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People ask me all the time why I love horror movies so much. It may be I'm an adrenalin junky. Hey, I've bungee jumped and I go scuba diving. Granted, I still look both ways when crossing the street, but it could be that. It could be the Aristotelian need to purge my emotions through catharsis. Perhaps. It could be pure escapism. It could be me taking my empathy out for some exercise. It could be me wanting to prove my bravery and manhood to whomever is sitting next to me balled up against my shoulder. There are many possibilities and I honestly don't know the answer. It may be as simple as seeing someone else go through something awful just so I can feel like, "Better you than me, Buddy." It may be I want to feel superior to all those idiots who get themselves into situations I'd NEVER find myself in. You know like hanging around a house that freakin' covers you with flies and tells you, "GET OUT!" Maybe I just enjoy releasing frustrations in my own life by yelling at people on the screen (yeah, I'm one of those people)...but when they drop the stupid knife next to the 'supposedly' dead psycho killer...(and you know they always do!) it takes more than the strength of a Boondock Saint to keep from verbalizing their stupidity...at loud volumes...to the annoyance of other paying customers. I know it defies all logic to put one's self into a position to be frightened out of one's wits. I know it's absurd to watch something so disgusting and graphic that the stomach churns like a burrito eating champion's. I know it's ludicrous to plunk down $12 bucks for the opportunity to sh*t my pants. I know all this...and yet...I do it again and again and again. Ok, it is sometimes to see Ryan Reynolds with an axe. I admit it. But whatever the deep down psychological reason turns out to be...I don't care. I love to be scared at the movies. One time I was staying over a holiday at my boarding school in Taiwan and I was literally the only one in the five story building for a few days. When the kids came back, one of them asked me, "Weren't you scared?" I said, "I teach AP English. I'm the scariest thing in this building!" So bring on the chills. Bring on the thrills. Bring on the gore and blood by the bucketful and bring on the huddle masses of victims yearning to scream. I want to pick up that phone and hear a cop say to me..."The call is coming from inside the house!" That's what I want and I don't need to know why. This year's thriller choices are a varied bunch of flicks. Many you will know and have seen. Some I chose because they just had awesome titles like "Toad Road" and "Fear Lives Here." I hope you scream along with me. 
Yep, Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Ryan Reynolds with an axe! Amityville Horror (2005)
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My Horrible Idea (Using Horror Movies to Teach English) |
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- How to Use Monsters in the Classroom
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Archives
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MONSTER MOVIES
>
- DRACULA (1931)
- THE MUMMY (1932)
- KING KONG (1933)
- THE WOLF MAN (1941)
- CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
- THEM! (1959)
- THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959)
- THE WASP WOMAN (1959)
- THE DEADLY BEES (1966)
- PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
- EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (1977)
- THE SWARM (1978)
- THE BEES (1978)
- ALIEN (1979)
- THE ATTIC (1980)
- CUJO (1981)
- PREDATOR (1987)
- DEAD ALIVE (1992)
- CONGO (1995)
- JAWS (1975)
- DEVIL DOG: THE HOUND OF HELL (1978)
- LEGION OF FIRE: KILLER ANTS (1998)
- DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
- OPEN WATER (2003)
- THE HIVE A LOOK AT LITERARY ENTOMOLOGY (2008)
- THE REEF (2010)
- THE GREY (2011)
- SHARKNADO (2013)
- WER (2013)
- THE BABADOOK (2014)
-
HONORED DIRECTORS
>
- SHIVERS (1975)
- VIDEDROME (1983)
- THE FLY (1986)
- DEAD RINGERS (1988)
- CHRISTINE (1983)
- THE THING (1982)
- PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
- THEY LIVE (1988)
- IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
- REPULSION (1965)
- THE TENANT (1976)
- THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967)
- ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
- FRANKENSTEIN (1910)
- THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932)
- THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933)
- BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
- SALEM'S LOT (1979)
- THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
- LIFE FORCE (1985)
- POLTERGEIST (1982)
- THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)
- THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)
- THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977)
- A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
- SCREAM (1996)
-
KOREAN FLICKS
>
- 조용한 가족 (aka The Quiet Family 1998)
- 소름 (aka SORUM 2001)
- 세이 예스 (aka SAY YES 2001)
- 폰 (aka Phone 2002)
