scary movies

Hey there-it's J again. Green like... couldn't blog tonight because I commandeered the computer in order to watch The Exorcism of Emily Rose . This is quite literally one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. An incredibly well-acted horror film that raises the question of the validity of the spiritual realm. Is there such a thing as demonic possession? Can such phenomena be explained away in psychological fashion? The interesting thing about the film is that it shows vignettes from Emily's possession from a "spiritual" vantage point and then revisits them, portraying them as psycho-somatic phenomena. The spiritual portrayals yield some of the most frightening footage I've ever seen in a movie. Interestingly, the director, Scott Derrickson, is a Christian and graduated from Biola University's film school . In this interview with Christianity Today , Derrickson states why he thinks horror is a film genre more Christians should be on board with:

"In my opinion, the horror genre is a perfect genre for Christians to be involved with. I think the more compelling question is, Why do so many Christians find it odd that a Christian would be working in this genre? To me, this genre deals more overtly with the supernatural than any other genre, it tackles issues of good and evil more than any other genre, it distinguishes and articulates the essence of good and evil better than any other genre, and my feeling is that a lot of Christians are wary of this genre simply because it's unpleasant. The genre is not about making you feel good, it is about making you face your fears. And in my experience, that's something that a lot of Christians don't want to do.

To me, the horror genre is the genre of non-denial. It's about admitting that there is evil in the world, and recognizing that there is evil within us, and that we're not in control, and that the things that we are afraid of must be confronted in order for us to relinquish that fear. And I think that the horror genre serves a great purpose in bolstering our understanding of what is evil and therefore better defining what is good. And of course I'm talking about, really, the potential of the horror genre, because there are a lot of horror films that don't do these things. It is a genre that's full of exploitation, but the better films in the genre certainly accomplish, I think, very noble things."

I heartily recommend The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Go rent it tomorrow. Incidentally, Green like... will be back tomorrow with her shorter posts.