Mind The Gap: Four Frightening Flicks
I recently realized that I was saying, “I’m not a fan of horror movies but…” so often that it may no longer be true. I definitely am not one for jump scares or the three thousand Saw films, but I think I was putting the entire genre into an entirely too-small box. For spooky season, I decided to explore a couple of the sub-genres under the scary umbrella. The contenders: Alien (sci-fi horror), Jennifer’s Body (cult favorite), Interview with a Vampire (fantasy/paranormal horror) and Rear Window (classic horror). It’s turned out to be a fun exploration.
The one I truly expected to be scared of most was Alien. I knew a little bit already thanks to pop culture, such as Ripley being a badass female lead and the creature busting out of a human’s torso, but that was about it. As someone who had to sleep with lights on after seeing I Am Legend in theaters (no judgment, please), I was convinced I’d be terrified of this OG space horror flick. Thankfully, a friend wanted to watch (and also not do so alone) and we both psyched ourselves up enough to not be utterly petrified by the tactic popularized by Jaws - that the threat of not seeing the “monster” or just getting glimpses is scarier than anything else. This also did a lot for not aging the film, since it minimized dated technology and effects. Scare Factor: 2.5 out of 5
I can’t fully believe I’m saying this, but the horror film I was most looking forward to watching was Jennifer’s Body. In 2019, think pieces popped up all over the internet in honor of the movie’s ten year anniversary singing its praises. With every article and interview I read, I was more intrigued, and somehow, my expectations still were not too high. This movie is a blast. It’s intentionally funny and ridiculous. It’s extremely intelligent and if I have any criticism at all, it’s that giving Amanda Seyfried bad hair and questionable fashion sense is still not enough for me to not think she’s stunning. This is Megan Fox at her best. She’s hilarious, sexy and perfectly deadpan. Her performance makes it clear that you are not laughing at her, but with her. Thanks to that, the moments of gore barely made me flinch, even though there was plenty of opportunities for Jennifer to do just that. Scare Factor: 2.5 out of 5
For classic horror, the only debate for me was which Hitchcock film I would choose. I landed on Rear Window for one simple reason: I had already seen a semi-remake of it (Disturbia) and could focus on the style of the movie rather than wonder how much it would scare me. It’s embarrassing to admit this, but I have no choice: this was my first Hitchcock. I also believe it was my first Grace Kelly film. I fully intend to change this and explore both of these film legends more, and it was thanks to how engaged I was in this movie despite having an idea of how the plot would play out. I couldn’t find a real weak point, though it is a bit slow moving, but I’m here for a quiet, building style of thriller. If this is any indication as to Hitchcock’s overall method when it comes to his craft, I’m absolutely in. Scare Factor: 2.5 out of 5
When it was announced that the Interview with a Vampire miniseries was debuting just in time for Halloween, I decided to rectify a problem I’d been thinking on for a while: finally watching the film adaptation. What’s not to love? Tom Cruise! Brad Pitt! Baby Kirsten Dunst! A period movie that covers an alarming amount of time! Ridiculous wigs and costumes! Accents that come and go! An intense amount of homoerotic subtext that is all but text! Oh, right, and it’s technically a horror-ish movie. I somehow managed to pick four horror films that didn’t scare the bejeezus out of me, so maybe I’m more on board with this genre than I realized. Scare Factor: 2 out of 5
In case you want to watch any of these for the spookiest holiday of the year, Alien is streaming on Starz, Jennifer’s Body is on Paramount+ (and maybe Prime), Interview with a Vampire is streaming on Tubi (free with ads) and Rear Window is on Peacock.
This is inspiring me to do this with a handful of Christmas films, because after the insanity that was my last holiday movie project, I’m going to need to scale back a ton.