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. ***