This week: Horror of Grief Edited by: ~Minja~  
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"She was a genius of sadness, immersing herself in it, separating its numerous strands, appreciating its subtle nuances. She was a prism through which sadness could be divided into its infinite spectrum." ~ Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything Is Illuminated
"So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love." ~ E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly
"Grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you." ~ Veronica Roth, Insurgent
"It doesn't get better," I said. "The pain. The wounds scab over and you don't always feel like a knife is slashing through you. But when you least expect it, the pain flashes to remind you you'll never be the same." ~ Katie McGarry, Pushing the Limits
"Grief is a most peculiar thing; we’re so helpless in the face of it. It’s like a window that will simply open of its own accord. The room grows cold, and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less; and one day we wonder what has become of it." ~ Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha |
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or decades, horror explored different psychological and social issues through characters on the big screen and in literature. Grief, as one of the psychological mysteries, is a very popular theme in horror movies and literature. It is the only damaging emotion everyone will go through at some point in life so, for this reason, many film creators and writers are trying to capture the real essence of it, ESPECIALLY in the horror genre. Even though grief is so widely experienced, it is never entirely understood because everyone's take on it is different.
But, what exactly is grief and how it connects us?
Grief is a feeling of hopelessness in the battle against your own demons. It doesn't have a stable and consistent set of rules that every person has to go through but rather one universal purpose: to hurt you in the most convenient way. Because all people grieve differently, because everyone has their own, personal monster, it is almost impossible to express the wholesomeness of it through words. This is probably the reason for not being able to relate to a person, a friend, who is in the process of grieving. Yes, you might feel sympathy and say condolences but you will never be able to understand why that person grieves the way she grieves because their way of doing it is not your way as well. But, even though it is a unique experience, every grief is made of mutual feelings: helplessness, pain, hurt, fear, and these exact feelings drive writers and film creators while making the ultimate grief boogeyman.
Many people think of grief as a way of expressing love toward the deceased one through a loving memory and remembrance, sometimes for a long period of time.
Then why we often see effects of grief in the horror genre rather than other genres that deals with lighter themes?
It is because the concept of death is a relatively dreadful idea for human beings—the uncertainty and the ignorance of it makes it a perfect reason for horror writers to play with it. This world alone is a violent and scary place. We read and watch the news about different disasters every day so we can't live in a denial or in our own bubble of perfection in the middle of the world's rage. It would mean we deny our reality instead of confronting it. My sister, for example, is not able to sit through the most ridiculous horror movie because she can't understand what is it that people enjoy while watching or reading horror while all it brings up in her is uneasiness and dread. I can't explain her enough that THIS what she feels is exactly why people enjoy the horror genre—they fully understand the concept of reality and are confronting and acknowledging the violence of it. Grief is not different either. It makes you consider death on a deeper level than before and it reveals a completely new world to you. This is what the horror genre is trying to achieve with it: it wants to show you the rawness and reality of human emotions in the wake of death, something we shouldn't run away from but embrace completely.
It is true that horror is often provocative and challenging but it also has a deep concern for some of the most fundamental human experiences.
If you are reading this newsletter then I assume you love the horror genre as a whole. This being said, whether you went through a grieving process or not, I suggest you check out some of my favorite movies that deals with grief:
Midsommar
The Babadook
Pet Sematary
Antichrist
Hereditary
Until next time, take care of each other.
~Minja~
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Excerpt: But what will we dream of tonight? Will we jerk awake, sweating in the early hours, trying to block our ears, and face-palm away our tears, as we join the children weeping in the cloying darkness?
They whisper behind our claustrophobic wardrobe doors, where the scuffling sound can be dismissed as our clothing falling from the hangers.
They whisper...
Google us...please Google us...we promise to be good children...
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Excerpt: He couldn’t block her out this time. He found himself rising to his feet, effortlessly, and drifted along as she lead him away. The shadows deepened and blurred, the edges of reality ran together, until nothing was distinguishable. Some time later he realized he’d left his body behind.
Faith’s voice dissipated. The spirits stirred around him, but there was only silence now. He ached for his daughters, and without his body to contain it, his grief was endless.
Olivia, he called, and her last pitiful scream echoed back to him.
She returned his calls, so eventually he just called for Willow, beaconing her to join them.
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Excerpt: While my memories ranged, my attention was attracted by an orange flash to the east, above the distant pumpkin field. Great-Gran had adored her pumpkin crop; every year she lavished so much care on that field, and every harvest the crop rewarded her with the best pumpkins for miles around. Many years—before the arthritis grew too painful to travel—she had won prize ribbons at county fairs. The flash didn't repeat, so I guessed it was Great-Gran winking at me and acknowledging the sacrifices I had made and would make to honor her memory. I smiled toward the pumpkin field and saw a bat fly over it, disappearing into the distance.
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|  | Remembrance (E)
longing, loss and grief with a supernatural twist
#1227056 by kip  |
Excerpt: Beware! Illusions unreal stream
Death's sleep denied?
A bloodless corpse, red horrors dream
Yet...still beyond compare thou seems.
Throbbing heart turned voodoo drum
Beleaguered conscience struck so numb,
By love lost still resounding,
Oh wilting faith for what will come.
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Excerpt: There are razors in my throat
as I whisper I love you
and the bed engulfs me under the weight of his arm;
his body like a bear's cave
with the bear in it.
I pretend I'm dead to survive the attack.
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Horror/Scary: June 03, 2020 Issue [#10209]
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