I am still amused that my first contact with that thing was running into the Notebook as a six sweeps old Porrim on MSPARP. So imagine a small grumpy feminist about 13 getting annoyed that some stupid apparently sentient notebook is telling her that her favorite color isn't creative. The results were hilarious and dumb. Having actually watched the shorts I find them amusing. Especially the animation. I like my animation styles, darnit. Even if I do not know much of them they're just neat to see...Also I've found kids shows unsettling for a while anyway so to see something that actually plays with that concept in a fashion that reminds me of Candle Cove is great. Also I really love the Candle Cove story.
Candle Cove was probably the first creepypasta I read, I think. And I read it up in a small cabin in the woods next to a lake, where the tv only played like three channels, one of which was generally weird, old, children's shows. That was fun.
Oh, yeah, that one (1999) was twisted. It goes without saying that children actually being in jeopardy really amps up the creepy factor. I also like Where Bad Kids Go, which sort of has a similar premise.
Children in peril reminds me of The Babadook. Which I really liked. Was a nice film and the monster was something that I am honestly still afraid of. Which I guess is silly but monsters in closets and under the bed are just. Argh. Could just be the house spirit messing around or IT COULD BE DEATH OH GOD. Or you know just me being paranoid.
The Babadook didn't scare me, but it did make me think, re: symbolism of the monster as grief. And I admit there was some nice creepiness!
I watched it two weeks ago and I am still fucking paranoid. The grief thing I missed on my watch through because I was mainly like OH GOD FAIRY TALES AND ALSO I AM TERRIFIED OF BOGEYS FUCK.
Yeah, it really messed with a lot of people! Good horror reaches inside you and pokes at that small bit of you left over from childhood fears. Especially chilling was...actually, wait, I'll put it in spoilers. Spoiler Especially chilling was that it wasn't, technically, defeated. It wasn't banished to the void forever through the power of love and motherhood. The best case scenario was chaining it up and dealing with it forever. Which, again, a metaphor for grief. Grief over her lost husband made her resent her son, made her lash out, twisted her up. When grief comes knocking, you have no choice but to let it in. It's a part of your life forever, and the best you can do is not let it make you a monster. Recall, also, that no one but the woman and her son actually saw this monster. A woman who was emotionally compromised and exhausted and a child with an extremely active imagination with no basis on how to translate how his mother is acting and why she lashes out at him.
I have not seen the Babadook yet (want to), but the main problem so far for me is I keep reading the name as badonkadonk. Which is terrible.
I haven't seen it yet, but I want to. Doesn't seem like it's on Netflix just yet though. And no kidding, @emythos , I'm lmao here.
Babadouk autocorrects in my head to 'baby duck" and now it just cracks me up. Realized after a lifetime of devouring horror films that what im after isnt /terror/ its /wonder/. A sense that the world is bigger and weirder and toothier than we think and we'dbetter figure out the rules quick if we want to live. I LOVE pan's labyrinth (though the abuse drama can fuck right off) and all the found footage stuff. Make me wonder whats real man. Make me scramble to figure out whats going on. This is why all the " humans were the real evil all along" stuff bores me so bad. I already KNOW people suck, dammit, thats just real life. Anybody read House of Leaves? I would friggin swear ive watched a youtube version of five and a half minute hallway. I almost think someone made it and just periodically puts it up and takes it down to fuck with people.
I am kinda planning on getting myself house of leaves if I get any money for my birthday, cause it looks so interesting, and also living houses are a thing I enjoy.
I was an English major before I dropped out and eloped, and House of Leaves was being discussed by the friends who I was still in contact with after I moved across the country, so I picked it up. I don't think I'm smart enough to get through it, but I can respect what it does for the media as a whole -- formatting as a part of horror? Nice. And of course the whole space bending mind fuckery is something I'll always nod approvingly at. I should really give it another shot.
I looove House of Leaves, but my copy is off in a storage unit, so I can't reread. Also, I've heard that there's HoL fanfic that's just as visually complex (with hyperlinks and maybe text effects and such), but I haven't found it yet. So if anyone has any recs, I'm all over that. Edit to keep talking about HoL: I actually first read it when I was 15 and it messed me up severely, and I don't think I've ever done a full read through since, just passages here and there. What a great book tho.
