The Eclectic Corner #4: Scary Movies

The Eclectic Corner is a feature on The Left-Handed Book Lover in which I talk about basically anything I want. A whole variety of topics! This is kinda like my chance to talk about non-bookish things. I came up with this idea because I really wanted to incorporate my love of TV shows and music somehow. This gives me a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers beyond similar taste in books.

Today I am here to talk to you about scary movies, which I honestly can't believe I haven't thought to do sooner. In this post, I am using the term "scary movies" as a blanket term for all the different types (slasher, paranromal, gory, etc.).

Here's the thing: I'm not really a movie person. I know that sounds crazy because HOW CAN SOMEONE NOT LIKE MOVIES? Well, okay, I do like movies, but I don't feel compelled to watch them as often as most people. I prefer TV shows, so when I'm by myself I'm usually binge-watching a show. Movie watching is reserved for time spent with other people. That said, I adore scary movies. Every time I see a preview for a scary movie, I immediately add to my list of movies I need to watch ASAP.

This was originally going to be a list of my favorite scary movies, but that became way too difficult after about fifteen seconds, so I decided to just talk about some scary movies that have left an impression on me recently.

Please note that even if it seems like there are spoilers, there are not. I was very careful not to give any clues as to what happens to the characters.
 

Starting with my favorite scary movie of all time:

Opinions on this movie tend to be pretty split--some people thought it was the dumbest thing they've ever seen, some people loved it. I am, obviously, with the latter category. 

This is commonly referred to as "the grandparents movie" because it is about two kids who go visit their grandparents and shit starts getting weird. My friends and I walked into this movie thinking it was going to be a joke. We'd seen the trailer a billion times and always laughed hysterically when the grandma asks, "Would you mind getting inside the oven and cleaning it?" 

We walked out of the movie with our minds blown. And then, about a week later, we watched it a second time and it was still just as AMAZING. The reason I am so crazy about this movie is because it defies a person's typical expectations of a scary movie (cheesy, predictable, tons of jump scares). This movie has some absolutely hilarious parts (intentional comedy, not the type of hilarious that comes from cheesiness) and great dialogue. The characters have depth and personality and experience growth throughout the novel. On top of all that, there is a super creepy-factor that does not rely entirely on I-feel-it-coming jump scares, and, of course (it is M. Night Shyamalan after all), there is a twist at the end that some people saw coming but my friends and I did not. The big reveal gave me goosebumps both times I watched it! 

We still talk about this movie ALL THE TIME and I still tell everyone they need to watch it because it's probably my favorite movie ever. If you think it's stupid, that's fine, I understand, but also I just disagree so much. 

A scary (ish) movie I saw recently: 

This movie, starring Blake Lively (<3333), is about a girl who is visiting a beach to honor her recently-passed mother and ends up getting hunted by a shark in the middle of the ocean, stuck on a rock, trying to figure how she could possibly get out of this alive. 

I don't know that I'd classify this as a scary movie. It's more like a thriller with occasional gory parts. I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie, because how much could possibly happen when there is a girl stuck on a rock and a shark circling her? BUT HOLY FREAKING CRAP DID I ENJOY IT. It was so so soooooo intense. My friend and I were literally flailing in the theater because there were parts with so. much. tension. 

There were several aspects that made this movie so interesting to me and made it stand apart from other movies. Firstly, the hopelessness. There was no foreseeable solution. I could tell that all rescue attempts would be fruitless. Despite the hopelessness, I dared to hope anyway. I allowed myself to think maybe a person would be able to save her.

Secondly, there was Nancy's (the protagonist) perseverance. Like 20 minutes into the movie, my friend and I turned to each other and said we would likely just give up at that point. Obviously there would be no movie if she just decided to give up right away, but the situation seemed, like I said above, pretty hopeless. But Nancy kept the gears turning trying to figure out how to survive the situation. She took an active role in her survival, was willing to fight for it, rather than just hoping for the best, which is what a lot of characters do in scary movies. 

Lastly, what really built the tension and intrigue of the movie for me was that we didn't always know what was going on in Nancy's head. She was isolated in the middle of the ocean so it's not like she had someone to explain her actions to. All of a sudden she would just start doing something strange, and I'd think, "Okay, what is she doing? Wtf? GIRL WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" But all I could do was wait and see. 

NETFLIX FAVORITES*:

* Goodnight Mommy is actually on Amazon Prime, but I didn't feel like giving it its own category. 

OTHER FAVORITES: 

I wasn't sure where to put these movies in this post, but I knew they needed to be mentioned because they are seriously amazing. 

RECENT DISAPPOINTMENTS: 

I was really looking forward to all of these movies, but, to be blunt, they were all much stupider and less scary than I was hoping they'd be. 

NEWISH/UPCOMING MOVIES I WANT TO WATCH: 

Wellllllll now you know. I've watched more scary movies than what is most likely considered healthy for the human brain. And all of these were watched more or less within the last year. Hah! 

Do you love scary movies, too? I'd love to chat with you about them! Tell me what your favorite scary moves are. Also, let me know if you agree or disagree with anything I said in this post!