Ambiguity

Lately, writing about horror films has been difficult. I haven't seen one in the past six months that I even remotely liked. I've been searching for what makes me scared and to me, what defines a scary movie.


My answer is...ambiguity. I don't want to blatantly know what's going on or who the killer is. I want to be guessing the whole time, biting my fingernails in anticipation. I don't watch scary movies just to watch terrible acting accompanied by even worse visual effects. Things like "Devil Clowns that Eat Your Soul" (made that up) or something equally as campy don't entertain me. They waste my time and my money. I want to be legitimately scared, not bored.


What made The Blair Witch Project popular? Besides kick ass PR, it was the fact you never really saw anything happen, until the end and even that was vague. Paranormal Activity was the next found footage film that impacted people. The actors were unknown, the FX were amazing and it was again, uncertainty that made that film a success. Insidious and The Conjuring were terrifying because they both are unsettling.  Children seeing things the adult eye cannot, forces beyond this world and closets made these films unique in their styling.

The things we cannot see and defend ourselves against are the most terrifying. Whether it's the monsters inside the human brain or demonic forces beyond our reach, less is more in the horror genre and I wish more people would adopt that philosophy.

Short Story: The Chair

The room is small and damp. In the center there is an old metal bed with a flat and dirty mattress on it. The woman said it was the only availble room in the house and you were tired so here you are.

The floor creaks as you look around at the room. An old vanity with a streaked mirror faces the bed. Laying upon the vanity are brushes and little jars full of liquids. You open the red one marked Sophie. It smells like lavender mixed with vanilla.

As night falls you get ready for bed, taking care to open a window for air. You look into the vanity mirror and again open the bottle when you drop it. It smells like rust and blood. Suddenly you're looking through the vanity glass at yourself smelling the bottle. You notice something you didn't see before.... someone under the bed. It's looking at you in the same glass. You try to scream to yourself to turn around but before you can ,you see blood start to come out of your mouth. You turn around and the room is suddenly dark, there is no bed and no vanity. Only a chair. A chair for you to watch your death over and over again.

Mother May I?

Hello and Happy Mother's Day!

Yes, I'm back and I mean it this time!  To kick off the first post of the year,in honor of the holiday, I'd like to talk about some of my favorite movies involving a loving mothers...

Carrie(1976)- "They're all gonna laugh at you!" Margaret White is one of the craziest, bible wielding mothers in cinematic history. Piper Laurie, who originated the role, knock it out of the park with her quite reversed crazy, something that Julianne Moore failed to do in the remake.


Psycho(1960)- Mother Bates knows best! Norman Bates is such a great son and he obeys his mothers every wish. No questions asked! The fact that Mother Bates never actually speaks makes this film much more disturbing that anything else. Fun Fact: The screenwriter, Joseph Stefano was actually going through therapy to deal with his own relationship with his mother. So that's therapeutic, I suppose.


Mama(2013)-Nothing says eternal like a mothers love. Mama is a touching story about a mother who would do anything for her children....or others peoples children.

Well that's all for today but I do have news! Every Saturday and Sunday, I'll be posting suspenseful/scary original short stories!

Keep Watching and Get Scared