JP gets totally creeped out

[jpinsd]

Saturday Night, I went over to kingfuraday's place, and we watched the movie The Orphanage

I like scary movies, usually— if they're intelligent, and not just some excuse for gross-out slasher type crap. I had heard great things about this movie, and totally wanted to see it.

First, i wanna say that this was an excellent film: good direction, good cinematography, great acting, and some wonderful twists in the story. Without giving anything away, I will say that the conclusion of the film was both frightening and heart-wrenching.

There were a couple times when I screamed. Yes, I actually screamed.. although in my defense it was more of a manly kind of surprised yell. kingfuraday might disagree about this, but that's OK, because he screamed a few times, too. I, however, actually yelled in his ear at one point, making him jump and yell at the same time. Sorry about that, Brian :-)

The end of the movie is very satisfying, and there is closure, of a sorts. After we watched the movie, we shared a couple of our favorite YouTube videos. Brian showed me this amazing video, which is now my new obsession. I've found a bunch of other songs and videos by the same artist. He is immensely talented, and only 20 years old!

I got home, watched a bunch more YouTube stuff until about 3:30 AM, when I realized I should probably get to bed. I finally get settled in a little before 4 AM, which also happens to be what I call "the creepy time". It's that time of the night when all the nocturnal animals are starting to go to sleep, and it's before most of the early rising animals and birds are up and about. There's almost zero traffic, everybody is asleep, and the whole neighborhood is extremely quiet. It's even creepier when there's a little fog, since any other minute sounds are further muted.

The house started to creek and make those little sounds all old houses do. Plus, all my electronics in the house have LED lights that flash, or pulse. The Wii was telling me there were messages waiting, and it does this rhythmic "blink (pause) blinkblinkblink (long pause)" . ALl of this added up to a house that was very quietly creaking, or making sounds, and lots of lights gently blinking, as if somebody – or some thing – was walking in front of them. The combination of the house noises, and the remnants of the movie still playing in my head, and the creepy atmosphere, just totally got to me. At any moment, I expected some boney, ghostly child's hand to grasp my ankle.

It's safe to say, that movie totally freaked my shit out.

I got up, and turned on a few lights in the house, turned on the Wii so that I could get the messages off of it ( and stop it flashing blue), and then went back to bed.... with the lights still on.

Yes. I'm a 42 year old adult man, and I was so creeped out I had to sleep with the lights on.

I can't recommend this movie enough! hehe. Seriosuly, go rent it, and then tell me if you don't get as creeped out by it as I was!

And be honest. If you go to bed late that night.... did you have to sleep with the lights on too?

Comments

[animbear.livejournal.com]

Eh. It was okay.



* PSYCH! *

I really liked it. The end, as you say, was heart-wrenching.
And the linked "Alice" video is awesome!

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

I'll send ya some links to his other videos and music. it's really creative and fresh. I've always loved using vocal samples.. and not even complete words or phrases, just phonemes... in music. He does it expertly, and creates a wonderful mood.

[inbhirnis.livejournal.com]

As I get older, I find myself getting more and more squeamish and skittish about horror movies.

I'll have to watch it with a big crowd of boys, just to be safe... :-)

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

I would totally watch it again - but I will most definitely need to sleep with the lights on - and probably one or two other people in the same bed as me. For protection, of course ;-)

[inbhirnis.livejournal.com]

Just let me know when you're having that viewing party - I'd love to come on over and see it.

And the movie, too.... ;-)

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

*giggle* of course!

[squirreltot.livejournal.com]

That's great! I'm gonna have to check that movie out. I have a love/hate relationship with scary movies. I always want to see them, but then they scare the crap out of me. Poltergeist and Aliens scarred me for life.

As a 37 year old, I can relate to your keeping a few lights on. Will have to let you know how it all pans out.

Well I...wait, what was that?!

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

dun dun dun dun [the lights go out]

*door squeeeeEEEEeeeEEeeeek*

*thud*



.... [silence]

[gator74.livejournal.com]

I *love* that movie. So beautiful. We made the mistake of watching The Orphanage and The Devil's Backbone in the same week about 3 months ago. I kept all the lights on in the house for weeks. I still "see" little boys looking in my windows at night from time to time. I scare too easily...

