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...