JUNKFILM

I’ve been thinking a lot about scary movies this past weekend. I think most of it came from watching two horror movies on Saturday Night that were neither horror nor all that scary (at least, not as much as I remember them to be). So what movies are really scary? And in that mind set, are scary movies the best horror films? Absolutely not.

You have movies like Jason X, which was a huge let down….save one scene. When Jason beats the virtual naked chicks in a sleeping bag, the movie is made for me. The movie is neither good nor scary, so it will not be appearing on this list this month…you make thank your respective gods now.

How about some great scary movies to get you in the mood for October….

Movie - BIRDS

C’mon, follow along, the movie is about birds. Despite the campy title and the age of the film, it still delivers a punch in the scare department. Hitchcock wasn’t named the master of terror for nothing. Birds is a great film about birds turning on people and attacking them, for seemingly no reason at all.

Why I think you should give a shit -
The movie is not only scary, but it’s a damn good film as well. There are plenty of scary movies that suck at being films, but this one is a perfect example of both. Plus, you can laugh at any copy cat movies (and there are a TON) after The Birds as a cheap knock off.

Why you might not like it -
Some people, and it is oblivious to me why, do not like black and white films simply because they are made in black and white. While I don’t understand it, I don’t think I can change someone’s views overnight (similar to racism and idiots). How can you change this??? How can you change anything in life? Education. Educate yourself in the way of film and you will realize some of the best films are in black and white…and watch Birds while you’re at it.

Fun trivia -
- There is no musical score for the film except for the sounds created on the mixtrautonium, an early electronic musical instrument, by Oskar Sala, and the children singing in the school. Though there is no musical score for this film, composer and Alfred Hitchcock collaborator ‘Bernard Herrmann’ is credited as a “sound consultant.”
- Tippi Hedren was actually cut in the face by a bird in one of the shots.
- The scene where Tippi Hedren is ravaged by birds near the end of the movie took a week to shoot. The birds were attached to her clothes by long nylon threads so they could not get away.
- The film does not finish with the usual “THE END” title because Alfred Hitchcock wanted to give the impression of unending terror.
- A number of endings were being considered for this film. One that was considered would have showed the Golden Gate Bridge completely covered by birds.
- This was the first film to carry the Universal Pictures name after dropping the Universal-International name.

Other movies you might like -
Rear Window, Psycho, Jaws, Cujo, Hell Comes to Frog Town (just kidding)

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Movie - NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Night of the Living Dead was the pinnacle and mile stone for zombie films…period. George Romero’s key horror film was probably his best. This film, actually part 1 of (currently) 5 films, is the film that introduced the world to the living dead and how they hunger for our flesh. If you thought they were after our brains you might be mistaking your zombie films with Return of the Living Dead (a kind of homage and fan film to NotLD, but still good).

The story centers on a girl running for her life after her boy friend is eaten in a cometary and seals herself up in a farm house with other lunatics. The key element this movie deals with is not the zombies, but the human interactions in an extraordinary circumstance. Let me say this again to today’s film makers…IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ZOMBIES, IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE ALIVE. And this is why this movie works so damn well.

And a key note of importance…make sure you are watching the original 1968 films and not the travesty of a remake in 1990 version.

Why I think you should give a shit -
This is the grandfather of zombie films. Almost everything you think you know about zombies and the movies they are in come from this movie. This movie is really damn good too. Also, see the origins of Romero’s obcession with keeping the “black guy” as the main survivor as he has done in almost all of his zombie films, negating the age ol’ phrase, “the black guys always dies first.”

Why you might not like it -
Well, it’s black and white and slow paced. Most of that pacing is to build anxiety and fear while inside the farm house. But don’t expect to see the Zak Snyder remake of Dawn of the Dead fast-paced-killer-zombies here.

Fun Trivia -
- Taking a cue from Hitchcock, Bosco chocolate syrup was used as blood.
- Similarly, when the zombies are eating bodies, they are really eating ham with Bosco on it.
- Even though it is the milestone zombie film, “Zombie” is never uttered. They’re usually referred to as “things”.
- Before George Romero wrote and directed horror movies, he edited shorts for Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.
- The first draft of what was then titled Monster Flick involved some teenage aliens who make friends with Earthling teenagers. Draft #2 is kind of a cross between draft #1 and the final Night: a man discovers a bunch of corpses in a field that were apparently used by aliens for food. Finally, draft #3 was pretty much the version that we know today.

Other movies to check out -
Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Day of the Dead, Alien