Earlier this week, my friend celebrated her birthday with the last HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival movie of the summer — The Shining. I’ve never made it through this film. I caught about 10 minutes of it when I was 9-years-old and been unnerved ever since.
While being begged and bribed by my friends to attend on Monday, a funny but thought-provoking conversation took place based on this Q: Would you rather be chased by a ghost or an axe murderer? I was the clever one who came up with this query to make my friends get why I didn’t want to go. Clearly, my answer is ghosts — and there are lots of them in the film — and none of my pals would accept that as a legit answer. Note: I realize there’s actually a ghost with an axe in the movie. This conquers all.
Here is my well-thought out argument to see if I can sway any of you: When a serial killer or axe murderer knocks on your door, you know what’s going to happen. You have NO idea what a ghost can do. Also, you can’t enlist a stranger’s help to get away from a ghost because they’ll just think you’re crazy. So, you’re pretty much on your own. The idea that a ghost can’t kill you is totally false. Some ghosts can make heavy or sharp objects fly through the air — off shelves and out of cabinets. And, what’s worse, they can drive you to complete madness, taking away your sense of reality and leaving you in the loony bin. The possibilities are really endless here, while the end of the road with an axe murderer is pretty to the point. (Get it!?)
I think I’ve got a pretty good debate started (though my pals won’t buy it) and am thinking about writing a thesis paper on it. It’s become a passion point and the conversation has even spread to my office. I’m pretty sure that telling my boss I’m more afraid of a closed closet door than a chainsaw chasing after me will help land me that raise! Needless to say, I bailed from the movie and have still been sleeping with my lights on all week.
Maggie Is 30 