Featured Fear: Nyctophobia (fear of the dark)

Darkness. All-consuming black ink, pervading the night...something mankind has fought through the ages so desperately, that the last true darkness can only be found in the most obscure of places, or underground beyond where any man can reach.

Even in the 1963 adaptation of Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House, the eeriest element of the movie itself is darkness...shadows creeping in at the edge of every frame, threatening to consume Eleanor (along with her slight mental instability and the evilness of the house itself.)

Darkness is terrifying, because the unknown dangers of the world are that much more powerful. It's terrifying, because it deprives many of us of the sense we rely on the most. Sight.

The majority of Nyctophobics are either children, or very old. So, I suppose you'd say this fear strikes those who are most vulnerable. The origins of the phobia tend to be trauma of some sort, which makes quite a lot of sense. After all, night is the main time when children can no longer be watched over by their parents as vigilantly, so it's also the period of one's life where people learn to look after themselves.
The best treatment seems to be what a majority of the phobias I've mentioned is, and that's exposure therapy. Desensitizing the victim to their fears...and medication.

In honor of Nyctophobia, I'd like to share a video I've posted once before in a list of creepy shorts, which characterizes exactly what many children seem to fear the most about darkness...sleep.

Horror Flick of the Week: Night of the Living Dorks

So this week I decided to suggest one of my personal favorites for a starter: Night of the Living Dorks.

I'm not a huge zombie fan, though they have their place. I'm more of a werewolf and vampire chick myself, leaning more towards werewolves as the mythos of the vampires seems to be evolving into a more teen-friendly concept.

Horror comedies are sometimes hits, usually misses. There are lots of great ones out there, but if you haven't seen one, and start off with a really bad one...well, most of us never look back. Luckily, this one is pretty awesome. It's a combination between your average high school flick with a bit of a college character feel, and a small-time zombie fest. Picture American Pie meets Shaun of the Dead...or go the easy route, and just picture Idle Hands, which technically is a similar combination...

It starts with a zombie attacking a family, a woman using a flame-thrower on said zombie, and zombie ashes being sold through several dealers until it ends up being purchased on an ebay-like site. That's just the intro credits.

Then we meet your average loser, Phillip, who is somehow really attractive, because you only actually see genuinely unattractive losers in independent films. He has an awkward...dream...his mother proceeds to tell the girl next door about. Already you're in for the basic stereotypical embarrassing journey of one young man through high school...or are you? I guess I should've mentioned this chick in his dream...

Well, at least she's got personality...

Everything changes when Phillip and his friends go to a cemetery get-together with the girl next door, and then get covered in zombie dust...

Not quite as tasty as snow.

It would have just ended there, maybe with them going home and taking thorough showers, but then-

This

This

And this

The movie isn't even halfway through, and the main characters are dead. I won't spoil the rest for you, though...suffice it to say, it's worth watching if you're looking for a bit of horror comedy, but feel like you've seen all the good ones.

What wins me over for this movie, though, is the fact that the zombies aren't mindless flesh-eaters. Honestly, they're just shy of being ghouls. Plus, it's pretty funny. So go ahead and give it a try. If not tonight, put it on your Halloween watch list this year to watch with some friends.