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard of The Devils Backbone. Good movie?

oh yeah... and seeing little boys looking in your window? yeah. too creepy for me. I prevent that possibility by having venetian blinds on ALL my windows. Hehe.

[gator74.livejournal.com]

We're big Guillermo del Toro fans, so we rented The Orphanage thinking he had written and directed it, but it turned out he just produced it, and then we realized The Devil's Backbone was the movie we had been thinking of, so we rented that, too. Both are spooky Spanish movies about boys and orphanages, but despite sounding like the same movie they are very, very different. I'd recommend either. Devil's Backbone is definitely spooky, but less scary than The Orphanage. Both are beautiful, but in different ways.

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are parts of The Shining that are really creepy. But I think what does it for me is the... uh... the interesting twist on this movie. The part that's also the heart-wrenching bit. I don't wanna give it away (no spoilers from anybody else, please!).

And yes, it's produced by Guillermo del Toro, who also directed both Hellboy movies, as well. You can see his touch here, also, but very very subtly.

I really do recommend it. Especially if you can watch it with friends. Preferable people you don't mind grabbing on to you during all the scary parts ;-)

[sluggobear.livejournal.com]

I think that Wii mail was from me! Tee-hee!

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

it WAS! and strongbad's voice - in the middle of the night.... not as funny as it is during the day. Nope... kinda added a bit to the whole creepy atmosphere. hehe

[texwriterbear.livejournal.com]

This is the reason I don't watch scary movies!!!!!

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

well, like i said in my entry - there are many that I won't watch, either. Especially the Halloween / Friday the 13th series. The whole "slasher" genre is totally not my thing

[texwriterbear.livejournal.com]

HA! Yeah I won't watch those either or the Nightmare on Elm Street. Give me a good chick flick any day! LOL

[bearseattle.livejournal.com]

i bet you screamed when the old woman got mowed down in the street ;)

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

i did... but not nearly as loud as Brian did. That scene messed with him more than me, i think.

[gator74.livejournal.com]

That scene was awesome! The making of on the DVD has a wonderful section on the effects. Gore doesn't get to me, but spooky *really* gets to me. I'm very happy that it wasn't a gory movie, otherwise - that tends to ruin 'serious' scary movies for me. But that scene... :)

The scene that messed with me was the one with the paranormal investigators.

[kingfuraday.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that REALLY surprised me and just made me jump. It was the crashing window that freaked JP's shit out... Ask him to tell you about lifting his feet up whenever it got creepy too ;)

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

heh. true. I was already on edge and spooked out, but the window crash is when i totally yelled in Brian's ear (which made him jump, just 'cause he wasn't expecting someone to be yelling in his ear)

and.. um.. yeah. When there's creepy stuff going on, I can't stand to have my feet on the floor. raisincub can confirm this, too. It doens't matter if there's only a 1/2 inch of space between the floor and the bottom of the couch... that's more than plenty for a spectral, cold, rotting hand to reach out and grab my feet.

[(Anonymous)]

Hah! I can't wait to watch it!

— Kevin

[kodanuki.livejournal.com]

OK well, Im erm "procuring" it now...

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

Let me know what ya think of it!

and I highly recommend watching it with others. :-)

[bnsd70.livejournal.com]

Didn't that movie have some scenes with a sea cave, just like the one on the La Jolla kayak trip? Hmmm?

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

why yes... yes it does!

fortunately for my small, remaining mental sanity, i wasn't on the kayak trip. That's one less creepy vision to have in my head. hehe.

[kingfuraday.livejournal.com]

Hooray for the first ever Hippy Bear Night. It was a great success entirely due to us.

[jpinsd.livejournal.com]

YAY! I agree. hippie night + beer + scary movie was lotsa fun!

[mattycub.livejournal.com]

We saw it in the theater, and I couldn't agree more with your review - I absolutely loved it. Smart, creepy as all hell, well acted, and with an emotional core that most horror movies are missing. It's one of my favorite scary movies in years.