This past Halloween, I've started two traditions. The first is to read a Stephen King novel during the month of October and possibly going right through November, depending on whether it is a mammoth of a book, like Under The Dome is - 1,000 pages!
The second is to find little known horror film gems while also trying to eliminate some horror blind spots, so I can finally tick off classic horrors I may have missed.
I watched Kubrick's The Shining and thoroughly enjoyed the visuals, the unsettling score as well as the creepy premise.
But it did not scare me. Not even the Room 237 scene.
I actually found a majority of the moments quite comical and found myself laughing hysterically instead of covering my eyes in fear. I don't know whether to blame it on Kubrick. I noticed that from the two films I've seen him made, The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey, he exudes a feeling of distance towards his audience. His films show a level of technical perfection, but, like most perfectionists, he seems to create soulless works I find very hard to access. Granted, I still have to see A Clockwork Orange and Dr Strangelove, and among many others but that's the initial reaction I have of his films. When the credits roll, I'm left with a sense of awe, but never gratitude. For me, I find them great films to discuss and analyse but I would not necessarily call them a personal "favourite".
So my search for truly frightening horror films continue. I was glad to finally see The Shining, but dammit, I want to be scared like a little girl. The last films I can remember being really shaken by were The Ring, The Exorcist and The Orphanage. Not a lot of horror movies really scare me now. Maybe I've become numbed to them.
Any recommendations?
Image Credits:
One Big Ass Book
Room 237
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