Article: Confessions of a Horror Addict
When I see the words 'Dawn' alone, a few things come to mind. Blue zombies and shopping malls, and swat teams and blasted heads.
When I see the words 'Dawn' alone, a few things come to mind. Blue zombies and shopping malls, and swat teams and blasted heads. I could go on forever, but I'll spare you the same rhetoric propaganda you've heard a thousand times over.
I remember the first time I saw 'Dawn of the Dead'. It was an experience I would never forget. Even at the tender age of eight, I was immersed in the world of zombies, and much to my knowledge at the time, I knew I would eventually turn into a full fledged horror fanatic!
I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wanted to cover my eyes, but the curiosity of the inevitable circumstances lingered with the outlandish actions as portrayed by most of the characters. It was a world like no other. A wasteland of chaos and anarchy. Even my impressionable mind picked up on these hidden commentaries, therefore boosting my love for the film. Everything from Romero's masterpiece was evident in my life. At the time, I was amazed at the technological world of video games and televisions. It was the mid 80's. Things were in full bloom, and the world of electronics was alive and kicking. Going to the mall was my favorite pastime. It just so happened that one had to drive past an independent airport that reminded me for the world of the one featured in 'Dawn of the Dead'. As a child, fantasies run wild, and the imagination is an endless playground of playtime and 'let's pretend'. I can remember going to the local A&P, and pretending that the customers were the walking dead. I would always make my way toward the candy weighing section, all the while hearing the 'Goblin' wails of the soundtrack in the back of my little mind--Heart thumping out of my chest. Just walking through the isles, I got the sense of dread and loneliness as the characters probably would have felt in 'Dawn'.
After eventually watching the film millions of times, I then proceeded to introduce my playmates to this most vile piece of cinema. A few of them were completely awe struck and fascinated by what they were seeing, and a couple have never watched a horror film since. It all had basically boiled down to preconceived notions that anything dead and walking wasn't good, and definitely not something a child should watch. I can remember my best friend at the time saying.." Does your Mom know you got this..?" Geeze, it was my Mumsy who introduced me to the grande horror flick in the first place. Hey, instead of going to the skating rink on Saturday night, I was at the theater with my Mother or Father, and on occasions my auntie, catching the new 'Friday the 13th' installment, or the next 'Halloween' sequel. I can remember seeing films like 'My Bloody Valentine' and 'the Burning' on HBO back in the day, and hence a slasher fan was bred alongside a zombie freak!
I guess most of you guys are thinking I probably had a strange childhood, and most importantly, 'why would your parents let you watch such a thing..?' Well, 'till this day, the answer isn't clear. Maybe they understood the difference in fantasy and reality, playtime and realtime. I guess they understood that I wasn't your average child who liked playing with G.I Joe or Tonka trucks. A few reasons could be me asking for a 'Jason' mask for Christmas, or a Freddy Glove for my birthday. Or maybe they just had great faith in their son and the fact that he was mature enough, even at a very tender age, to understand that what he was seeing on film was 'make believe'. Nonetheless, I'm glad that I was introduced to such filth(as many people will have you to believe).
The whole point of this little excerpt is to remind people where the love of their horror probably began in the first place...as a child. Everything seems much bigger when you're a kid, and there's never a flaw in the beloved gore film or the ludicrous slasher film we see. We never catch these major shortcomings when we're young, and as we carry these films with us, we still manage to overlook their faults. I guarantee you that most of your favorite horror films were viewed by you the first time at a very young age. I find it kind of weird how the love for the genre manages to stick with you throughout your adult years. I'll be 25 here very shortly, and the way I look at the classic films of old hasn't changed one bit. Sure, I may recognize that most of the films I love are bashed by critics and people alike, but what people say has no affect o'er my passion for the masked maniac or the flesh eating zombie. Another really odd thing is that as new horror releases filtrate the cinematic world every week, (Independent OR Hollywood), I find myself not getting excited in the least. 15 years ago, I would have prayed for the day that someone would remake 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', but now, in my ripe old age of 24, I find it almost an abomination to the original classic. Maybe it's because these are MY classics. The ones that I were weaned on. Whatever the case may be, it manages to put a minor strain for viewing potentially great films like 'Session 9', or '28 Days Later'. It's films like these that bring back the nostalgia that most horror fans long to embrace. I bet that every time each of you watch that same old horror flick you've seen a thousand times, a certain sense of the past brings a small, unhinged smile to your face. As the old saying goes, 'To live the past is to live in bliss'....Actually, I just made that up, but it sounds good don't it?
I'm sure that most of you know where I'm coming from, and understand the fact that this is why horror fans are a rare breed. Most lovers of the horror are average people. Bank Tellers, Doctors...Hell, even a member of the Living-Dead Staff is a Dentist!! A professional teeth fixer-upper!! Now, how many of you would let a man who likes to see someone be-headed on screen work on your pearly whites? Probably all of you! It would make way for good conversation as your sitting in his dental chair spitting up blood and pieces of your jaw...Now wouldn't it? One of my old Professors was a self professed 'horror aficionado', and wasn't ashamed to display it--Whether it was by the original one sheet for 'Night of the Living Dead '68' hanging to the left of the gel board, or his framed autographed picture of Warrington Gillette(Jason in 'Friday the 13th part 2) sitting on his steele file cabinet. It was really rewarding actually comprehending that the man who was teaching me probably came home in the evening and popped 'Dead Next Door' in his VCR
If most of you were like me, before the golden age of the internet and online information, you thought you were the only horror fiend in the whole world. Not until around three years ago did I find out that the owner of a Ma and Pa Grocery store just up the road from me was a lover of all things horror. He actually re-introduced me to the fascinating genre of 'Euro-Horror', which basically helped rejuvenate my love not only for countless unnamed slasher and zombie films, but a slew of hidden Italian Giallo films that make my -re-watch' list. Most were made in the golden age of the Slasher explosion,( introduced in part on an international level by the glimmer of Hollywood,) and had the 80's grainy feel that HORROR NEEDS TO GO BACK TO!!
As with the case of most of you guys who are around my age, the world of Euro-horror had always been around, but it wasn't until you were older that you truly appreciated it. I can remember watching Fulci's 'Zombie' and 'the Gates of Hell' around the age of 10, and ultimately being absolutely shocked and repulsed by all the gore scenes, but the uneven dubbing, and seemingly plotless(at times) scenarios didn't seem to impress me to the point where I considered them favorites. Later on in life, I learned to appreciate the stylish aspect of the Foreign film, and finally understood that there was a whole new world of horror awaiting me.
Has everything I said made sense guys? I thought so. Everyday, it never fails to amaze me at the different barrage of characters we see coming and going on Living-Dead. Some have became very dear online friends, and I wouldn't trade being part of L-D for all the horror films in the world. Knowing that these guys, and everyone else who visits Living-Dead.com have the same love, and the same passion for the beloved horror film as me is a very enlightening experience all in its own. Having the chance to talk to cult film stars from my favorite horror films has been the biggest reality come-true. I grew up seeing these guys on screen, whether it was by them getting cut to bits by a chainsaw, or devoured by a flesh eating demon. It's almost as if I'm reliving my childhood all over again. A new experience in the horror-related field peaks its head around the corner everyday, and while I'm not always there to get the first aim at it, I still manage to devour the left-overs. From a horror fan to a horror fan.....Happy Homicides!!
