On my recent sabbatical I had time to watch a “slasher movie” titled “Heart Eyes.” The antagonist is a serial killer who wears an ugly mask with heart-shaped cuts around the eyes. Had some humor in it, whether unintentional or not.
It is theorized that people watch this stuff because the vicarious fear for the helpless victim chased by the armed monster safely gives them a little bit of an adrenaline dump. The murderer is always chasing said helpless victim, one step behind.
For people like me, and probably you, it generates the thought: “If that helpless victim only had a gun and knew how to use it…”
That “knew how to use it” part is critical. “Heart Eyes” has a scene where the female protagonist picks up a Glock dropped by a cop the killer has murdered, and just about empties it without hitting the perpetrator.
I can’t blame Hollywood. If they’d had a heroine who could have just blown the murderer’s brains out, the audience would only get the small dopamine hit of seeing the bad guy receive his just desserts, the movie would have been over after only a few minutes, and the audience would be storming the ticket counter asking for their money back.
I’m going to see the new Jason Statham movie this week. I already know what will happen and have already seen 10 just like it but I can’t help myself.
Jason’s movies pretty much follow the same theme, but I will see every single one for as long as he makes them. IMO, he’s #1 in action movies.
This is why I don’t watch slasher movies.
I recall a masterfully done B&W short that featured a woman alone in her house. She hears various noises outside. Some cut away shots to show tree branches moving against the outside walls, then returns inside for some more substantive noises. Quite Hitchcockian as it built up suspense over a relatively long time. Then there were noises from the basement. Eventually, she opens the basement door and the camera view shifts to under the stairs that allowed a view of whoever is walking on the stairs. You see the woman come down the stairs and when she was at the bottom and turning, the camera moves out from under the stairs. Then the woman raises a double barrel shotgun, there’s a shot and the camera went black.
Extremely well done, but it didn’t run long enough for the commercial breaks that would justify major screen time. Maybe a Chiller Theater showing?
Gotta love a double. Like a trusted bank – you put something in, you get something out.
I’m gonna just drop this here: https://xkcd.com/734/
Somewhat relatedly, I watched the Netflix series, “Black Summer,” a zombie-apocalypse drama.
I do NOT recommend it. It’s easily one of the worst zombie shows I’ve seen yet … and that’s saying something. Supposedly, when the show opens the apocalypse has been going on for weeks, survivors are just moving from open, evacuated house to open, evacuated house trying to reach a rumored safe haven, and fighting the undead if (when) attacked.
Emphasis on “fighting,” not “killing.” Because even though many of the survivors are armed — some heavily so — and have been (supposedly) fighting for weeks, they’ve apparently learned nothing; they’re still doing mag-dumps into the chest and abdomen and are shocked (*shocked*, I tell you!) that the zombies keep coming. The undead hit in the head stay down, of course, but the survivors don’t shoot for the head. Ever.
Nor do they stay in their groups when attacked; they scatter in ones and twos. Nor do they effectively deal with the still-human parasites that kill other humans and steal supplies and vehicles; they let them go. Nor do they fortify any building they stay in; they leave doors unbarred and windows exposed. Nor do they practice light- or sound-hygiene at night; all lights on and music playing, a beacon for anyone in the area (exposed windows, remember), living or dead.
It’s like the writers never heard of “suspension of disbelief.” The survivors have spent weeks surviving but have somehow learned NOTHING, which is somehow even more unbelievable than ZOMBIES!
For a better read try “Under a graveyard sky” by John Ringo. He hated the whole zombie thing so he wrote one better
Doubt anyone will film it though
🤣🤣🤣
Total nonsense for anyone to watch such crap!
Aficionados have to to turn a blind eye to enjoy watching anything with guns involved. Ignorance of what we take for granted is rampant. My most recent observation was a fired round being removed from a tree for evidence (by a NYPD detective, where his cop dad had taught him to shoot his revolver, when he was a kid, at their old apartment complex). When the camera zoomed in he was removing a spent case, fired primer and all. 😂.
Dave R, the whole cartridge found in a tree reminds me of a couple of things. At a security guard shooting qualification one time I saw a whole nine millimeter cartridge slide out from the downslope tilted muzzle from, I believe, a .40 S & W semiauto. I am also reminded of Christmas and a game partridge in a pear tree, many of which birds I have seen staggering blindly while severely impaired by a diet of fermented blueberries in the fall.
Cute story. Worth a chuckle.
P.S. What do you know about the terrible legislation being ( SB-17) discussed in the New Mexico legislature this week? It is bad news for gun owners and gun shop owners. Is there any hope?
Re hope – since you’re fighting stupidity, ignorance, and arrogance, probably not.
It’s why I don’t watch these kinds of movies… can’t take the stress when such a simple solution is at hand.
The “Slasher-Horror” flicks have never appealed to me. In fact, I never have cared for horror movies in general. Not that I am opposed to gore and blood. I can take a good War Movie or Criminal “Who dun it?” movie with no problems.
