Scary Movies

 

           I feel it necessary to explain the difference between a scary movie and a startling movie. “The Ring Two” is not scary, it is startling. There are things that jump out at you and surprise you, maybe even make you scream. That is not scary. Scary is when you know that something bad is going to happen, but you don’t know what or when or to whom.

           A perfect example is the scene in “Saw” when Adam is in the apartment. It’s really dark and shadowy, they keep showing that creepy doll. You know something bad is going to happen, but they keep you in suspense. He keeps opening doors, and you expect something to happen, but it doesn’t. This heightens the fear and anticipation. This way, when you are startled by the killer jumping out at the end of the scene, it is the climax of building fear rather than just a shock.

           Also, something that is scary for the characters is not necessarily scary for the audience. While I would certainly be terrified if a girl crawled out of my TV, it’s not scary to watch it happen to someone else.

           Stephen King is the Lord God of scary. A man that can scare you with a book is truly frightening, because you can’t be startled by a book. Your mind processes everything gradually, so you are only scared if you are slowly drawn in.

           I hope this rant was helpful and stops you from seeing really bad movies like “The Ring.” It’s a videotape that kills people. Hollywood has officially run out of ways to scare us.