Am I Afraid? I'm A-Freud Not.

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Some spoilers ahead

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Am I Afraid?

I'm A-Freud Not.

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Artist: P Torinno

#scarystories

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   So, some of you already know of this, but I'm not exactly a fan of horror. At least, that's how I perceive myself to be. I'm more than willing to research on scary stuffs, read thrillers and all that, and even go and watch a horror film (to which, I certainly liked The Ring, THIR13EN Ghosts, The Shining, and of course, the 1982 movie Poltergeist… only like, not love, okay?). However, I can't stand the horror genre. Call it ironic, but that's who I am.

   Anyway, what I'm going to talk about today is Coraline! I adored that movie, and I certainly loved the book! I knew of Coraline way, way back. During my birthday, to be exact. My parents gave me two books that day: Coraline and M is for Magic. I was at awe when I first saw the cover. The art style was really nice, and it captivated me so much. Anyway, enough of that… let's get into the questions!

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1. Why is Coraline my favourite?

   Compared to other horror films out there, it's much more tame considering that it's a children's movie... and likewise, the book was catered to children as well. Meaning it's not as, well, as violent or as graphic as the other films of the same genre. The music was charming and eerie, while the visuals were creepy as it was stunning and amazing!

   The plot revolves around the young Coraline Jones. Her life, undoubtedly a bore with her workaholic father and mother that never gave her much attention, was turned upside-down when she discovered a tiny door that transported her to another world, with people that are much more excitable and livelier than those back in her own world.

   It took a turn for the worse when her 'Other Mother', also called The Beldam, had her true intentions revealed at the later part of the story, wherein she lures in a lonely child, entice them with love, care, and affection, before ultimately devouring their souls. With the help of some friends, she managed to escape the Other World, while also forever throwing away the key to its age.

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2. What elements make a scary movie so interesting you’re at the edge of your seat?

   I'm honestly not sure myself, since, again, I don't invest too much with horror films. However, I'd like a scary movie with a spooky vibe. No, not something that has gore overload or brutal killings. I want something spooky. Creepy. Eerie. I mean, if I want to look for something that has lots of blood and killing, I'll just go and look for an action movie. Like John Wick or whatever.

   I guess what I meant by spooky is subjective, since we all have different takes on what is spooky or not, but yeah... anyway, I want something that has a soft, slow progress into the creepy storyline. That, or appeal my want for a nice music, an interesting lore that the story revolves around, or make use of a psychological tug to the human mind. Any of those.

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3. What elements make a scary movie so cliche you just want to turn it off?

   Lots of use of jump scares or cheap jolts, for one. I mean, there's nothing wrong with some jump scares that end up being harmless, but to excessively use that all throughout the film? Please don't… that, and I already got traumatised from that one movie.

   Then there's the scene where a victim pleads and asks someone 'kill me before I turn!' kind of stuff. Like, no. I don't want that anymore. It was fun at first, but now it's almost like something out from a romance novel. If you're gonna turn into a zombie knowing that there's no cure, then be the good samaritan and kill yourself out of the cast, please! I mean, learn something from that 2016 Train to Busan.

   After that, there's this 'found footage' thing. I just… it just throws away the reason for horror. The character themselves should experience meeting a malevolent being, and not some random people in a video tape that was just discovered. The Blair Witch Project is basically a group of peeps in a video that is just that, a 'found footage' scenario. I don't like the movie, but it does make a great setting for a poem!

   Finally, the 'based on true events'. The Amityville Horror already got that one covered, so why does every other film following it has to have that after their title cards? It's becoming overused now. The sparkle was gone, ruined by the film industry.

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   So there you have it! It's not much, really, but... yeah. Thanks for reading :smile_cat:

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BG Photographer: Bogdan Shcheglovitov