I think I reject horror flicks because I cannot sympathize or connect with the victims. So often, they are portrayed as fools who mindlessly put themselves into dangerous situations. The audience knows they are going to die five minutes before they actually get grabbed and ripped.
I mentally reject the “stupid victim” model used in these movies. In fact, I reject victimhood in general. So much of our society seems to place value on “being the victim”. This is (undoubtedly) the result of left-wing indoctrination and propaganda.
So much of left-wing ideology is built upon victimhood. The Left ranks people by their levels of victimhood and awards points for being the best victim. What is your individual victimhood?
Are you a member of a minority?
Were your ancestors imported as slaves?
Are you a sexual pervert that gets dumped upon due to your perversions?
Are you a native American that got your land stolen by “The White Man”.
Are you a woman being oppressed by male domination?
Are you a recent “immigrant”, in the country illegally, and in danger of being grabbed by ICE?
What is your badge of victimhood? How do you rank on the victim scale?
It is such TOTAL B.S.!
I am not a victim and I don’t intend to be one! Therefore, I do not enjoy seeing stupid people being victimized on Hollywood’s Silver Screen. I will never wallow in “Victimhood” the way the Worldwide Left does.
Personally, I think the Left indoctrinates us to be victims because it makes it easier for THEM to be the one’s victimizing us. They are training us to be GOOD LITTLE VICTIMS.
To hell with that and to hell with their movies of hapless victims. I am not going to play their game of “Who can be the Best Victim?”.
That will NEVER be my game, man!
I’ts not your game. You are a conservative; so pretend there’s a war on christmas, the woke police won’t let you say ‘white’, or ‘black’ and blowing a whistle at ICE is violence, while them shooting someone for nothing, is fine.
In reality no one has ever stopped you from saying anything about christmas or anything else. You just said lots of it in your post.
From the king of self pity in the white house down, conservatives desperately need to think of themselves as persecuted.
“…conservatives desperately need to think of themselves as persecuted.”
My friend, Nicholas, you seem to have missed the point of my post, once again. Did you not read the line where I wrote: “I am not a victim and I don’t intend to be one!”
You are projecting, again. It is the Left that wallows in self-pity and victimhood. It is the Left that incites various population-groups to feel persecuted.
The Left uses victimhood, envy, and self-pity as wedge issues to balkanize the population so as to better gain power, control, and access to corrupt kickbacks. The Left has always favored a “Divide and Conquer” strategy.
That is not the Conservative/Right approach. The Left has patented those methods. It is out of their standard playbook, not ours.
Another standard play, of the the Left, is to accuse their opponents of doing the same thing that they are doing themselves. Your post, above, provides an excellent example of the rhetorical methods they employ.
Sorry. My previous comment got scrambled.
Do you remember that lesson in elementary school, or Sunday school, where the teacher passed around a bundle of sticks, tied together with string? She asked each person to break the bundle. No one could.
She then untied the sticks, and handed a single stick to each child. The entire class broke every single stick.
The technique in war of “divide and conquer” has been around since the dawn of time, and is still most effective at defeating a more powerful adversary. Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao all used this concept to bring about revolution in a formerly stable society.
Instead of all of us learning from history, we are all succumbing to the oldest trick in the book. We are fighting amongst ourselves, while the real enemies – Russia, China, the Islamic terrorists, and the global elites stand back as we destroy ourselves.
IMHO, both parties have been infiltrated by extremists, who have monopolized the conversation, and garnered all of the public airspace. A recent study suggested that 70% of Republicans and Democrats are moderate, and are disgusted by the antics of Marjorie Taylor Green, Trump and Nancy Mace, along with AOC, Ilhan Omar, and Susan Rice. They all are fomenting hatred, bigotry, division and distrust, and doing nothing to bring us together to find common ground.
I find our current president despicable, dishonorable, and a disgrace. The only thing worse in my opinion would be to have Harris and the far left Democrats in charge. In the past bunch of elections, it’s as if I have a choice of eating dog poop or pig poop. Voting Trump was only slightly less distasteful than voting for Hillary, Biden or Harris.
About minorities. Notice how when the Left uses the term “minority” they can only be referring to the 50 states. Looking at the world population flips their term. In the world, Indians in India are the only majority. Every other people group is a minority. What is the population of white people compared to other so-called races? 8%–10%. That’s right. White people are minorities in the world.
Great thoughts Mas. I can’t tell you how many times I wondered about this. Also accounts for a recent group of youtube videos with titles like “Why horror movies don’t have hunters in them” or “Why you don’t see southern men in horror movies”
Oh…. they never heard the phrase “you got a real purdy mouth”…. it certainly wasnt spoken with a new englander accent.
These movies never appealed to me, same as sci fi monsters, killer clowns from outer space… ect ect… I guess Im a boring guy who’d rather just watch reruns of Sanford and Son, Dallas, Kojak and the sort.
