Editorials
How To Start Getting Into Horror Part 9: Psychological
For the past two weeks in our How To Start Getting Into Horror series, we took a look at both old and new slashers, pointing out that they can be a great place to have fun while still getting a good amount of scares. I wrestled with myself on what I felt would be the next best place to go in terms of sub-genres, battling between “gore” and “psychological”, weighing the pros and cons of each.
As you can tell by the headline, I ultimately decided upon going with psychological. Head on in to see why and to check out a few film suggestions to kick things off!
Psychological horror films have always been some of favorites. They’re usually the ones that terrify me the most because, in many cases, they could actually happen. It’s all about the sickness and evil of a mind gone bad, which we see occurring in our society all the time. It’s this knowledge that anyone around me might suffer these thoughts that makes these films so deliciously scary.
Now, as you can see, I inserted the trailer for Saw above. Many people might think that it’s the perfect marriage of gore and psychological horror. However, if you rewatch the film, you’ll see that nearly all the gore is offscreen, hidden just far enough away to keep it immediate and visceral but near enough that it feels immediate and real.
But what Saw DOES offer is a fascinating descent into the minds of its characters. Instead of focusing on the traps and gore that every sequel of the franchise had a tendency to do, the original was all about the story and expanding it, one sneaky little clue or revelation at a time. I remember seeing it in theaters and, when the twist at the end came, I was so blown away my jaw actually dropped and I grabbed my head to keep it from exploding Scanners-style. After the credits finished rolling, I immediately bought a ticket to see it again because I had to make sense of what I’d just seen.
However, I would be remiss to suggest that Saw is a great place to start with the psychological horror sub-genre. Rather, I think it’d be good as a lead in to gore, when we get there. While I did mention that the gore in this film is off camera, it’s still a rather shocking film with some terrifyingly “meaty” deaths.
If we want to go full on with psychological, I recommend kicking off the The Shining. It’s in my list of my top horror films of all time and Kubrick’s direction is nothing short of masterful. It’s a terrifying film that doesn’t need gore or jump scares. Instead, it builds tension so thick that even a knife couldn’t stab it. Each new scene adds layers of uncomfortable unease, the madness of Jack Torrance spiraling faster and faster out of control, until it all comes crashing into a climax that challenges the viewers own sanity.
Afterwards, you can go to another film that I absolutely adore: Session 9. I bought this film from Best Buy one day on a whim because it had a cool cover and I had a gift card. It’s possibly the best blind purchase I’ve made and it’s a film that I revisit with great enthusiasm. I’d tell you about the film but, in my opinion, it should be seen as I saw it, completely unaware of what’s in store.
There’s always the classic The Silence Of The Lambs that can be brought to the table. With Academy Awards under its belt, a stellar cast, and a notorious character in the form of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, this film is a must for any fan of film, regardless if they like horror or not.
Additionally, and this film opens the doors to all sorts of interesting sub-genres, you can go with another Stephen King story: The Mist. While there are tons of monsters in this movie, the real villains are the people inside the supermarket. The divide that occurs after only a few days is a fascinating example of how people react in life-or-death situations.
So, there you have it. There’s a list of several films that I feel would be a fantastic choice for diving into the world of psychological horror. There’s obviously a great deal more, such as Se7en or Rosemary’s Baby, the latter of which, just like The Mist, opens the doors to many sub-genres.
If you think of some that people need to check out, let me know in the comments below!
Check out the rest of our How To Start Getting Into Horror series.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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