Rama’s Screen: Top 5 Lessons to Learn From Horror Movies

Welcome to our weekly column by YSN member and movie aficionado Rama Tampubolon. He runs the movie review and discussion blog, Rama’s Screen, and was featured in “United 300,” which won for “Best Spoof” at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. He’ll discuss the latest hot topics and movie reviews every Thursday on Waste Time Wisely.

Halloween is around the corner and this generation’s popular horror franchise is going to release its latest installment nationwide this weekend — SAW IV. So I figured, let’s be silly for once and analyze something light to tickle our scary bones. There are thousands of fright flicks throughout the history of cinema, including cult hits such as the ever popular B-movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That goes to show that no matter how lame and disturbing they can be, horror movies will always find an audience.

So I wonder: Is there anything that we can actually learn from this genre?

1). Check your car every morning before you drive it for the day.
Some of us still have those cars that just get us from point A to point B, in other words, the kind of car that can give up on you any moment. So be diligent on checking the oil, transmission, tires and everything else because when you have a deadline to catch or or a group of unhappy customers holding pitchforks, chasing and yelling at you, you definitely want the car to start when you turn the key.

2). Never make friends with a man who has knives for nails.
You’ve heard the famous line “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” The purpose is to study your enemy well enough for you to beat them at their own game. But remember, everybody has an agenda so you have to know when to distance yourself and be wise when selecting those who get close to you, otherwise certain people might bring you down faster than you can scream “Game Over!”

3). There’s that weird, creepy kid again
Most movies will have at least one kid who’s either walking around saying “Redrum” or the be only person who has a feeling that something is wrong (The Sixth Sense) or who basically becomes the main bad guy (The Omen). A song once said “The children are our future,” that wasn’t a joking so pay attention to the little ones in your family! Don’t be too busy that you miss them growing up. Give them the discipline they need when they go astray because once you start ignoring them, it just may be the last thing you ever do alive.

4). Damsel in Distress vs. The Savior Complex
Guys like it when they end up being the hero and the girls tend to be the screaming victims (Scream, Jaws), which is normal and all because us guys should know how to protect our ladies (30 Days of Night). But girls need to learn to be tough as well (Resident Evil, Aliens). So take self-defense classes, win that presentation, fight some zombies, kill some creatures and show ’em how it’s done!

5). The living is much scarier than the dead.
Yes, ghost and vampires can get our hearts pumping and fear levels rising through the roof. Even a serial killer doll can keep an adolescent lying awake in bed with the lights on for weeks. (That was based on my friend’s experience by the way, it never happened to me… except for that one time after I watched a scary-as-hell movie). But let’s admit that living, breathing people are capable of just about anything, including inflicting pain on us, and are the ones we need to beware. So if you see your friend starts acting psycho (The Shining) just take him or her away from whatever stress they’re under. Introduce them to social gatherings. Take them on a rejuvenating vacation. It’s effective and nobody has to die.

For more, visit your most reliable movie buff: Rama’s SCREEN