Well Toby and I started watching the original Night of the LIving Dead the other day.  I have to say that this is a fairly good movie.  I like George Romero a lot who also brough us such great films as The Crazies (which I have yet to see), Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow and MonkeyShines.

I’ve always liked his films.  The have a gritty, down-and-dirty feel to them.  I think his films are typically more about the psychological effects of horror on its victims than it is simply about blood and guts.  I think too many filmmakers today spend too much time trying to make the goriest, nastiest films they can, when in fact they should focus a little more on the actors and how their characters would really feel in the situation they are facing.

If you look at all of the great horror movies: Psycho, Night of the Living Dead, Poltergeist, The Exorcist etc. – when you are watching those movies you really feel for the characters.  What makes them so scary is that you start to look at the movie from the character’s point of view and start to feel the terror they are portraying.

Now movies like the later Nightmare on Elm Street movies might be fun, but you never get into the characters the way you did in the first one.  Or stupid movies like Demons or Killer Colows from Outerspace.

One of the movies that I think that did the best job of putting you in touch with the actors and characters was IT by Stephen King.  That is the same reason that book ranks up there as one of my all-time favorites.  I tend to read sci-fi and watch horror, but occassionally I cross the line and read horror as well including: Stephen King and Dean Koontz (of which my all time favorite book is Odd Thomas – now there is a character worth getting in to).

Anyway the next time you watch a scary movie – think about if you are scared because of tricks like spooky music and things popping out at you, or whether you are really scared because you FEEL the terror that the character is going through.

Just my little rant for the day – I’ll write a full review on Night of the Living Dead once we finish watching it – I’ve seen it a couple of times before and have it on disc, but its been awhile.