15 July
So, more Blair Witch Project.
Where was I? O yeah, Andria had just given away her beloved's ticket and we were at the front of the line.
They finally let us in, and people ran down the escalator! "Umm...it does move, you know," I said, but not too loudly, as I didn't want to spoil people's fun. Besides, I was running myself, but mostly because I was afraid of being bowled over by the people running behind me.
We staked out a row that was close enough for me and didn't give everyone else neck-strain, and then Mad Brunette and her friend joined us ("Sorry, we didn't know that we were lying about the line!"), and we completely filled the row.
Andria said "Good thing Sean didn't come, or we would have been one too many!"
The lights finally went down and the entire audience sat poised and alert, like German Shepherds. There was a trailer that was roundly ignored (something with Kevin Bacon and Ileana Douglas), and then the movie began.
A few people tried to applaud during the credits, but were shushed. This was one serious audience.
I'm not going to say much, because I neither want to spoil it nor over-hype it (too late!). I will say, though, that it was one of the most truly terrifying films I have ever seen.
And it's all about what you don't see...
I got home around 2.45a and went to bed something after 3a. God only knows when I got to sleep.
I was lying in bed and the movie flooded into my mind and every noise (especially when Baldrick jumped into the dish dryer) would jerk me up, gasping, heart pounding.
I think I slept around 5 hours and spent the day at work trying desperately not to put my head down on my desk and nap.
I have a comparison to make, though I am jumping the gun since the other half of the comparison is as yet unseen, but I don't expect to be the only person to make it so why be tardy? No point in saying it after Ebert does.
Once upon a time, in 1963, Robert Wise made an incredible movie called The Haunting based on Shirley Jackson's book The Haunting of Hill House and staring Julie Harris and Claire Bloom.
This movie was astonishingly frightening, but you never saw anything, it was all about atmosphere and what was on the other side of the door. As Stephen King once said (I'm misquoting him), once the scary thing is seen, once the door is open, the audience thinks "A hundred foot spider! Well, I can handle that, I thought it would be a three hundred foot spider, now that would have been really scary!"
Which brings us to the upcoming remake of The Haunting by Jan de Bont and starring Lili Taylor and Liam Neeson. When I heard that Jan de Bont would be directing it, I was pretty certain that subtlety would not be the watchword of the day, but Lili Taylor is brilliant casting in the Julie Harris role, and she's a very subtle actress, so I thought that maybe...
Until I saw the trailer. And it's all cgi and giant spiders and statues coming to life and the whole thing just looks as heartless as a stone. A very expensive, computer generated stone.
A movie that depends on the audience's imagination will always be scarier than a movie that shows you everything, but it seems to me that filmmakers today have less faith in the intelligence of the audience than ever before. Because they can do extraordinary things with computers and special effects, they think that that's scary enough, that they don't need to do anything else.
But The Blair Witch Project proves beyond a doubt that they are wrong. As I said, The Haunting isn't out yet, but if it's scarier than BWP, if I can't sleep after seeing it, I'll eat my hat.
I'm having hideous problems with my email, so if you wrote me and I didn't write back...well, I probably got it and am being Bad With My Mail as per usual, but it's possible, juuuuust possible, that I can't download it!
Strangely enough, Netcom decided to email me a message telling me that I would have trouble accessing my email. Even stranger, I actually got it! Musta been some Super Email or something...
Today's horoscope:
Your family acts in your best interests. They put you first. Show your appreciation.
One year ago today:
I've never had PMS, not ever ever ever, and I don't want it!
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Starry starry night by:
Samantha Marcelo!
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Last Updated Thurs 15 July 09:57:09 1999