I hated horror films. I considered them garbage. They weren’t worth the time it took to press play. This opinion was backed up by two decades worth of schlocky slasher movies and cheap remakes. In film school a friend of mine forever changed this opinion.
He watched a different horror film every day during the month of October. I scoffed at the idea. He very seriously took me aside and told me that he used to share my opinion, but that this horror movie tradition of his changed his mind forever. He recommended I give it a try and see what I could learn from this genre.
That was in 2012, and I have maintained the tradition ever since. Every October I watch one horror movie everyday. This year, the only difference is I’m sharing my month here through reviews of each movie.
This year I will watch a different horror movie every day and post a review of the film in the evening. I’m hoping to share some great movies with people who might not care for the genre. I’m hoping that through this experience people might gain an appreciation for this type of movie. I’m hoping that it’ll be fun for people to see what I’m watching and maybe join in.
In years past I’ve had themes for my Halloween month. Ghost stories, classics, and Remakes vs originals, were great years, but this year there will be no theme. My only goal is to touch on different aspects of this wide ranging genre. Horror is an expansive category. Horror is haunted houses and ghosts. It is slashers and monsters. It is torture and thrillers. It is comedy and zombies. But the best horror films are share a common trait they all use every tool in the filmmakers arsenal to elicit powerful emotions. Creating real fear responses means every element of film must work together effectively. The script, performances, lighting, sound design, and camera movement all must act in harmony to generate the best horror films. We’ll be looking at new films, old films, and a sampling of every genre to find the movies that use these elements best.
It’s going to be a fun and spooky October. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Cup of Tea Reviews 