Pocket Glitter #9: Reader beware.
Since Halloween is a few days away, this Pocket Glitter is all about my horror recs.
Even though I was/am absolute chicken shit when it comes to watching horror movies, I went through a brief horror phase in middle school* (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, etc.). When BRAVO’s “100 Scariest Movies Moments” miniseries aired in 2004, it found me at the perfect time.
That series - which featured interviews with guys like Eli Roth (“Hostel”), Wes Craven (“Scream”, “Red Eye”**), and more - let me in on the tricks and tropes of the genre. Since then, I’ve read reviews about horror movies and articles about how they’re made and different controversies they stirred up.
I’d love to do a more in-depth review of some of these (and might one day), but since I’ve been traveling this week I’m keeping these super short. If you’re looking to make the end of the spooky season a bit scarier, here’s where I think you should spend your time.
Movies:
Ready Or Not
Yeah, yeah, I already recommended this in another email, but it’s my favorite movie of the year. What was I going to do? Not recommend it? In this economy? Not a chance.
This is more of a thriller, but it does have some horror elements so it makes the list.
TV:
The Haunting of Hill House (TV)
I really branched out here and actually committed to watching the show (and was rewarded because TWO of my crushes were in it).
I laughed, I cried, I wanted to shake every adult in the show, I was so stressed I couldn’t watch it with headphones in because it was too close in my head, and one part was so scary I actually yelled. 10/10 would recommend for a good, heart-wrenching time.
Books:
“The Haunting of Hill House” - Shirley Jackson
Ask your favorite horror writers which book scared them the most, and more than a few will include Shirley Jackson’s book on it. I just started it and my initial thoughts are, “Did she have to go this hard??” The show is a major departure from the book, but I think both are worth your time.
“Her Body and Other Parties” - Carmen Maria Machado
I read part of this short story collection when I was in New York earlier this year. One story that stands out during that time is her (fictional, obviously) story about Benson and Stabler (“Law & Order: SVU”). It STILL gives me the creeps when I think about it.
“Life of the Party” - Olivia Gatwood
For true crime fans, particularly those who know what it means to be a women in the world. A very tough, moving read. I’m glad I read it, but I finished and just stared at the wall for a while. Highly recommend if you can stomach it.
Podcasts:
I’m sure there are tons out there, but the one that caught my attention recently was…
“She Kills”
What I loved about this podcast is that it brought together actors, directors, producers, critics, and more (all women) from amazing horror films (Jennifer’s Body, for example) to talk about different tropes (like the “final girl”).
ALSO! If you consider John Wick to be a horror movie, I’ll sneak in this rec: With A Pencil. Shea Serrano loves John Wick even more than I do so you’re in for a good time.
Articles:
Life is a nightmare off the screen/page/podcast player too! My long-running text chain with my friend Emily is just an endless string of horrible true crime articles. A normal text from her is: “Have you read anything about the 39 dead bodies found in a truck in the UK?”
Reader, I had not.
Naturally I responded with an article about cyanide soup and a potential serial killer.
I was going to drop some stories in, but I included those two because something that I think gets overlooked with true crime is how these stories are often about more than violence. They’re about immigration and human trafficking and property rights and what happens when systems fail us and the people they’re supposed to protect. So! Enjoy those two and your true crime podcasts and maybe this article about the $9 billion plan to update Rikers and just shake your head in disgust/fear/sadness.
Newsletters:
Nightmare Fuel (on a bit of a hiatus but I can’t wait for it to come back)
High Drama (fair warning: this is a newsletter about horror and the “Housewives” franchise)
Enjoy,
Claire
*Shout out to my dad for hiding behind our couch with an evil clown mask on so he could jump out at a tense moment to scare the shit out of us. Really admire the commitment to the prank.
**Not a horror movie. Just a movie I love and wanted to mention.
DEEP POCKETS: There’s More Down Here
Phoning this in a bit but ALSO taking special care to mention how grateful I am to everyone who bought a copy of Tonya’s book! If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy of “How To Survive Today” yet, you can do so here.