Episode 95 - It Couldn’t Happen Here

Starting off the New Year with some metal and mayhem. A good cop goes bionic in the 1980s satirical sci-fi classic, Robocop, while Soviet soldiers head to Germany during World War 2 to discover the true limits of medicine and madness in Frankenstein's Army.

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Episode 94 - Found Footage-’Tober’: Blair Witchin’

Only four weeks behind, Found Footage-Tober finally meets its end with the mother of all found footage films: Blair Witch, and her sister sequels. Viral marketing, shaky cameras, creepy forests. Everything you need for a low budget masterpiece.

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Episode 93 - Found Footage-Tober: Behind the News Station: The Rise of Serial Killing Nutcases

As October stretches into November, we continue our found footage journey with a couple of favorites, 'Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon', and 'WNUF Halloween Special'. This is also a horror pack featured episode.

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Episode 92 - Found Footage-Tober : The Ghost and the Host

At absolutely the last minute and into November, we've finally done it. We've begun releasing our 'Found Footage-Tober' event. Three episodes in which we discuss iconic and otherwise found footage films. This week we tackle 'Ghostwatch' and 'Host'.

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Horror Flick of the Week: The Exorcist (1973)

 

Sometimes it's difficult to define why a film or book remains a permanent icon of its field. There are plenty that I've seen or read which don't quite click for me, and some over time become so terribly dated that they become reflections of a time instead of pure entertainment. The Exorcist is not one of those films or books. This week, I re-watched it on the big screen in an empty theater late in the evening. I may have had an early shift in the morning, but it was so worth the exhaustion.

It seems most stories involving demons, exorcisms, ghosts, ouija boards - - any and all of the above - - are always on a quest to recapture the simple effectiveness of The Exorcist. It's not just the story of good vs. evil, but each major character has their own struggles. The mother. Father Merrin. Father Karras. It adds something important to the struggle at the heart of this story. Dread sort of sneaks up on you as it builds up to the final battle, and if you haven't yet seen this one (somehow) I highly encourage you to finally watch it. If not tonight, then definitely on Halloween. You won't regret it.

Featured Fear: Chromophobia (Fear of Colors)

 I hate wearing white. Sometimes I hate wearing pastels. I will usually pick a black shirt if it's an option, though I wouldn't say I'm afraid of other colors. There are those, however, who find that their disinterest in colorful clothes goes far beyond wanting to look a bit thinner or coordinate with their jeans. In fact, for some it may be such an intense dislike - - a fear - - that a handful of brightly colored M&M's might cause a full-blown panic attack. I'm speaking of course about Chromophobia (also known as Chromatophobia).

For sensitive readers, the following image may be traumatic, and I apologize in advance.

There's a story this reminds me of, though for the life of me I can't quite remember or find the title. An artist tried to paint a man who may or may not have been a vengeful spirit / vampire and couldn't get the right shade of red in his cheeks and lips, so she kept grinding the paint into the canvas until she became frustrated and used her own blood. The color took for a moment or so, and then she used even more blood when it faded, driven to using more and more until she lay dead on the floor. Color is symbolic in so many ways, in cinema, in art, and it's a powerful tool for those of us who can see it. When we think about how certain colors can evoke dark moments in stories, it's much easier to relate to this fear. Often, the fear of colors focuses on one in particular for a person who was traumatized at one point in their life. Maybe what stood out was the shade of their mother's dress, the bright yellow of a fluorescent light, or the monochromatic design of a room that dominates that memory.

Sometimes I start reading about these fears with a judgmental lens until I come to understand why they may happen, and I'm never disappointed. Hypersensitivity can even play a role in chromophobia, especially those with related mental struggles. Cultural ties to certain colors can weave fears so deep that the fear of a certain color is a superstition shared amongst an entire group or town. There are so many complex reasons behind this fear, it's hard to know where to begin with treatment options.

Exposure therapy doesn't seem to be quite as common as with other phobias, due to the fact that it's virtually impossible to avoid one color for very long, but CBT is fairly popular. Getting to the root of a fear, working it out, and linking the irrational mind with the rational.

All that being said, Alter (a short film group featured on Youtube) has a fantastic film called 'Chromophobia' and I couldn't help but share it with you, the readers. I suppose red might very well be the worst color of them all.

Vintage Comics: Blue Bolt Weird Tales #116: The Ghostly Guardians, The Weird Mr. & Mrs. Murder; Deathc Danger, and Deceit (Cover - Pg. 15)

 No excuses. I watched the debates tonight and am rushing for an entry before bed - - so comics today, commentary tomorrow.