It's Alive!

Welcome to my new blog, Horror According To Chris Wyatt! This blog, which will be run alongside my other site, Films According To Chris Wyatt (which you should totally subscribe to at cwyattfilm.blogspot.com), will be dedicated to studying, reviewing, and honoring horror films along with analyzing common themes and tropes seen among the genre. As a passionate fan of all things horror, this is something I've been wanting to do for a while. I figured since it's October and that Halloween is right around the corner, it seemed like a great time to get it started. For my inaugural posting, I thought I'd answer some common questions I'm frequently asked about my thoughts and opinions of scary movies and what I expect to accomplish with this blog.

Why do you like horror films?
I've been asked this question so many times and I always struggle to come up with a simple answer... so here's a complicated one. I admire the genre for the passion typically on display. While it's not uncommon to see a studio throw together some assembly line horror film made for a quick buck, most horror flicks are made with low(ish) budgets and passionate individuals behind the camera pouring their heart and soul into creating a quality film. I also appreciate the way in which horror films can grab audiences attention and trigger a legitimate emotional reaction. Most people, one way or another, have very strong feelings toward horror flicks. Those who love them (like myself) are usually very passionate about the genre while those that dislike them (and there are plenty) often have an intense dislike or aversion to the genre. Both reactions intrigue me substantially. Finally, they're just fun to watch (a good deal of them anyways). Watching a scary movie can be similar to riding a roller coaster. They can be scary at first, kind of daunting even, but at the same time the thrills you experience can be loads of fun, and it's a good way to experience the same kind of thrills and excitement of a dangerous situation without actually being in any real danger. I could probably keep thinking of answers to this question, but that should do for now.

Have you always been a horror buff?
Not my whole life. Actually for most of my childhood, I was pretty terrified of anything even remotely scary. I didn't start getting into horror films until my junior year in high school. It was then that I read Carrie, the novel by Stephen King. I enjoyed it so much that afterward, I had to watch the movie. Needless to say, the film impressed me so much, that I suddenly became very intrigued by horror films and started checking out as many as I could.

What is your favorite scary movie?
I have a few... Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, and A Nightmare On Elm Street (the original) are three of my faves.

Do you have a preferred sub-genre?
Not really. I think the horror films that have made the biggest impact on me are those that kind of blend realistic and supernatural themes like Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, or The Exorcist. That said, I can find something to appreciate in each sub-genre.

What do you hope to accomplish with this blog?
A couple of things. One would be to introduce, or re-introduce, classic and well-made horror films to audiences who may not be familiar with them. I'm also going to be discuss certain perceptions, re-occurances, and stereotypes associated with the genre to either analyze or possibly attempt to debunk them (if I feel they are negative).

So stay tuned and subscribe to the site, I'll have more entries coming soon!