The answer would be, me being sick again...
I feel like crap. I think I'm coming down with a stupid cold or something, which means I'll be going to the doctor once it becomes some sort of serious infection...Always happens...never a surprised. Hence, my not writing for a while. I've been too damn tired to write anything. I'm tired now, but I know if I go to bed too early, I'll wake up at like 2am and not go back to sleep....*sigh*
But that doesn't mean I haven't planned out a few trivial topics to talk about. I'll do a summary for Bleach 3 soon, another Japanese Sharing Lesson (ha ha), something about Gravitation #8 (the greatness of K will be discussed), and a review of a fantastic new manga I picked up the other day. But I'd rather write about that stuff when I'm feeling better...
Today I watched Hellboy, which was a good movie. I really liked it. I also watched Mean Girls, which was a typical "highschool chick flick". It wasn't bad, just cliche, which was to be expected. Yesterday, I watched Van Helsing, which was a huge let down (as J reviewed). I was sorely disappointed in this film...they didn't even try to make it remotly interesting...
Which got me to thinking...why is it that in almost every single vampire flick, are the vampires made up to be so damned horrific. Okay, that is an oxymoron, I guess, since vampires are suppose to be horrific, but what I means is, why are they always turned into some sort of ghoulish corpse with rotting eyeballs, or bat wings?
Why?
Hasn't the American film industry realized that perhaps beautiful and elegant can be more terrifying than freakish and grotesque? You know, some of the most splendidly beautiful things in nature and the most horrific. Look no further than certain butterflies, or the frogs of South America...perfect examples of creatures that appear harmless, but are infact, deadly. They use that beauty to kill, to attract prey, to protect themselves. Isn't that a frightening concept?
We are brought up learning to associate evil things with the freakish and grotesque, while beauty is the symbol of peace and goodness. Isn't it more frightening to have your visions twisted about? To know that there is maybe evil isn't so "black and white"? If you can't identify the danger, to me, that's terrifying.
So why is it that American horror films are so possessed with creating insanely hideous monsters and hacking people to pieces. Body count doesn't make the movie, folks. Sure, Alien was a great film and the aliens were fanastic, but I don't dwell on the movies. Preditor was another show that was entertaining, but once again, it doesn't really leave me shaking in my boots at night (then again, it was more an action film but still, it had a "monster" so I'm counting it). Freddy, Chucky, Jason, Hellraiser, Dracula 2000...Give me a break...None of them were scary. I got the biggest kick out of Freddy, as a matter of fact. He was funny. Anyway, to say it again, none of these movies left me with any memorable impressions. I don't think about them and shiver.
Why didn't they? Hmm...the monster factor...the bad guy factor...They were too visiable. You knew what they were up to. You knew they were bad just by looking at them...they were far too outrageous to be believable. They were too absurd.
Why movies stick with me then? Not many. I'm a tough nut to scare. However, Pet Semetary terrified me. It still does and I haven't watched it in 15 years (give or take). Why? The entire burying your dead and having them come back to life freaked me out. The mysticisim behind it. The evilness of the film. I mean, dead is dead for a reason. No human has any right to tinker with mother nature or God's domain. Not to mention, none of us know what happens when we die, so we are only left with our beliefs and our imaginations, both of which can devise anything more terrifying than any movie director. It was sad that the guy's kid died...but it should have stayed that way. "They never come back the same," he was told...
Another one? The Ring (Japanese version). Scared the hell out of me. I disliked the American version and not because I happen to enjoy Japanese films. Japanese make bad shows just like the US. However, at the end of the American Ring, they totally ruined the show by trying to incoorporated satanisim and hell into it. That just plain pissed me off. Why, someone tell me, did they think that would make the movie scarier than the orginal story? Sadako was scary enough as an evil spirit bent on cursing people to die. The devil didn't need to help her out...But what truely made that movie scary was the "bad guy" was a little girl. A regular girl who had horrible things happen to her. She wasn't a hideous monster....that we knew of...we didn't see much of her face...We didn't know what her motives really were either...other than she died a horrible death. Much of the movie was left up to the viewers imagination.
Those two stick out in my head the most. Yes, those two. Like I said, it's tough to scare me. Usually once I get a sight of the baddies, I can't watch the movie anymore. Case in point, "Signs" was scary, right up until they showed us the aliens. After that, I was really bent out of shape...all fear left me and I watched the end of the movie in complete boredom....
Please, American Movie Makers...stop creating dumbass horror baddies. Make films like Pet Semetary and The Ring (Japanese version) for those of us who want to be "really" scared. I'm not saying get rid of Freddy and Jason, they're a fun crew too, but they aren't scary.
Which brings me back to Vampires. Stop making them so hideous...Vampires have a long history throughout the world. The potential for them to frighten us is great, but if you keep making them look so damn stupid, these kings of horror and nothing but laughable, cliche, villians...Take a hint from Anne Rice or Laurell K. Hamilton. In thier books, they've created terrifying vampires, dangerous because of their ability to blend in, to attact humans with their beauty and grace, but at the same time, they can be horrendous monsters. Not always in shape, but in spirit as well. Read Bram Stokers "Dracula", you might learn something. Watch Vampire Hunter D and Hellsing too while your at it. If you decided to make another "Vampire/Monster Hunter movie" take some tips from these animated shows. They were cool.
Okay, I'm done ranting. I'm going back to bed.
Posted by Zoso at October 21, 2004 10:22 PM