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Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM, which has journalists in every state and territory. Sign up here to get it by email, or here to forward it to a friend. Today’s was written by Audience Engagement Producer Kayla Osborne.
It’s raining outside, the house is dark and cozy, you’ve warmed up a bowl of popcorn, readied a warm blanket and picked out a spooky movie to enjoy.
For some people all of that sounds like a dream come true – until you get to the ‘spooky movie’ part, that is. But for me it’s how I’ve spent most weekends (and some week nights) this month.
During October I dedicate an exorbitant amount of time to my favourite movie genre: horror.
Spooky season is the time when Hollywood, streaming services and low-budget studios tend to release a gambit of scary movies (new and old) just in time for Halloween.
I won’t get into the debate surrounding whether we should celebrate Halloween in Australia, but I will sing the praises of the horror genre.
There is nothing quite like that moment of suspense in a movie when the music stops and it all goes quiet. All you can hear is the protagonist’s heavy breathing. You know something is about to happen. You’re on the edge of your seat, heart-racing – then ‘Boo!’ the bad guy makes his appearance.
What an adrenaline rush!
You name a horror movie and I’ve probably seen it. Even some of the more ridiculous ones like Two-Headed Shark Attack (speaks for itself), Jack Frost (think Frosty the Snowman but deadly) and Killer Clowns from Outer Space (kind of a cult fave for horror fans).
But there are some horror movies so profound (or disturbing) that they’ve stuck with me just as the film greats, like Titanic, The Green Mile and Forrest Gump, stick with my fellow, albeit less morbid, cinephiles.
The Strangers from back in 2008 is one I find hard to forget. Mostly because the ‘big bad’ isn’t a ghost or monster – it’s just people. People tormenting people for fun – and it’s loosely based on true events just to add to the terror.
Friday the Thirteenth from 1980 was the first teen slasher I watched. It cemented the slasher movie as arguably one of horror’s best sub-genres – not just for me but horror fans everywhere.
The 2017 horror movie Get Out was simply outstanding. Not really your traditional scary flick, but it was horrifying for a whole different reason.
But the one that has left its biggest mark on my darkened soul is the 2018 film, Hereditary. I don’t think I even have the words capture my feelings about that one. Suffice to say, if you’re not a big horror movie buff this is one to steer clear of.
Or…watch it, if you dare.
Just like every other movie genre out there, horror truly has something for everyone. If you don’t like gore or ghosts, there are options. If you don’t like witches or vampires, there are options. If you want to be mildly unnerved and not completely frightened, there are options.
So before October creeps away from us, why not give yourself a good, old-fashioned scare?
It is spooky season after all.
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Australian Community Media journalist with almost ten year's experience in providing quality community news. I am a proud Macarthur local working for the Camden Advertiser, Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser and Wollondilly Advertiser.
Australian Community Media journalist with almost ten year's experience in providing quality community news. I am a proud Macarthur local working for the Camden Advertiser, Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser and Wollondilly Advertiser.
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