Entertainment
“Gooble Gobble, Gooble
Gobble -We accept her…One
of us, one of us”
By: Michelle Curtis
The disturbing chant, from the mouths of the Siamese Twins,
Bearded Lady, Half-Boy and others will echo in your mind, long
after you’ve watched Tod Browning’s FREAKS (1932). Hailed
as one of the most frightening, chill-inducing and disturbing
Horror Films; this classic has made audiences shudder for over
80 years. The MGM release was controversial, even before
production began primarily due to the cast, which was made up
of real carnival and sideshow performers. Director Tod Browning
was still basking in his directorial success of DRACULA (1931)
when he was asked by MGM production chief Irving Thalberg, to
direct FREAKS. Browning had been a former Circus performer,
prior to becoming a director, so he did not hesitate in accepting
Thalberg’s offer. His unique perspective and into in the Circus
and what life was like for the performers, gives FREAKS a
realistic dimension, that would have been lost on other directors.
The result is not only a long-standing classic, but also a must-see
during the Halloween season.
The month of October not only brings us our beloved Pumpkin
Spiced Coffees, it gives us a chance to indulge in scads of
frightening movies, which we might not watch otherwise. Our
local theaters abound with chilling flicks like DON’T BREATHE,
BLAIR WITCH and THE SHALLOWS, but we mustn’t forget the
magnificent Horror film classics that are just a stream or rental
away.
Naturally, what scares and unnerves one person might not raise
a goose bump on another. Bloody, grotesque gore may have
your friend covering their eyes while you calmly munch popcorn,
but the sight of a demented clown can send you running for
the door. We all have our ways of being scared and there are
countless horror films that can take us there.
The American Film Institute created a list called ‘100 Most
Thrilling American Movies’. Coming in at number 1 is Alfred
Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960). Alfred Hitchcock was known as
“The Master of Suspense” and broke cinematic ground in the
genre of the psychological thriller. His films contain little to no true
gore. When necessary, he features only mild violence, which
was more often than not veiled by purposeful camera angles
and/or in shadow. He knew how to create the illusion of gore in
the mind of the moviegoer. During the iconic shower scene in
PSYCHO, there is never a shot of Janet Leigh’s character being
stabbed with the knife. We never see the knife meet her flesh,
but would probably swear in open court, that it did. There are
8 other Alfred Hitchcock films, on the American Film Institute’s
list, including his other psychological thrillers, REAR WINDOW
(1954) and THE BIRDS (1963).
18
|
WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
|
OCTOBER 2016