tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post1641308808096636435..comments2023-11-16T04:46:40.010-05:00Comments on Movies At Dog Farm : (Mostly) Effective Tips For Teaching A Straight To Like Horror MoviesBrandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-89397174275768917482013-07-02T10:02:10.422-04:002013-07-02T10:02:10.422-04:00I generally try to explain the intellectual portio...I generally try to explain the intellectual portions first. Every horror movie has a message. What that message IS is not readily apparent but I find that if you can tell a "straight" that, "Hey, Dawn of the Dead is all about rampant consumerism" they tend to take it a little better.Bob Malletthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01979273205610251417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-18282662784937787082013-07-02T08:56:24.913-04:002013-07-02T08:56:24.913-04:00Doug, that's a great observation about the inh...Doug, that's a great observation about the inherent morality of the horror genre. Contrary to what one might initially think, I've always thought that the horror genre is often very conservative in nature for precisely this reason. I suppose that's why I've always been surprised by the way it's often targeted by moral watchdogs.<br><br>Jeremy, that's great that you were able to bring your wife around to having her own appreciation of the genre. It's nice to be able to share that with her, isn't it?<br><br>Maybe we can figure out together how to help J.D. present Anthropophagus to his significant other in a flattering light. I'm thinking that's less a Horror 101 title and more like Horror 103. Keep fighting the good fight, J.D.<br><br>Thanks, guys, for the great comments!Brandon Earlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04428583919973903171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-29235801429480421132013-07-02T08:41:01.164-04:002013-07-02T08:41:01.164-04:00Heh...straights. I've been trying to get my wi...Heh...straights. I've been trying to get my wife BACK into horror movies since the day I met her. The main problem is that she says "I used to like horror movies". But what I've learned is that she used to like horror movies like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and other very-non-classic not-really-horror horror films. It's been an arduous journey, but I've had a success here and there, like how much she enjoyed The Comedy of Terrors and the fact that she's been renting a hell of a lot of thrillers here recently. One small success at a time. Four years and counting. We'll get there.<br><br>The problem is when I choose to show her stuff like Anthropophagus, which unless you are really into, is quite boring.Jonny Deadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10950229310120282493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-74629391597106110622013-07-02T05:02:09.572-04:002013-07-02T05:02:09.572-04:00my answer is going to be weak compared to the grea...my answer is going to be weak compared to the great tell of this post... you covered aspects and giving it a class... i had a student [wife] that i started with the classics like dracula, wolfman... frankenstien. found her strong point and went to the hallowen's and she picks out films... years spent, years of enjoyment... i mean my wife... wink!Jeremy [Retro]http://www.blogger.com/profile/09912258155288958827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400483117854542409.post-79910413481657015252013-07-02T02:14:06.399-04:002013-07-02T02:14:06.399-04:00Good tips. I also start with the classics and try ...Good tips. I also start with the classics and try to apply the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover" since the horror genre can seem disgusting or revolting to the uninitiated but it's full of imagination with great characters and stories just like more mainstream genres. Another approach is reciting what Stephen King and so many others have said in the genre's defense: it actually reinforces moral values because the unethical characters are usually punished in gruesome ways while the innocent survive, but you can also explain how the best horror works at a metaphorical level like with John Carpenter's The Thing and the AIDS paranoia. Some argue horror is cathartic and basically the same as riding a roller coaster to face our deepest fears of death. Of course, these are more of an intellectual route, which Wes Craven has also spoken a lot about describing our society's historical fascination with blood. Really I don't think we need to justify why we love horror (something else I think Stephen King said in his excellent Danse Macabre book), but these things definitely help in persuading others to look at our genre in a new light.Doug Rooshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09417088257701245038noreply@blogger.com