Ever Noticed a Common Theme Running Through Your Favorite Movies?

Ever noticed a common theme running through your favorite movies?

I did.  Not too long ago.  Turns out this realization told me something about myself that I've never known before. 

A quick list of my all-time favorite horror films:  John Carpenter's The Thing.  David Cronenberg's The Fly.  The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  And, to a lesser extent, one could argue that Return of the Living Dead fits into where I'm going with this as well (I'm thinking specifically of the fates of poor Frank and Freddy -- yep, fellas, those things do leak and the movie did lie) . . . .

Notice a recurring theme? 

Sickness.  Disease.  Infection.  Poison.  Parasites.  The gradual wasting-away of the body due to forces beyond one's control.  Or, worse yet, because of something inside.  An alien invader that slowly turns the flesh against itself, until death is the only escape.

I always thought my number one fear was spiders.  Oh, they're still at the top of the list and always will be, no doubt about that.  But after stepping back and taking a look at my all-time favorite horror films -- I'm talking about those that really work for me on some deeper, more primal level, those that are effective as much more than just fun, brainless entertainment -- I see that maybe I have a deep-rooted fear of chronic illness as well.  A fear of losing my body and my mind, or losing a cherished friend or family member, to something inside that cannot be stopped.

Terrifying.

Yep . . . even more than spiders. 

At least until somebody goes and makes a movie about eight-legged horrors that thrive in the bloodstream, I guess. 

What say you?  Got a "common theme" to share about your own favorite horror films? 
Gimme a shout.  I'd love to hear about it.




*** This post is dedicated to my sister-in-law, Rene, who is currently undergoing treatments for cervical cancer.  Love you, Rene.  Thank God things are going so well.  You're gonna get through this, and soon. ***

Local? Gonna Be In Western NC Later This Month? Please Come See My -- Gasp! -- Acting Debut

November 17-20, the Drama Department at Blue Ridge Community College is thrilled to offer the community a chance to see its production of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, a play the New York Times called in 2007, “flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years.”  From that auspicious beginning the play has gone on to garner numerous Tony Awards and the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Although the central plot of a dysfunctional family falling apart in contemporary Oklahoma may sound depressingly familiar, Letts’ authentic characters and laugh-out-loud humor creates a play with the perfect blend of comedy and drama.
Neela Muñoz, frequent actor and director at Flat Rock Playhouse and North Carolina Stage Company, directs at BRCC for the first time, while local community theater actress Nancy Colangione plays the pill-popping matriarch, Violet Weston. BRCC’s drama director Jennifer Treadway, gracing the BRCC stage for the first time since starring in The Crucible in 2003,  plays Violet’s oldest daughter Barbara, joined by other prominent community and student actors.

The play will be presented in the Patton Auditorium beginning at 7:30 p.m., November 17-19, and 2:00 p.m. on November 20. Cost is $5.00 for BRCC students, faculty and staff, and $7.00 for general admission.
Due to mature subject matter this play is not recommended for younger or more sensitive viewers.

To reserve tickets or get more info call 694-1849.