What has happened to the scary horror movies from the past
that traded on the atmosphere of fear rather than the visual of spurting blood
and flying body parts? The tingling
sensation that made the hair stand on the back of our necks and goose bumps on
our arms as our imaginations ran wild.
The spooky ground fog that slithered over and around the tombstones,
cloaking the cemetery in an eerie silence and spectral glow.
I'm talking about the traditional horror classics from
decades gone by such as Frankenstein
from 1931 with Boris Karloff's brilliant performance as the monster. Also from 1931, Dracula with Bela Lugosi's portrayal of the vampire as both elegant
and mesmerizing which left the horror to the imagination of the viewer. The next year gave us 1932's The Mummy with Boris Karloff once again
turning in a stellar performance, this time as the two thousand year old mummy
in search of the reincarnation of his mate.
Then came 1941's The Wolf Man
with Lon Chaney, Jr., as the stricken and cursed Larry Talbot.
True to Hollywood tradition, these classic horror movies
spawned numerous sequels—Bride of
Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein, Dracula's Daughter. And as long as Hollywood was on a roll, they
added to the profit factor by capitalizing on the popularity of the characters
by having them co-star in such movies as Frankenstein
Meets The Wolf Man. Then there were
the myriad remakes that came over the ensuing years, some serious attempts and
others totally ludicrous. Each one
pushed the envelope in its own way in order to hopefully make it better (as in
more box office dollars) than its predecessor.
And the award for the most remakes over the years goes to Dracula.
Some were serious films and others were more on the ridiculous side with
titles such as Dracula's Dog.
With all four of the above mentioned original movies, the
remakes never really captured the essence of the originals…in my humble
opinion.
But these classic horror movies have done more than provide
us with entertainment. They have given
us some valuable lessons for handling real life as well as those evil things
lurking in the shadows.
Here are 9 important lessons Halloween season horror movies
have taught us.
9) When it appears
that you have killed the monster, NEVER check to see if it's really dead.
8) If your companions
suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing,
fascination with blood, glowing eyes, or increasing hairiness, get away from
them as fast as possible.
6) If appliances
start operating by themselves, move out.
5) Stay away from
certain geographic locations such as: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania,
Nilbog, the Bermuda Triangle…or any small town in Maine.
4) If your children
speak to you in any language which they should not know or if they speak to you
using a voice which is not their own, be afraid…be very afraid.
3) When you have the
benefit of numbers, NEVER pair off or worse yet go it alone when searching the
spooky old mansion for the source of the strange noises (are you listening to
this advice Scooby Doo gang?).
2) As a general rule,
don't solve puzzles that open portals to hell.
And last, but not least…
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