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Howling
How do you feel about horror? I don't think it's a bad thing to be scared by fiction. There's plenty in real life that is terrifying in ways that offer no catharsis or resolution so it's actually quite pleasant when reasonably nice or at least hard-working people manage to vanquish hideous monsters.
I have been thinking a lot about horror lately and not just because of Halloween. I've just read the review of the latest and last in the Series of Unfortunate Events (which someday I hope to read to myself or my child). The review mentions that kids often find morbidity comforting, which was absolutely the case for me. And I keep catching previews for the latest scary movies. (Most of these aren't so appealing. They're either kind of silly or their nihilism is too aggressively cool. I was liking the nonsensical Japanese horror movies that are getting remade constantly for a while, but now they're all running together, so I can only think of one general creepy creepfest: TheEyeGrudgeRingDarkWaterRing2PulseCureEtc.)
Last night I watched a picture that came out in 2002 called Dog Soldiers, and the title pretty much says it all. There are soldiers and there are dogs. There is also something nasty in there about the urge to harness nature and force it to do the terrible things we'd rather not muddy our hands on, but don't think this movie isn't entertaining. It carries its politics even more lightly than Alien carried its feelings about corporations and capitalism.
This is a werewolf movie. Werewolves are among my favorite monsters. I used to favor vampires because of all the rules they have to follow in order to survive, their complicated etiquette (needing to be invited into houses), and strange sense of community (but if you think they're all stuffy effete types, take a look at Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark). Werewolves are so much less fussy. Their rules are more difficult to tamper with, and unlike vampires, once transformed, werewolves no longer are good conversationalists with whom one can negotiate.
I also have a thing for wolves, generally, apart from my horror movie fixation. A few years ago, I had a remarkable encounter with two wolves that offered me the closest thing I anticipate having to a conversion experience. (Here is where I met these creatures, and if you're local you can visit.)
Anyway, if you're looking for some shivers for Halloween, and aren't likely to be out and about at parties and whatnot, you could do much worse than Dog Soldiers. (The director had another movie out this summer about a group of women spelunkers and the nasty things they encounter in caves appropriately called The Descent.
posted by Elise at 7:30 AM
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said...
I'll always be a vampire fan, myself. The fixation started with "The Lost Boys"--nothing will affect a teenage girl like seeing Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric in their '80s-bad-boy getups!
10/23/2006 8:18 AM
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