Horror Classics

Perhaps now is a better time than any to discuss some of my inspiration. Those that have known me for quite some time recognize that I have always been influenced by the visual arts. My likings tend to be of the more obscure artists usually centered around Surrealism and Dadaism. For some reason, works in these styles have peaked my interest because interpretation is key to enjoyment of the piece. Regardless of authorial intention, a viewer can place any number of meanings on such works. Even while teaching Freshman Composition classes, the importance remains to be a key part of many of my lessons. I guess in my creative writing practices this is much the same way. Writing a horror film may not have been my first choice for a screenplay, but it is what I know the best. The genre is often overlooked because of simple entertainment quality, but I have always enjoyed taking it a bit further with that. Regardless of what spin I put on the script, someone else will walk away with a completely different experience than what I had originally intended. So some of the films that inspire me write horror would include _The Exorcist III_, any Romero film, the early work of Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson and the exploitation-style films of Tobe Hooper from the mid-1970s.

I seen so many of these films multiple times, and still to this day, I am able to walk away with a different understanding. For instance if they are put in the contexts of contemporary popular culture, the interpretation of the text completely changes. I think that this desire to understand multiple meanings has put a fire under my hearth of knowledge when it comes to cinema.