Want A Good Scare?

The Q.O.S. is a bit under the weather today (upset stomach) and taking a break from unpacking by watching some horror movies.  As I might’ve mentioned, I’m something of a horror movie aficionado.  My position on the genre is that very few horror movies are truly scary, and that even in the truly scary ones there needs to be a dose of cheese.  Perhaps this is why the 70’s and 80’s produced–by far–the best horror films ever made: those decades were naturally cheesy.  In general terms, this is how I feel it should be calibrated: the lower the fear factor, the higher the cheese factor.

Anyway, here are some of my recommendations if you’re ever in the mood for some shivers:

*  Alice, Sweet Alice (a young Brooke Shields falls prey in the first reel to a seriously creepy kid)

*  The Haunting of Julia (starring Mia Farrow.  My absolute favorite ghost story of all time–but very hard to find)

*  The Eyes of Laura Mars (Faye Dunaway plays a clairvoyant fashion photographer who sees murders through the eyes of the killer.  A theme much abused and overdone in subsequent  years, but never done as well as here.)

*  Black Christmas (Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder play sorority sisters stalked by a never-unmasked killer.  One of the best horror movies ever made, and the originator of many conventional tools of the trade. . .”killer cam,” etc.).

*  Prom Night (talk about cheese! Jamie Lee Curtis classic featuring–and I’m 100% serious here, no exaggerating–the BEST dance scene ever captured on film. Disco, baby!).  Fabulous.

That ought to get you started.  I have loads more if anyone is interested.

P.S.  Yes, I know I’m a dork. 

~ by lewdandlascivious on May 22, 2007.