Editorials
5 MORE Scariest Moments In Non-Horror Movies!
Earlier this year, Trace wrote up a great selection of some of cinema’s scariest moments in non-horror movies. The piece collected several scenes that scared Trace and, frankly, I can completely understand why. Judge Doom is a creepy son of a bitch and the face melting scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark? Yeah, that gave me nightmares for MONTHS as a kid!
Since Trace offered his picks, I thought I’d come in with a few of mine to see if you all relate to them as much as you related to his! So, let’s get to it!
Requiem for a Dream – “Feed me, Sara”
I personally feel that this movie is absolutely a horror film. While it doesn’t have a monster or specific villain, per say, it does tackle the horror of addiction and how it can absolutely destroy lives in the most terrifying ways imaginable.
The below scene comes when Ellen Burstyn’s character is in the midst of a complete hallucinatory breakdown and her world is crashing all around her. It’s the beginning of the end and it’s all because of her desire to fit into a red dress. Such a little thing became an obsession and destroyed her life. I honestly don’t remember a movie that punched me in the gut quite like Requiem For a Dream. I do know that I never need to see it again.
Krull – That Fucking Spider
I know I’ve made it clear here before but just in case you didn’t know I fucking hate spiders! These little bastards, with their spindly legs and their freaky fangs, can just piss right off and never come back, for all I care.
This fear has been with me ever since I was a very, very young child, so imagine my revulsion and horror when I was watching the incredible fantasy film Krull and the below scene occurred. it was years before I could watch the movie again and even then I had to cover my eyes during this scene. Just finding it to embed it for all of you gave me the shivers.
Gravity – Debris
We covered Gravity pretty extensively on here but I’ll be the first one to admit that it’s not really a horror film. Is it one of the most tense and anxiety-provoking movies in recent memory? Absolutely. And the below scene, where all the debris from the destroyed satellites comes flying at (and through) our main characters, really nails down that sense of helplessness and terror. After all, even if they escape that swarm of machinery, where can they go? They’re in freaking outer space!
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure – Large Marge
I’m sorry, I thought this was a kid’s movie and not a damn HORROR STORY ‘ROUND THE CAMPFIRE URBAN LEGEND FREAKSHOW!
Tim Burton’s first feature-length film was a sign of the surreal and almost magical style that he would bring to titles such as Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. It was also a sign that he absolutely loved horror and darker, more gothic elements. When parents took their children to see this movie, I doubt they were expecting the titular character to run into a ghost whose face goes all “oogedy boogedy” for spooky effect.
Say what you want but any kid that saw that movie will never, ever forget Large Marge.
Return to Oz – Princess Mombi
In one sequel, we went from “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to “Sometimes I Get Electroshock Therapy”. Seriously though, how twisted and demented was Return to Oz, the sequel to the timeless classic Wizard of Oz? It’s a rather delightful fantasy film that isn’t a musical like its predecessor but boy did it go dark!
There is perhaps no greater example of how freaky this movie got than Princess Mombi and her hall of interchangeable heads. Even the Wheelers had nothing on this scene, which shows cases of heads all screaming at Dorothy after she steals the powder of life. And to take it over the top, that head that’s guarding the powder is Jean Marsh, who played Bavmorda in Willow, another unsettling and evil character.
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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