Is That you In Your Avatar?-Tempting 20 — Page 46

It sounds like you celebrated more than most. And more appropriately as well.
To most this just a day off and a time to find a good bargain with the 4th of July sales.

My day was ok. We have this raging fire going on STILL in the Dismal Swamp, so fireworkes were cancelled and Ari had some asthma troubles.
Otherwise, we watched a movie and just relaxed.

---

Incidentally, my fave swamp name is Okefenokee.

---

True story: When I was 15, I did a little summer internship thing at the Dismal Swamp working with their snakes - they had an incredible collection of herpetoriums, with snakes from all over the world. Well, because of some issues at one point, I agreed to house an 18-foot King Cobra, which I kept in our attic for about 2 months. My parents didn't know.

It's things like that that made me realize that I could never have children. I would have killed me

!!!!!

Didn't they think it was odd when all the small animals in the neighborhood went missing?

---

Hey, Robo.

Stagey - watch it

Taz - he was VERY well fed - and he was GORGEOUS!!! I spent HOURS with him, he was so intense. TRULY a king of his kind - or any other, for that matter. His hood was almost two feet across! I haven't thought about him in so long (probably because it was so long ago!)

For the first time?

I remember it freaked me out.

We just got back from Alameda. A friend of a friend had a BBQ and we were able to watch the fireworks from Oakland. It was really fun.

---

I haven't seen it in years.

I do remember the final scene gave me nightmares for weeks.

---

The accompanying documentary CURSE OF THE BLAIR WITCH (which was shown on the Sci-Fi Channel prior to the movie's release) scared me more than the movie ever did.

Don't get me started on BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2.

---

Updated On: 7/5/08 at 02:35 AM

I saw Curse Of The Blair Witch before watching the movie. IT was in the Special Features. I stopped it towards the beginning, it got too boring.

I loved the end... Poor Mike. Although, he was SOOO annoying.

The thing about The Mist is that, I hate movies about animals or weird creatures that kill people. I did, however, like Cloverfield!

---

Taz - I'm sure you'll have a response here.

What is it about the desire to feel fear? I just don't get why you would consciously place yourself in a position of feeling that emotion.

It's 'fun' to feel 'fear'? I guess I just envision people standing around a stove going, "Wow, it hurts to touch that - let's do it again!"

It's not true fear DG. I know logically that it's just a movie.
The emotion of fear causes your endorphines to kick in, much like riding a roller coaster does.
A good scary movie is a safe way to get that rush. There have been a ton of psycholigical studies done on it. They all pretty much say what I just did.

Also, the stakes in horror movies are literally life and death. There is inherent tension and drama in that.



The history of horror mirrors what society is dealing with. Early horror which was influenced by German expressionism dealt with fear of the devil and hell. This was related to the early fear that the church instilled in people.
By the late 20s horror was more focused on what science could do. As medicine advanced, people were afraid of what it meant to their understanding of the human condition. Films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari dealt with that type of man made monster.
Then there was the whole Itallian/Giallo mocement which dealt with the occult. Horror movies that deal with the occult/ghosts tap into that part of us that is fascinated/curious about things that we don't understand. To some extent they validate the fact that there is a lot in the world that we don't understand or know. There is a sense of comfort in sharing these thoughts with others.

So ultimately, these fear inducing movies help us to deal with what is really scary in our world by bringing out our fears and making them relateable.

There is great catharisis in that.

Then there is the whole communal experience. being scared with a bunch of people (either in a theater with strangers, or at home with friends) makes it a more visceral experience. You can be scared, but you also know that there is safety in numbers.

---

Updated On: 7/5/08 at 03:05 AM

I was writing my post and didn't see yours.

---