon by fellow “Christians” for liking horror movies, it really does hurt me. Horror movies, to me, are a gift from God. They’ve helped me on such an emotional and spiritual level. I will be a horror fan until the day that I die. I may collect criticism for it throughout life, I may always be considered a “sick person” in the eyes of many, but I do not care. God and horror are there for me when friends and family are not. In fact, the two do more for me than most people can.
So if you ever view a gory movie with me and I laugh during the most gruesome scenes, do not be alarmed, it’s only the way I deal with things. Hate me, or love me, but I will always be a horror nerd. It’s instilled within me, and it will never leave. Horror is my home.
I saw ParaNorman this weekend, and it’s by far the best animated movie I’ve seen in a really, really long time.
The lead character, Norman, is someone I can relate to in just about every way. He is a kid absolutely in love with horror, just like myself. He is an outcast in that everyone around him sees him as a freak for loving the genre of horror so much. In the film, Norman learns that it’s okay to be a freak, and it is not a bad thing that he is different from everyone else. I usually do not watch animated movies, and even more rarely do I enjoy one this much, but ParaNorman is a movie that I can relate to on so many levels. I think most horror nerds could say the same.
Just because someone thinks you’re a psycho or a freak for loving horror movies so much does not mean you should respond to them in a negative way. You’re different, and that’s not a bad thing.
The film hits so many good points, however, and the meaning of the movie is so much deeper than what I just stated, this is just simply the theme that hit home with me.
Horror, to me, is a coping mechanism. Many people see me as a face-value horror fan. No, if my love for horror was simply because I liked it and it interested me, I wouldn’t be claiming that I love horror.
Whenever sadness, heartache, or stress finds it’s way into my life, I cannot trust people to help me recover or escape my distraught. People have too often let me down in life, and frankly, they are very untrustworthy. However, there seems to be two things in my life that have been constant enough to help me in my daily walk. Two things that help me recover from tragedy and cope with situations: God and horror.
God is, of course, the first resort. He carries me from the flames and saves my life from further harm. His love has never let me go, even though I am an untrustworthy and disappointing human being like everyone else. Since the beginning, God has always cared and loved for His children to no end.
With that being said, horror is the only worldly thing that helps me cope. Though, in my opinion, horror is actually otherworldly; it’s supernatural. The feeling of horror is just as therapeutic to me as the feeling of love, joy, or what-have-you.
For whatever reason, horror helps me feel alive. The gore and terror that can be found in literature, movies, etc. helps me cope with things I cannot deal with alone.
When I see bodies mangled and monsters wreaking havoc, you will find a slight smile creeping across my face. Call me sick, call me twisted, but at least I resort to the world of horror rather than the world of alcohol, drugs, or anything else self-destructive. I am much deeper than just a horror fan, though I am most definitely one of those. Horror helps me carry on.
commentated by director Sam Raimi and producer Robert Tapert. I learned so much, and now there are little things throughout the movie I catch that I never would have noticed before.
Tonight I am watching it again, but this time, with the Bruce Campbell commentary.
Evil Dead is the best freakin’ trilogy to ever exist.
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