Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Horror....The Horror......



It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror... Horror has a face... and you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terror are your friends. If they are not, then they are enemies to be feared.

There are a lot of things that don't really make sense in my life. Like..... snow, and meatless chicken nuggets, the lightbulb inside of a refrigerator, and people who don't read books. These things are quite possibly trivial to you but they keep me up at night, laughing in my ear and taunting me with their devilish confusion. Today however I was met with something that makes perfect sense, yet for some reason I still can't wrap my head around it.

Apocalypse Now is the perfect metaphor for life and also....for being a horror fan. I suppose it isn't that much of a stretch what with "The Horror! The Horror!" being the tagline and all but as someone who has a strange dread surrounding most "war" movies, you should believe me when I say that I find this very confusing and extremely exciting.



I was never the biggest fan of Heart of Darkness. I found it dry and somehow less captivating than other novels I was forced to read in order to receive 3.00 credits towards my college diploma. Therefore, the idea of Apocalypse Now was one that peaked my interest. I knew I was somehow supposed to think that Heart of Darkness was a masterpiece, so maybe, just maybe Apocalypse Now could finally convince me. It did of course, but it also widened my eyes to something that I like to call brilliance.


This brilliance was especially captured when Marlon Brando delivered his famous monologue about the horror, crying like a grandmother and the importance of remembering it forever. It was like a giant lightbulb went off in my brain. THIS is what I should have tattooed on my face so that when people ask me why I like horror movies so much I can just stare at them.



I like horror movies so much because they used to scare the shit out of me. They used to force me into uncomfortable positions of shielding both my eyes and ears against their terror. Then one day something happened. I realized that embracing the horror and facing the horror was what made the fear go away.

This made sense not just when watching horror movies but in the rest of my life as well. I'm what or was, what you would call a scaredy cat. I had a hard time doing much of anything without crying or dragging some unfortunate friend or family member along with me. The thing is though, life IS scary. Life is horrific but until you face it and recognize it, you'll never be able to accept it and you will keep running away from it. Yikes I sound like a preacher now but whatever, you can blame it on Francis Ford Coppola.



Anyways. I wanted you to know that really, really shitty and awful things happen sometimes. But that's life. If you've seen horror look you straight in the face then you've probably already had this revelation hit you before. Marlon Brando's monologue is still one of the best things that's ever happened. It means so much. But it especially makes me smile when I think about all those people who like to give horror fans a bad name. All those people that make those disgusted faces when I talk about how excited I get from watching horror movies. And all those people, the same people really that laugh when I tell them that there is such a thing as a good horror movie.

You must make a friend of horror. So that is why today I will share with you all my friends. Just to prove that what Apocalypse Now is saying is true and completely awesome.












9 comments:

Jason Layman said...

Apocalypse Now is my fave and I lurve you.

Ashley Shannon said...

Very well said my friend. I've always loved horror films and vietnam war films and I totally agree that there is something about Apocalypse Now that bridges that gap. Brando's monologue is the payoff to quite a long film, but is worth every second of anticipation.

When people ask me what I think is the greatest film of all time, I have to objectively say Apocalypse Now, even though subjectively I do prefer a few others. Your article perfectly sums up the genius of this great movie :D

They Made Me Do It

commodore sixty four said...

To me Vietnam movies ARE horror movies i cant think of anything more frightening than being deep in the "shit". add some cambodian villagers heads on sticks and youve got a pretty unsetteling film much more disturbing than jeepers creepers could ever hope to be

commodore sixty four said...

what movie is that crazy women with the knife from?

Spooky Sean said...

I was the hugest worrywart as a child. Everything scared me, especially horror movies. I was afraid to even attempt to watch them.
And then, I watched a few. And yes, there were nights I'd be afraid, that I'd jump at shadows.
But, soon I was obsessed. I wanted to be scared.
Ultimately, it's because I'm anxious about everything still, and it's nice to have fear I can control, to a certain extent.
You can't just shut off neurosis, unfortunately.

film said...

"The Horror....The Horror......" INDEED!

Andre Dumas said...

That is from Suspiria commodore!

Scott said...

Great selections all. In particular, Helen Bonham Carter first thing in the morning (just below Pinhead). That said, what kind of face might you make watching Tim Burton get dressed in the morning, hmm? A little slack and respect is in order, maybe.

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog, and you have pictured some of the images that completely freak me out (and still watch). Good show with the Suspiria ones. I named my daughter Iris after this film. It's also the only dvd my husband and I both owned when we met. It was a sign!