I am a giant fan of psychological terror, which is weird because you’d think someone with anxiety disorder wouldn’t be able to watch it. I actually really enjoy it, although I absolutely cannot watch dramas because they freak my shit out. I suspect it’s because I know that zombies and ghosts and demonic chainsaws aren’t something I’m necessarily going to have to worry about in real life so it lets me purge some of that nervous energy in a way that I can separate from my real worries. Put something on tv about kidnapping or guns or cops or terrible things that might actually happen in real life and I run for the Xanax. I even had a massive unexpected trigger from the second season of Sherlock, which was so bad I can’t bring myself to watch the latest season even though I adore that damn show. It makes no sense, but it is what it is and I adore a good horror flick that makes me think. Or even a bad horror flick that makes me think.
Last week I watched WE ARE WHAT WE ARE and I was so confused at the end I had to go on Facebook to find someone to talk through the symbolism with me. Turns out, no one really had a full understanding but it was fascinating to see all the different perspectives, including one I hadn’t even considered but which I now think might be entirely right. You can go here to read the thread if you’ve seen the movie.
A lot of people said that they too were the only ones in their house who would watch horror and many suggested we start a horror discussion group where we all watch a movie (preferably on Netflix since most of us have it) at the same time and then discuss it. I thought that was a very good idea for people who were more organized than me, but then this weekend I watched Devil’s Pass and ended up all over the internet looking for more information and then today I took a break from writing to watch what I thought was going to be a simple zombie movie but ended with me having to research quantum theory (Thanks, Pontypool). In all three situations I ended with one simple question…”BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?”
Also, I don’t have a ton of time to devote to watching horror so I’d love it if people who liked the same kind of horror as I do could give me recommendations because it sucks to waste the two hours a week you might have alone on a shitty movie. This is why I think this needs to happen. We need to have a “BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?” club. Supernatural horror, twist endings, scary movies you have to watch twice to get all the meanings, cannibal movies that I’m probably reading too much into, foreign horror that you don’t quite understand, remade horror that never should have been remade, and classics that withstood time or should that be burned immediately.
I totally want to do this. But I’m also really busy with my book so I need to find a good way of doing it. We could do it on twitter and live-tweet while we watch, but that really puts a lot of spoilers out there. We could do it here and people could comment if it isn’t too massive (which it probably wouldn’t be since it’s a really specific genre lots of people hate). Or we could do it on my Facebook page and that way you can vote up good comments. Or I could just shut up and watch this shit myself and remember that IT’S JUST A DAMN MOVIE AND DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN ANYTHING (as Victor so often reminds me). Thoughts? Suggestions for good horror that leaves you thinking about it for days afterward?
(UPDATED: March 4th ~ WE ARE NOT ALONE. A few hundred people are in, so I think this needs to happen. But I don’t know how at the moment because I’m working under deadline so I’ll get my shit finished and then figure out the best way to do it. I love you people. Never change.)