It’s been a busy week for me. Work is starting back up again (I’m going to get a new job, I am going to get a new job) and so my time has basically been work and then come home and fall asleep or be so exhausted I barely have energy to do much. So for this post, I decided to at least list and link/comment on some favorite posts I’ve done for 2020 so far. I think this year, especially in the past few months, I’ve been going outside of the box and my comfort zone to talk about different topics than just the typical “cinematography posts”. Some might be original thoughts, some could be reviews.
Let’s jump in on some posts that I am particularly proud of doing.
The Movie Theater Experience: the horror edition – Recent post but something that blossomed from watching a recent Kill Count from the yt channel Dead Meat. It was the film “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” and that shaped what became this post.
Top 50 Favorite Horror Movies (Part 1 and2) – I don’t enjoy ranking things, mostly because I am decisive (it’s a libra thing) and I’ll think of EVERY movie and then get overwhelmed. I wrote down as many movies I could on paper that I thoroughly enjoy watching and began ranking them. 50-25 were easy. It was the latter half that proved to be difficult. And I purposely left out Halloween, Jaws, The Thing, because I didn’t want to make the list seem cliche. Everyone puts those on their list, so I challenged myself what would my list be like WITHOUT those present.
The Hype of Re-Animator – FINALLY saw this movie and 1) I fucking loved this movie, would rank in between 55-50 for sure 2) Jeffery Combs as Herbert West and that character is kind of iconic and 3) I liked that the film knew exactly what it was and played into the comedy/snark when necessary.
SoH Horror Guide – I know of a few people who have always asked me what horror movie to watch or check out. And it always depends on the person. Can they handle gore and blood and straight up slashers? Or do they like the more subtle approach, lack of blood but still scary or a good psychological or supernatural film? This post has a mixed bag for it all: classic films, older, more underrated films and newer ones that have really made an impact/dent in the genre.
Children & Horror – A topic that I hesitated to approach. Children in horror is a combination that is very much either necessary to push your button or there for shock value. There is a film that recently came out, Becky, that is a good representation of this topic.
Hannibal: A Tale of Horror and Elegance – Hannibal is one of the best shows that came out of the 2010s. I think a show like that lasting 3 seasons of NBC is a miracle in and of itself and fills this void of beauty, horror and elegance. When I think of Hannibal, I think of elegance. There’s an “air” around that show, those characters, the visuals that enlightened me on a weekly basis. I am hoping for a season 4, I think everyone would be on board for it.
Rewatching Goosebumps – A show from the 90s that I still watch today. There are some great, great episodes of Goosebumps that are greatly adapted from the books and then there are some duds (look at Attack of the Mutant, like what was that?). Quite interesting there’s been a resurgence and interest in the franchise thanks to the films. I rewatched a few eps of the show to remember and reflect on why I enjoyed the show.
Favorite Top 10 Episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark – AYAOTD is one of the coolest shows aimed at a more older audience compared to Goosebumps in my opinion. I always compare this show to The Twilight Zone or even Tales from the Darkside whereas Goosebumps is more… Tales from the Crypt. This ranking was quite fun. I enjoyed this one more than I did the top 50 favorite horror movies. Maybe it was just a shorter list and then some honorable mentions that were also great.
Favorites: Witchy Vibes – I personally pre-ordered funko pops of The Craft. That should showcase how much love I have for films that are more about witches. New, old, complete horror or a mixture of comedy, I’m here for all of it.
Favorites: Zombies – Zombies, I’m kind of waiting for the world to get them because I swear they are coming. I’ve been more exposed to zombie/undead films lately and there are some great ones out there beyond the “Living Dead” umbrella. Zombies represent the fear of dying, the fear of decay, the fear of flesh, and the inevitable turning of your loved ones into something you cannot recognize. When they are slow, a la Night of the Living Dead (1968), it’s manageable. When they are fast as hell, it’s a wrap.
I can only imagine what the next 6 months will bring. I mean I have ideas, we’ll see if they come into fruition!
Shots of Horror 