When Good Actors Make Scary Movies
Barb Here. Why do great actors make scary movies? For someone who hasn’t been to a real movie theater in years, I tend to keep up with current movies. All we’re watching right now are those that come free with our Prime membership, which is hit or miss, plus bits of various talk and comedy shows on YouTube. This means that I’m aware of the X-Men Franchise, know that Luke Skywalker appeared in the newest Star Wars movie, and know that the actress who played the mom in Ladybird plays Rosie’s sister in the TV Show.
Why is this cruising sailor paying attention to popular culture?
Well, first of all, it’s selective attention. I pretty much ignore television and know only a bit about movies and the folks who make them—and then only movies which interest me, such as I, Tonya and Ladybird, or actors and producers I think I’d like in real life, such as John and Emily, Kirsten Dunst and Dax Shepherd, and definitely Laurie Metcalf, Allison Janney, and Judi Dench.
And this brings us back to A Quiet Place.
I have a problem. I’ve seen a couple of the tamer trailers, but it was the conversations with John and Emily and the host-du-jour which interested me in the movie. NPR had a great piece, letting us hear how quiet the movie is. How quiet is it? It’s so quiet that movie-goers forego eating their popcorn and opening their candy bars. That quiet. I love the stories of how John came to do the movie and how Emily insisted on playing his wife in the film. (God, I may be a bit obsessed.) I love learning about the challenges directing it, the give and take of the husband and wife team that created it, and how scared every single interviewer had been when they saw the movie. And that brings me to…
My problem with A Quiet Place
My problem is that I can’t see it. Oh, sure, I can get to the theater for a movie that truly interests me. I will absolutely see Book Club on the big screen.
I can’t see A Quiet Place simply because I hate being scared. I have met Stephen King and think he is a good human and a great writer. I rarely read any of his books and the only movie of his I’ve seen is Stand by Me. I will stand by Stephen King, but I cannot watch or read his stuff. I truly hate being scared. Bambi scarred me for life. As a young teen, I actually left the theater and waited in the lobby while my friends watched Dark Shadows. Trust me—that is not a scary movie. I was in college before I could keep my eyes open while the flying monkeys attacked Dorothy.
I cannot see A Quiet Place but I want to know some things. Seriously. If you saw it PM with the answers to the following:
- Was she pregnant before the aliens attacked? If not who would have sex and make a baby while living like that?
- Did the baby survive? How could they keep it from crying?
- Did the family save themselves, were they rescued, or were one or all eaten?
- Do you believe that birthing scene? (And remember, I only saw what was in the trailer. The whole thing must be terrifying.)
That’s it. I’m not kidding. This isn’t keeping me awake, but spoilers would really help the quality of my thoughts and perhaps the quality of my life. Unless you “spoil” the movie for me, I’ll live in ignorance, worried about this family living silently for eternity—or not.
Why do great actors make scary movies?
To keep people up at night, either shaking or wondering. Help me sleep.