Halloween Spirit: "Shallow Grave"
Every year in October, I suddenly have a hankerin' to watch scary movies. The rest of the year I rarely watch them, but the chilly fall weather and Halloween hi-jinx really bring out whatever part of me enjoys being scared. {I draw the line at haunted houses. They are just too damn much for me. When I was very young, my parents took me to one in which a Dracula type jumped out and I wailed and he followed us around apologizing and trying to explain that he was't a real vampire. When I was a little older, my parents made me go to one and I tried to bring a knife. I did survive a FrightFest at Six Flags in my late 20s. Phew. Note that Disney's Haunted Mansion doesn't count because it's not scary at all and I actually love it. The ride, not the shitty Eddie Murphy movie. I digress...}
So, I figured I'd post some suggestions of my favorite scary movies in the spirit of the season. I'll start out with Shallow Grave, which I watched again last week.
Shallow Grave is not your typical horror movie. For starters, it's Danny Boyle's first film. You may have heard of him from some little movies called Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire. My good friend Renae showed me this movie in high school, and it really freaked me out. Last week, it didn't freak me out as much (as I knew what was coming I suppose) but it did make me feel super-nauseous, so I think that means it's still pretty disturbing. Wikipedia describes it as a black comedy, but I think the suspense far outweighs the comedic elements.
You should probably just watch the trailer, but here's the gist- three roommates with a ridiculous flat are looking for a fourth. They're also dicks, who like to fuck with the people who want the room. They finally find someone who passes their silly tests and doesn't seem to care that they are horrible people. He immediately goes missing, until they realize his car is still outside and his room door is locked from the inside. They find his dead body, evidence of an overdose, and, oh yeah, a suitcase brimming with cash.
That's when the plot picks up. The group eventually agrees to dispose of the body and keep the cash, but the steps required to dispose of the body end up changing one of them beyond recognition. When they stop trusting each other, things go to hell pretty quickly.
This is pre-Trainspotting Danny Boyle, so get ready for some questionable techno, Ewan McGregor with a mullet, and a creepy baby doll. Also, is it weird that I am attracted to the psycho? Feel free to judge me about that in the comments below.
