Horror redefined

'American Horror Story' is twisted, shocking, gross, and yet it connects emotionally, and it is indeed very scary........ it is horror redefined, for television viewers, especially for those who have a craving for the genre and who love being scared crazy.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Today is Friday the 13th. 
There are several beliefs, better termed superstitions, that bog people and make them skeptical about this date/day. There are several theories about their origins as well. I came to know just today that there is a specific term for the fear o0f Friday the 13th....... it's called triskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia....... quite a tongue twister the latter one!
I had seen the cult slasher movie 'Friday the 13th' years ago, and I just remember it for some of the genuinely chilling scenes of blood and gore, and for a very young Kevin Bacon who starred in it.
Happy Friday the 13th! No need to feel the shivers in the extremes.
Just enjoy the goofiness of the slasher flicks or the horror fest by means of umpteen specials on telly........ and do not feel spooked, come what may!

Image courtesy: Google images

Horror Movies - Top Ten

I have been a horror movie buff since childhood.

Of course, then it was just the simple fun of being treated to spooks and chills, watching monsters and zombies amidst graphic gore and blood-curdling effects....

As a young adult I came to know what the regular horror films churned out by Hollywood actually symbolized, the morality lessons that were coated in metaphors and made enticing for the average American teen. For the pre-pubescent boys and girls, the films were a release of sorts, sometimes establishing the conventional mores, and sometimes helping them grapple with their raging hormones, with all the accompanying confusions & insecurities.

However, I have been exposed to all sorts of horror movies over the years, and the fascination might have waned by degrees, maybe I am more observant of the nuances and the underlying compulsions, maybe I am appreciative of the execution and narration more, yet, the charm has stayed on. I know, I speak for many when I address this love of mine. Hence, I offer for my readers, a list of the ten very best horror films that I have seen over the years, this is yet another compilation based purely on personal preference. I had promised a couple of my friends this listing, and here it is.

My favorite horror films - Top Ten:

pics appearing from top to bottom under the list -

1) The Sixth Sense (1999);

2) The Exorcist (1973);

3) A Tale of Two Sisters/Janghwa, Hongryeon (2003);

4) The Others (2001);

5) Hostel (2006);

6) Psycho (1960);

7) Jaws (1975);

8) Alien (1979);

9) The Omen (1976);

10) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)