Roxie and Sarah's Guide to Horror Movies Part 1

My roommate Sarah and I really love horror movies. We are constantly scouring Redbox or Netflix for a new flick. We want to be scared. We want to our heart rates to go way up. We want something original that terrifies us. It becomes very frustrating to do this sometimes though.  When choosing a new movie, we can't rely on online lists or ratings because everything we have found online is bogus. We understand that everyone has different preferences and fears, so there is no way to make an "ultimate" list, but we are tired of mediocre movies like The Poltergeist and Let Me In topping every chart. So we have created our own guide.


Section 1: The Paranormals

These movies have such mixed reviews. So many people vehemently hate them, but the two of us are generally fans. It's all about the silence in these movies. The anticipation without dramatic music is magical. And we love all those nights that nothing happens at all. False anticipation can be just as great as a big scare. We rate them in this order:

-Paranormal Activity 3:

• This one wasn't as original, but it's all about the moving camera. What will be there when it turns back around?!? Also the little cubby hole in the girls' room is horror in my own life. I hate small creepy places like that. We weren't too happy with the ending, but it didn't matter.

-Paranormal Activity 2:

• More scares than the original. Love the security cam footage. That was new for us. The kitchen scene almost make me pee my pants.

-Paranormal Activity:

• The original still holds a very special place in our hearts, though it isn't the end-all-beat-all that many swear it is. It was new and amazing at the time, but watching it again shows how slow it can be at times.

-Paranormal Activity 4:

• This was was enjoyable, but not memorable. As video game fans, we did like the Xbox technology, but the story line made little to no sense.

-Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones:

• We didn't even want to see this one. It looked so terrible in the previews. After the 4th movie and the delay on the release of this one, we didn't even see it in theaters like all the previous movies. But then we rented it later and didn't hate it all that much. Another enjoyable film.

-Paranormal Activity Ghost Dimension.

• Please don't waste your money on this one. We got free tickets to the premiere, but otherwise this would have been a waste. The 3D was not used to its potential and it was just stupid. If you want a scare, watch the trailer. It is far better than the actual movie.

Section 2: Spanish Movies

They really know their horror in Spain. Seriously. Some of the best random Netflix horror we have watched have been low-budget Spanish films. The subtitles don't even get in the way of the scares. We watched one that was part of "Films to Keep You Awake." It was called Baby's Room and it scared the crap out of us. It was all about seeing someone on the video baby monitor. We watched this one time over three years ago and we still talk about it to this day.

Another one that is available on Netflix now is The House at the End of Time. It is kind of trippy with all the time warp stuff, but we enjoyed it. It was original and, as I said before, that is key for us. After seeing so many, we predict stuff before it happens and that one kept up guessing.


Section 3: Horror/Comedy

This is a very recent trend where the genres of comedy and horror intertwine. The first one I saw was The Cabin in the Woods, and I wasn't sure if it was intentionally funny or not for about half the movie. Now I've watched it a few time and love it. It is humor that really appeals to horror movie buffs like us.

Very recently, the two of us went to the theater to see The Visit. My middle school students were raving about it and the Comedy Horror genre listed online for it intrigued me. We loved it. We were laughing aloud and a few minutes later crouched low in our seats. It was totally weird (written by M. Night Shylaman, so what do you expect) but unexpected and refreshing. I did predict the ending at the beginning and gave it away to Sarah, so it's surprising that we liked it so much, but we would both recommend it.


We have a lot more to say on this topic. To be continued...

When Did Trailers Become Entire Movies?

Movie trailers used to spark an interest. It would be 30 seconds of mystery with a few glimpses of an actor or actress you knew and you'd have to see the movie to find out the rest. The last time I went to a movie, I asked a friend to go. She asked me "What's it about?" And I was able to tell her the entire plot line without ever having seen the movie. Why were we even going to see it?

Trailers have started to become 3 whole minutes, the length of short films. The worst part about this trend is sometimes the trailers are better than the movies. A few weeks ago, my roommate and I saw the most recent Paranormal Activity movie and this is the second one in a row that had scenes in the trailer that weren't even in the movie (good scenes I might add!). Trailers now give away big reveals before the movie even starts and, in comedies, the biggest laughs become only chuckles because you've heard it 20 times on TV before going to the theater.

This is my rant of the day. I'm just sick of this trend. Leave some mystery in. Make me want to know more. In the words of my roommate, "Is that something that people really want?" Maybe it is. Maybe we can't take a gamble on a movie anymore. I'm guilty of looking up ratings beforehand instead of just judging for myself. Or maybe we aren't patient enough to wait for the movie. I'm not sure. But I want it to stop. Come on, Hollywood.

What's In a Name?

I remember when I was a kid, my mom had a book full of names and their definitions and origins. I used to flip through that book all the time, saying name aloud and writing them down. Even though I am awkward when meeting new people, I love learning new people's names. I like both incredibly unique names and soundly traditional ones. I love how some siblings have such similar names and how some are insanely different. I love nicknames. I almost never forget a name and knew all of my students' names by the end of the first week of school. On the flip side, I hate when someone spells or pronounces a name wrong. Of course, I understand if you don't know that person yet. But when it's your cousin or friend or student, a lack of knowledge for their name means you didn't care to really get to know them. I've seen people write "happy birthday" on Facebook walls and spell the name wrong. It's on the same page! It makes me cringe.

But I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now. "What does it matter?" "I don't care when someone spells my name wrong." So here's a story for you:

 There is a student at my school who has a lot of behavioral problems. He is sent to the office or our "strategy room" several times a week. He usually doesn't turn assignments in and often doesn't work in class. But, for some reason, about the 2nd week of school, he started coming into my class and giving me a high-five each day. He would actually work if I came over and asked him. One day, as he was heading to his next class, I thanked him for working hard that day and he turned to me and said, "Miss Siel...it's really cool that you call me KB." "Well, it's a really cool name," I replied. He laughed and walked away.

You see, KB is this student's initials. But that is the name he wrote on his folder the first day of school. It's the name his friends holler after him in the hallway. Although it isn't the name listed on the roster, I knew that was what he must prefer to be called, so I called him that. And that small thing must have showed him I cared about him as a person. Of course, this is not a miracle solution. I'm also not the only teacher who calls him by this name. I am sure, though, that it was the recognition of KB's "real" name that helped me gain his trust.