- 령 aka DEAD FRIEND aka THE GHOST (2004)
- 거미슾 (aka SPIDER FOREST 2004)
- 분홍신 aka THE RED SHOES (2005)
- 레드 아이 (AKA RED EYE 2005)
- 스승의은혜 (AKA TO SIR, WITH LOVE 2006)
- 신데렐라 (aka Cinderella 2006)
- 아파트 (aka APT 2006)
- 두사람이다 aka VOICES (2007)
- Alone (2007)
- 므이 (aka MOUI 2007)
- 헨젤 과 그레텔 (aka Hansel & Gretel 2007)
- 추격자 (aka The Chaser 2008)
- 외톨이 (맘 LONER 2008)
- 고死: 피의 중간고사 (aka DEATH BELL 2008)
- 불신지옥 (aka POSSESSED 2009)
- 요가학완 aka YOGA CLASS (2009)
- 베스트 세러 (aka BEST SELLER 2010)
- 악마를 보았다 (aka I SAW THE DEVIL 2010)
- 고양이: 죽음을보는 두개의눈 (aka THE CAT 2011)
- 기생령 (aka GHASTLY 2011)
- 무서운이야기 (AKA HORROR STORIES 2012)
- 더웹툰 예고살린 (AKA KILLER TOON 2013)
- 뫼비우스 (aka MOEBIUS 2013)
-
THRILLERS
>
- DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
- STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
- REAR WINDOW (1954)
- THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955)
- NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
- THE BIRDS (1963)
- STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)
- BODY HEAT (1981)
- CAT PEOPLE (1982)
- JAGGED EDGE (1985)
- BEDROOM WINDOW (1987)
- NINE QUEENS (2000)
- WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000)
- THE DESCENT (2005)
- THE EXPERIMENT (2010)
- YOU'RE NEXT (2011)
- 의뢰인 (aka The Client 2011)
- ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER (2012)
- TOAD ROAD (2012)
- FEAR LIVES HERE (2013)
- 런닝 맨 (AKA RUNNING MAN 2013)
- GRAND PIANO (2013)
- HOURS (2013)
- BLUE RUIN (2013)
- HOUSE OF GOOD AND EVIL (2013)
- THE PURGE (2013)
- 더테러라이브 (aka The Terror Live 2013)
- THE HUMAN RACE (2013)
- DAYLIGHT (2013)
- HOUSEBOUND (2014)
- THE GUEST (2014)
-
PSYCHOS
>
- DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931)
- ROPE (1948)
-
1950's AWESOMENESS
>
- ROCKETSHIP X-M (1950)
- THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950)
- WHAT THE BUTLER SAW (1950)
- THE FLYING SAUCER (1950)
- ROBOT MONSTER (1953)
- PHANTOM FROM SPACE (1953)
- TARGET EARTH (1954)
- THE SNOW CREATURE (1954)
- KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954)
- IT CONQUERED THE WORLD (1956)
- THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956)
- THE GAMMA PEOPLE (1956)
- THE LAND UNKNOWN (1957)
- THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957)
- I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN (1957)
- THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED (1957)
- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN (1957)
- THE GIANT CLAW (1957)
- KRONOS (1957)
- LA CRAVATE (1957)
- THE THREE FACES OF EVE (1957)
- THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957)
- I BURY THE LIVING (1958)
- THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959)
- TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)
- ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES (1959)
- BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (1959)
- I EAT YOUR SKIN (1964)
- LES DIABOLIQUES (1955)
- PSYCHO (1960)
- WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE (1962)
- TAXI DRIVER (1976)
- ¿Quien Puede Matar a un Niño? (aka WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? aka THE ISLAND OF THE DAMNED 1976)
- THE SHINING (1980)
- FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)
- MISERY (1990)
- CAPE FEAR (1991)
- THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
- SWOON (1992)
- DEATH AND THE MAIDEN (1992)
- RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)
- SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
- NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994)
- THE CELL (2000)
- SEXY BEAST (2000)
- ONE HOUR PHOTO (2002)
- MONSTER (2003)
- WRONG TURN (2003)
- WOLF CREEK (2005)
- SIN CITY (2005)
- HARD CANDY (2005)
- THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006)
- MR. BROOKS (2007)
- THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
- SKYFALL (2012)
-
THE SUPERNATURAL
>
- NOSFERATU (1922)
- CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
- LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)
- THE CHANGELING (1980)
- THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
- ANGEL HEART (1987)
- HELLRAISER (1987)
- CHILD'S PLAY (1988)
- THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
- AUDITION (1999)
- END OF DAYS (1999)
- STIGMATA (1999)
- Richard Matheson Tribute: A STIR OF Memories
- THE GIFT (2000)
- THE RING (2002)
- THE GRUDGE (2004)
- THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (2005)
- THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005)
- DARK WATER (2005)
- SILENT HILL (2006)
- PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007)
- LAKE MUNGO (2008)
- DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)
- INSIDIOUS (2010)
- WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (2013)
- MAMA (2013)
- CARRIE (2013)
- OCULUS (2013)
- THE CONJURING (2013)
- LATE PHASES (2014)
- THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014)
- JESSABELLE (2014)
- ANNABELLE (2014)
-
MONSTER MOVIES
>
- Psycho Hall of Fame
- Crimson Peak
- An America Terror
- The Beat Goes On: Horror Franchises
