I must say, I never expected our thrill-thirsty society to sink this low. And yet, our downward spiral away from civilized, respectful entertainment continues to pick up speed and has reached a level of gore which is disgusting. You know, just the other day I remarked to my mother, “I want to see a movie about people dying brutal, terrible, torturous deaths, and I want it to be based on a true story!” Thanks to several producers, my wish has been granted. I am indeed a lucky one.
A few days ago, while at the movie store, I was looking for an interesting movie I hadn’t seen before. As I picked up Shanghai Noon, I happened to glance at the New Release shelf, where I noticed a movie entitled The Search for the BTK Killer. I was at my grandparent’s house when the BTK killer was caught, and followed the story in their USA Todays. While I don’t doubt most people have heard of the man, let me say it is not a pleasant story. It is, indeed, what nightmares are made of. And now, apparently, it’s what movies are made of. I’m sure the siblings, parents and friends of the victims will be fist-fighting to be the first in the neighborhood to get a copy. Today at the same movie rental chain, I picked up a booklet to see what new movies were coming out soon. There I read an ad for a movie that claimed would let me relive the rape and murder of seven nursing students. All based on a true story. Thanks, but I’ll pass.
We have finally gone past The Hills Have Eyes and Saw. Now we can watch Zodiac Killer instead. Lucky, lucky us. I personally am waiting for Virginia Tech. No doubt it’s already in the works. I’ll be first in line for a ticket. As will many other people, I’m sure.
I have a not-so-strict movie policy. I will watch anything you give me, as long as it is not horror or ‘R’. But are these new movies truly horror? Or are they in a genre of their own?
Perhaps they’re written off as being OK because ‘that’s life’. Or rather, that’s death. Let people choose between a movie about Jane Austen and a movie about Adolf Hitler, and sadly, many people will choose Hitler. More action. And yet if you have to choose between meeting Jane Austen and meeting Hitler, there’s not quite such a toss-up. Hitler was not a nice man. So why is it all right to see his murders as blockbuster material? Don’t enjoy watching things you wouldn’t want to happen to you, unless you know it’s fictional with a happy ending. World War Two’s ending was not overly happy for many Jews. Think Anne Frank. Hardly happy.
Or what about Columbine? Thanks to directors and producers everywhere, we have a movie that can give suicidal teens a place to start their mad rampages of high schools. Or colleges. Maybe next it’ll be an elementary school and we can make a movie out of that. It can join the revered ranks of Hostel and Disturbia, ascending to the top of them all to be their king. Oh, joy. I can just imagine kids tugging their mothers’ dresses: “Mommy, I want to star in a movie like that.”
The best part of this entire thing is that we can now immortalize people who have committed atrocious acts. For some murderers, it’s a draw to continue killing. They can go down in history, in a cheap slasher movie that people will watch for that reason: It’s a cheap slasher movie. And they know that somewhere out there, they are influencing someone. Hollywood makes it OK to be a killer.
While I’m out picking these movies up, I think I’ll also get Halloween. Except it might not be exciting enough. I don’t want to corrupt myself by watching a made up movie. Those are no fun at all.
The one thing I completely do not understand is why people pay to see this rubbish. If you want to be scared, ask Greenpeace what’s wrong with the earth. That’s all true, too, and in many ways it’s much more terrifying. However, it requires at least a few brain cells to understand what these environmentalists are talking about. Well, you could go stand on a street corner in a big city. But then you might become the next subject of one of these movies, and we wouldn’t want that, would we? After all-it’s OK as long as it happens to someone else. Unfortunately, we’re all someone else to someone else.
I believe horror movies in general are a waste of time, money, and minds. And yet this new type of movie, this real life horror, manages to pass them all without a struggle. I’m just waiting for these movie makers to be sued. And if they make a movie out of that, I might just have to go see it.