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Hello, I’m your annoying October friend. That one who owns more Halloween attire than holiday sweaters consumes anything pumpkin and wants to watch movies all day — unless they’re scary. No, horror movie plots are to be read from Wikipedia and heavily discussed but never watched. The horror genre has always fascinated me, and I don’t think its storytelling prowess is as celebrated as it should be. I love reading about it, yet, any time that I’ve tried to dip my toe in, I have to sleep with the light on (seriously). However, 2020 has made everything weird. Perhaps it’s the lack of outside stimulation due to COVID-19, but I keep finding myself drawn to horror trailers. Cue a perfectly timed podcast.
Turning The Lights On, Opening The Door
I realize that this theory is not groundbreaking, but in a year brimming with bad news, the little things shine extremely bright. Whether you’re a long time horror fan or scaredy-cat alumni, you’ll be entertained. I found it incredibly comforting to experience something like The Scaredy Cats Horror Show that explored fear and film in such an innovative way. The real test will be how I fare after I move into my new place, alone. The Scaredy Cat’s Horror Show can be found on Gimlet Media’s website or wherever you find your podcasts. Spooky Season may be over, but 2020 is still going strong, so embrace the journey if you’re up for the ride.
Welcome To The Scaredy Cats Horror Show
Gimlet Media’s Pj Vogt and Alex Goldman are already masters at making subjects approachable in their tech-culture podcast, Reply All. The premise of Scaredy Cats Horror Show is that the duo remains divided on the horror genre; Alex is an avowed fanatic, and Pj is a self-proclaimed “scaredy-cat.” While Pj acknowledges his distaste for being scared stems from his general anxiety, he admits to experiencing a sense of FOMO from not consuming culturally iconic films.
His tipping point is Jordan Peele‘s Get Out. For Pj, the complex narrative surrounding race in the film intrigues him. It’s an instance of what he claims to be “smart horror.” He owns up to the fact that there’s a hint of pretentiousness in this explanation but yearns to join the discussion nonetheless. So, in classic Alex and Pj fashion, they treat his dilemma like a journalistic quest: examining facts, having discussions, and looking for outside opinions to make PJ more comfortable, or at least less jumpy. The series is relatively short, as it consists of only five episodes covering the following iconic films:
- The Exorcist
- A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Alien
- Hereditary & Midsommer
- Get Out
If you think it’s a drastic jump from Alien to Hereditary, you’re not alone. Vogt and Goldman wanted to make the series longer but were forced to condense it due to Reply All‘s heavy production schedule. The show hosts a series of guests, fellow horror fans, to guide Pj through his journey and share their own takes and provide a pop-cultural context for each of the films. The first was a friend of the show, Jason Mantzoukas, creating the running theme of “the Mantzoukas Rules,” i.e., watching the films alone, in the dark, no skipping, no peeking through fingertips, and no phone distractions.
A Common Thread
Throughout the series, it’s a reoccurring theme that guests claim to be anxious people who also love horror. Screenwriter Katie Dippold even comments that she puts on horror movies to fall asleep. This concept particularly strikes a chord because my previous roommate loved watching Forensic Files because she said that the narrator’s voice soothed her. As episodes continue, the connection between the horror genre and anxiety begins to make a lot of sense. It’s no secret that horror films tap into societal fear, but what’s interesting is hearing how people process that fear.
In simple terms, it’s like riding a roller coaster. Your brain processes fear and excitement similarly. In 2020, let’s be honest; there isn’t a whole lot to be excited about. Previously, I had always thought that the genre’s allure was to induce fear, like adrenaline. People want to be scared because they think the sensation is fun. The argument the Scaredy Cat guests pose is that the horror genre can actually be cathartic because it gives your brain somewhere to dump excess anxiety.
Scaredy-cats often fear the unknown, whether that’s in film, life, or late night thoughts. They are constantly on edge waiting, as one guest puts it, “for the other shoe to drop.” The horror genre gives you that shoe on a platter, which, at least for me, is actually quite cleansing — a cause and effect antidote during an uncertain reality.
Beware Of Crimson Peak
While gore doesn’t seem to bother me as much, paranormal stuff gives me the jitters. I decided to test this theory by combining things that interest me with something supernatural. I am a mystery lover and period drama fanatic, so Crimson Peak checked a lot of boxes.
During my viewing, I began to experience the movie more theoretically, thinking about why I was frightened by the things I was instead of trying to outsmart the plot by talking myself out of the fear (the “it’s not real” scenario). What was my takeaway? I really enjoyed the story and was more engaged by letting myself feel fear instead of trying to make myself better than it. The best part? I felt lighter after watching it as if it were a high-level accomplishment. The endorphins were much appreciated, and I slept a full night afterward.
