Horrifying Resolutions for 2010
Now that the New Year is approaching, it’s time to make resolutions for 2010. While for some that means buying a gym membership or finally cleaning out the garage, below are some of my resolutions as a horror blogger for the year to come.
1) Watch more classic horror. Would it shock to you know that I watched The Black Cat and The Raven for the first time in 2009? I resolve to watch more classic horror in 2010 starting with films like Son of Frankenstein, the Mask of Fu Manchu and Old Dark House.
2) Watch more slashers. My experience with slasher films is limited to the Sorority Row and Friday the 13th remakes. On my hit list for 2010 are films like My Bloody Valentine, the original Friday the 13th and Halloween.
3) Watch more foreign horror. While I’ve caught the J-Horrror bug I have yet to watch pivotal foreign horror films like Inside, Martyrs, and High Tension. The only French horror film I saw this year was Frontier(s) and I have barely scratched the surface of J-Horror with films like Pulse, Ju-on and Kaidan.
4) Stop being seduced by deceivingly awesome cover art. I am a sucker for packaging and when it comes to bad horror, if you tie it up in a pretty bow I will eat it up. Take for example the cover art for the remake of “It’s Alive” Never mind that my rational brain is screaming Bijou Phillips is a horrible actress and this remake was a really bad idea. Show me the image of a creepy baby with a human skull reflected in its black, doll-like eyes and I’m hooked. We all know how that ended. Horribly.
5) Read more horror criticism. Just because horror consists mainly of visual media doesn’t mean I can skimp on my reading. Two books I really want to get my hands on are The Films of Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Master of Fear and Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike.
So, what are your resolutions as a horror fan and/or blogger for the New Year?
1) Watch more classic horror. Would it shock to you know that I watched The Black Cat and The Raven for the first time in 2009? I resolve to watch more classic horror in 2010 starting with films like Son of Frankenstein, the Mask of Fu Manchu and Old Dark House.
2) Watch more slashers. My experience with slasher films is limited to the Sorority Row and Friday the 13th remakes. On my hit list for 2010 are films like My Bloody Valentine, the original Friday the 13th and Halloween.
3) Watch more foreign horror. While I’ve caught the J-Horrror bug I have yet to watch pivotal foreign horror films like Inside, Martyrs, and High Tension. The only French horror film I saw this year was Frontier(s) and I have barely scratched the surface of J-Horror with films like Pulse, Ju-on and Kaidan.
4) Stop being seduced by deceivingly awesome cover art. I am a sucker for packaging and when it comes to bad horror, if you tie it up in a pretty bow I will eat it up. Take for example the cover art for the remake of “It’s Alive” Never mind that my rational brain is screaming Bijou Phillips is a horrible actress and this remake was a really bad idea. Show me the image of a creepy baby with a human skull reflected in its black, doll-like eyes and I’m hooked. We all know how that ended. Horribly.
5) Read more horror criticism. Just because horror consists mainly of visual media doesn’t mean I can skimp on my reading. Two books I really want to get my hands on are The Films of Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Master of Fear and Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike.
So, what are your resolutions as a horror fan and/or blogger for the New Year?
The French's wave of horror-core came out of nowhere. Nobody saw it coming. When I saw Inside, I was blown away by the brutality from such a "supposed" peaceful culture.
ReplyDeleteYour list has a few things I should do. I need to watch more classic horror as well.
Scholar,
ReplyDeleteI can't agree more with # 3. Inside, Martyrs, and Frontiers were three of my favorite films I've seen recently-so much, that I had to buy copies of them. I highly reccomend them. Enjoy!
Jaded,
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing it. I didn't even know High Tension was French in the first place.
Scott,
Thanks for the thumbs up Scott!
Some remakes movies doesn't give justice at all to those original ones except my favorite "Night of the Living Dead".
ReplyDeleteRhinehoth a New Horror Novel by Brian E. Niskala
I was this close to not doing film resolutions this year but your post inspired me to get back on that train! I definitely want to brush up on more of the classics - Wolf Man, The Mummy, Carnival of Souls, those are still unseen by this fans eyes.
ReplyDeleteLove the site, just found it today and it's freaking awesome!