The fear of the unknown the
slow buildup of suspense, dead walking, screams and those horrifying faces that
pop out of nowhere. That sound or figure that calls out to the friends, walking
deeper and deeper in their own death trap….that nail biting finish when someone
manages to escape the jaws of death. Horror of horrors, they are tapping into our fears and doing their best
to scare us out of our wits. That’s
horror films for you…. but I wonder what goes on in the minds of those who
watch horror movies. I, for one have a lot of questions to ask…
Why does
the girl need a shower in the dead of the night?
Why do
the lights never work at night?
Why is
the ghostly woman always in a white gown?
Why do
they step out of the house at night into the fog or rain?
Why do
they go down to the basement in the middle of the night to investigate some
mystery noise
Why do
they carry that candle to look for that singing voice if they are not that
brave…yeah, sometimes it’s that torch
Why does
a black cat always spring out of nowhere?
Why do
they hang around the bhootia ghar the next morning after the scary night?
And most
importantly, those who trip and fall for no obvious reason and just can’t get.
Why are they unable to just run instead of crawling backwards screaming “nahin
..nahin” …I for one would have been out of there in a flash and do something besides standing there screaming
or sit on the ground and look up at death.
Besides
I would never be caught dead wearing those white flowing gowns …how in heaven’s
name would I be able to run and if I were the victim why would I follow the
ghostly figure at death’s pace….I would have left that haunted place the very
next day….. I think that I am just
thinking too much about details ….The trick is to let the imagination truly let
loose in horror movies and I guess the magic would be lost if everyone was as
analytical as me…besides if things got solved at a drop of a hat then the film
would end within minutes. There is plenty of horror moments that scare the mind
and not allow many to sleep after watching them. I know of many friends
who refuse to watch horror or scary movies. Now with the advent of 3D, horror
takes a leap straight into the minds of its audience. On the other hand, I have in my home my own
little horror show….my husband and daughter who love the macabre. The more the
oozing blood, the more the zombies, vampires, and the more the ghosts….the more
the curdling screams… the happier they are.
The possession of just about every damn thing will keep them glued ….. Oh
my, I just realized that I live among the possessed…….
Everyone
has been afraid of the dark some time or the other and even more so if we are
out of our comfort zone, say on a holiday, where the hills are dark and deep
and the night sounds are unusual. Try
telling a horror or ghost story to your companions out in the open around a
campfire. The changing colour on some of the faces around you will turn more
deadly than the ghosts being spoken
about….and don’t forget about that poor old peepul tree believed to be the home
of ghosts especially at night (wonder where they go during the day??).
Superstitions have a place in our lives whether we admit or not and it is these
that become the masala in the horror movies. Remember the fear of number 13.
Horror of horrors, what do I do now cause I am born on a 13th.
Remember
that victim who comes tottering in with a knife in his back to deliver a long
dialogue and collapse without telling practically anything of value or that
dead victim who wakes up to grabs the
ankle. The phone never works and neither will the car. Most important of all and a must have is the
“cross”. You lose that you lose your life. You know what is the most awesome
thing? The last survivor is always a woman. Men are somehow not capable of
surviving a horror movie, so kudos to all us women out there cause we are the
true “men of steel”.
So
then do I still watch horror films? You
bet I do…all of them baring those where blood flows freely…….. and when I am
watching screaming people running away or that knife in the hand or that person
about to step towards the
noises coming from the cupboard probably where the unseen horror is hiding, all
my analytical skills get tossed out of the window. Some people, like my daughter is always wired to watch, while some like me choose to watch and some not at
all as they fear they will be reminded
of such things when they are alone. No matter how many times I try to kill the
urge to watch, an unseen hand or a ghostly white form will entice and pull me towards
the darkness engulfing us into the mystical world of horror…after all mere bhi bheje mein chemical locha hai!!
