Scaredy-Cat Horror Movie Watching Guide
You may hate being scared and still want to watch scary movies. I cry a little, but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying Babaduck and then hating 10 Cloverfield Lane . My strategy for both was simple: stare on the couch with a friend, taking a short break for a drink. It worked great, I only had two nightmares after every movie! At GQ, my funky chubby buddy Jaya Saxena recommends the couch with friends strategy and some other ways to deal with horror movies when you’re not an avid horror fan.
Prepare chaser
Do you know how many cinemas in the past showed cartoons and newsreels before the screening of a feature film? Do it in reverse order. Have a couple of fun or soothing YouTube videos handy. Maybe watch some old favorite TV show. Take a break from the most bizarre scenes that threaten to stay in your head for months.
If you’re watching a movie after the first few weeks of release, you might even queue up a few parodies. See if SNL or CollegeHumor have sketched this movie, which will help all the big bad monsters seem less scary and remind you that this is just a movie. Know how to help a small child cope. “Damn it, Stranger Things was even parodying Sesame Street.
See with a friend (who is not a member)
Get them to read this Lifehacker article , which overlaps with advice in many ways, but from the perspective of a less scared friend. If you get too caught up in the movie, take a look at them, make annoying comments – anything that will help you distract yourself from the reality of the movie for a while.
My wife loves scary movies even less than I do, so sometimes I watch one of them while she is away on business. This is reckless! That’s when nightmares happen! It’s really hard to fall asleep if you miss your partner and just saw five people get torn to pieces! Find a friend.
Spoil it
Previously, Saxena advised frightened people to ruin their film . If you don’t want to spoil the whole plot, try these two resources: Where is the jump? tells you exactly when jumping fears occur and “does the dog die”? warns you of over 50 common nasty elements in movies and TV shows. So you can find out, for example, if there is blood and clotted blood, or eye damage, or suicide, and you know what to expect without ruining the whole movie.
Have fun, remember that there is no wrong way to choose how you will watch the movie and anyone who says otherwise is a jerk and never watch Saw .