Why do I watch only horror movies?
In any scenario, I will choose a horror film over a romance, a comedy, or a drama. But why?
I can thoroughly enjoy romantic movies; not the ones that can make you cry for a month, but those that are uplifting and heartwarming, however, I make a deliberate choice to avoid them. Is this a mind conflict that may be relevant to my life choices? Why?… hmm, I think I know the answer but I am not sure…
These are the facts…
Ok so saying that I only watch horror films is a little much, but I can sit on the couch and enjoy a horror movie any time of the day, yet, I have some serious issues choosing romance, comedy, or even just drama. I often ask myself, especially when all my family and friends see my “recently watched list” and laugh at me🤭; why is it so hard, or impossible really, to pick a gender other than horror?
Well, here is one reason. As a child, my grandfather and I (he, my grandma, and great-grandma raised me) turned the TV on on Saturday nights and sat in the living room to watch the scary movie that was presented that night. I was probably 8 or 9 years old when this ritual started… (yes, please criticize my grandpa… he is no longer with us so your words won’t matter to him). Anyway, we watched black-and-white horror movies while I sat on his lap and covered my eyes to avoid the real scary scene. I felt protected and cherished by him, and I treasure every one of those memories.
Another reason? well, I think that seriously romantic movies are more unrealistic than any scary movie. Am I a cynic? am I jaded by a romantic life that is not what I expected? no, I don’t think so. In my life there were periods when I was jaded, and moments when I resented romanticism, but only for periods of time nothing permanent.
And here is the mystery…
OK, the weird part is that there are some romantic movies that I absolutely love. For example, Keanu Reeves (hot!) plays in “A Walk in the Clouds“. I can watch this movie over and over and it doesn’t get old. Another beautiful film is “Love Actually” whose protagonist Huge Grant, along with other characters, does a great job showing what is not perfect about us, and nevertheless, love wins. I don’t quite remember how I watched these films the first time, but I knew I would watch them again. Weird!
So, there is one common denominator to these films/books. They represent imperfect love that is strong enough to survive its imperfections. Is this a contradiction to my belief that hard-core romance is a fantasy? Yeah, I think so. Agh, do you see why I am so enthralled by this? and, is this mind conflict a reflection of my life choices? Do I decide to avoid things that could be uplifting, and chose instead pure thrill? Yes, I think I do. I will tell you how in my next post, first please tell me… Do you do the same?
