So in my recent horror movie binge watch, I have composed a theory, which I am now going to ramble about for a few minutes. You’ve been warned.
The point where a movie fails for me can pretty much be pinpointed as the moment where I say “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” and roll my eyes hard enough to sprain my optic nerve, a point I shall therefore call the OFFSwitch.
Take POLTERGEIST as the ur-example. That is a terrifying goddamn movie right up until the corpses pop out of the ground, whereupon I go “oh, for fuck’s sake.” And then it’s just not scary. The immersion is blown.
Time for my routine mammogram! Let’s see how the tech handles the Wombat Experience.
My first question is always “Is there an emergency release on this thing?”
Got a very chatty tech, the best kind!
ME: Before you squish me, is there an emergency release on this thing in case of a fire?
TECH: Oh yes! It’s not like the old days. I knew a woman who got stuck in one.
ME: TELL ME MORE
TECH: Well, I didn’t see it, but the power went out and the compression is supported to release, but it did not! So she was stuck in compression.
ME: My god! I hope it wasn’t a long power outage!
TECH: I don’t think it was. I hope.
*awkward pause*
TECH: So, left breast first…
It’s D&D night and the bugbears have come to negotiate to ask the party to either kill or kidnap the hedgehog archaeologist that they came to rescue.
DIPLOMAT: Prince says take stupid hedgepig and go!
PARTY: We want to do this.
DIPLOMAT: Prince gives you a thousand gold if you kill hedgepig.
PARTY: Why?
DIPLOMAT: Horrible lying hedgepig!
BARD: I’m going to roll insight to see if he’s telling the truth.
PARTY: *proceeds to roll the worst collection of botches and low rolls imaginable*
GM: As far as you’re concerned, this hedgehog is worse than Hitler.
I read a gawker article about the origin of teddy-bears, which had no new information, but did include a link to the greatest newspaper clipping I have seen in ages.
It is from 1907 and the headline is “TEDDY-BEARS DESTROY GIRLS MATERNAL INTEREST SAYS CATHOLIC PRIEST.” He goes on to say that girls playing with teddy bears instead of dolls will destroy the race.
It would be, quote, “one of the most powerful factors in the race suicide danger.”