I guess i don’t like the build up, the helpless girly man / woman too scared to use any logic, the over the top scary guy who murders with a weed whacker… Just not my thing… but fear is indeed a controlling thing.
Ok I have draw the line right there, not liking killer klowns from outer space is heresy. That was a classic, right up there with return of the living dead. Oh and RIP to Demond Wilson who played Lamont Sanford, just passed away a little over a week ago, a good guy.
Then I shall assume Mars Attacks is a favorite for you as well…. “when Im callling youuuuuuuu uuuuuuuu” and yes he recently passed… I didnt know Demond Wilson served in combat and received a Purple Heart in Vietnam….
JMcguire, never underestimate the potential of a weed whacker. I hit a large poison sumac with one once. This is a pointed lesson on when not to take a bath in urushiol.
LOL not underestimating the damage it can to at all, intentional or not!
Exactly why we don’t watch that type of movie.
If only the proposed victim had: A decent pocket flashlight, a handgun, and about 20 hours of training.
If only the average law abiding person had such….
Along the lines of a couple of the other replies: A 60 second youtube video that says it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys-jKCF6u5w (Family safe, although it may not please all liberals)
“…it may not please all liberals”
Beats the woke Superbowl commercials, hands down!
That is the way that the 2nd Amendment should operate.
Unfortunately, the Firearms-Prohibitionists don’t want you to even own a semi-automatic AR rifle much less one that can “rock” full auto! 🙂
That’s a great commercial Rick! Thanks for the link.
BEST COMMERCIAL EVER!!!
Horror films have a rich tradition of sending themselves up. The Scream films play with the cliches constantly. The pretty blonde biggest star is usually the survivor. But in ‘Scream’ Drew Barrymore dies first.
The Cabin in the Woods has one fellow so stoned he’s immune to the gas that’s making everyone else fit the standards.
“Split up? Really?”,
“Why is she suddenly a celebutard and the straight scholarship kid is acting like a jock?”.
“It says ‘if you read this aloud the awful fate of….’ and you are going to read it!”
In Night Of The Living Dead the main character spends the entire film arguing they shouldn’t retreat to the cellar and then is the only survivor because he does. While the cowardly implied racist, keeps arguing they should and dies because the main character gets him out of the cellar.
The handsome boy and pretty girl are the ones whose heroism is rewarded by being torn apart to be eaten. Shocking in a film then.
Of course just having a black character in a film was daring in 1968. In Night of the Living Dead he is the main character and it’s never even mentioned.
At the end of the film he gets mistakenly shot in the head by the hunters shooting zombies!
njk
@ nicholas kane – I am afraid that I have not seen a single one of the movies that you referenced. No doubt, my distaste of slasher/horror flicks provides the explanation for my ignorance of these “Masterpieces”. 🙂
You seem to be a big fan of this genre of films, however.
It might be interesting if someone would do a study of movie preference in relation to political preference. Do movie choices vary, in a statistically significant way, with political views?
Given the Left’s love of “Victimhood”, it would not surprise me to learn that Leftists form a big percentage of the audience for the Slasher/Horror genre.
Maybe someone should to do a study. 🙂
TN_MAN,
I must stick up for nicholas kane here, because he referenced a truly great movie. “Night of the Living Dead,” the black & white film from 1968 is a must-see. What nicholas kane wrote about it is accurate. Going into the cellar really was the right thing to do. The zombies couldn’t get in there. You really should watch that film. Very well done. Very suspenseful.
@ Roger Willco – ” ‘Night of the Living Dead’….You really should watch that film. Very well done. Very suspenseful.”
I am dubious. The slasher/horror genre is truly “not my cup of tea”. When “The Walking Dead” made such a big splash on TV, I tried to watch it. They were doing a rerun of the early episodes so I tried watching the very first one. The episode that introduced the series. I could not even sit through it. I shut off the TV about halfway through the episode. I never watched another episode again.
No doubt, “Night of the Living Dead” is a classic for this genre of films. However, this is a genre that I loathe.
Sorry, I must pass on this movie! 🙁
Psychologically profiling someone on a tiny percent of the films they’ve seen is
too simplistic.
I’m a big fan of well made films. Those just happen to be horror or slasher.
In 2015 you’d have thought I only watched crime, as we were catching up on all the series of Criminal Minds.
A year later you’d have thought I was a western fan, since Westworld blew my mind! lol
BUT you don’t have to put much thought into finding plot holes in EVERY film or tv series.
It’s entertainment. You are looking in the wrong place for accuracy.
For a real forehead slapping view look at Cinema Sins on youtube. “of course that was impossible! How did I not see it?”
Talking of Criminal Minds the procedure is nonsense, but anyone know if the psychology is accurate?
The dramatic arts and reality are two different things. Reality is boring, but drama better not be boring, or it will lose money.